"Was a 10-second penalty enough?": British F1 pundit questions the severity of Max Verstappen's penalty in Austria

Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft claimed he wasn't convinced that the 10-second penalty to Max Verstappen was enough given the circumstances at the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver collided with rival Lando Norris in the final stages of the race while defending his lead from the McLaren driver.

The three-time world champion made it incredibly difficult for Norris to get a proper overtake which resulted in the Brit making multiple failed divebombs. Eventually, Verstappen moved under brakes on Lap 64 and collided with Norris' rear right wheel, causing punctures for both.

The collision saw the McLaren driver retire from the race, whereas Max Verstappen finished in P5 despite getting a 10-second penalty for his part.

While appearing on the Sky Sports F1 podcast, David Croft questioned the severity of the penalty and reflected:

"It's not the first time that we've been talking about Max Verstappen in this way and he got a 10-second penalty for it. I don't know if 10 seconds was enough. I think in terms of the guidelines the stewards work to I can understand why they gave that 10 seconds in the end it it had little or no bearing on his result after he came in to to change tires."

"I'm not going to call to lead the calls for Max to get a grid penalty for the next race but was a 10-second penalty enough considering that his move resulted in one driver retiring and costing his own chance of a win." he added.

Red Bull team boss terms Max Verstappen's 10-second as 'harsh' in Austria

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner believed the 10-second penalty to Max Verstappen was 'harsh' given the damage to both driver's races.

While speaking to Ted Kravitz after the race last weekend, Horner said(via F1.com):

“He picked up a puncture, he got the penalty. I thought the penalty was harsh but that’s racing sometimes. It’s frustrating, particularly here at this race, but that’s the way racing goes sometimes."

Many, including Lando Norris, did not share the same view as Horner and put the blame firmly on the Dutch driver. The McLaren driver even claimed he might lose a little respect if Verstappen failed to recognize and apologize for his move on Sunday, June 30.

Max Verstappen, on his part, mentioned that he was open to talking to Lando Norris about the incident and reviewing it properly when the emotions of both drivers had cooled down.