FIA Stewards Clear Leclerc After Controversial Incident with Verstappen at Spanish GP
The FIA race stewards have decided not to penalize Charles Leclerc following his on-track collision with Max Verstappen during the Spanish Grand Prix, allowing the Ferrari driver to maintain his third-place finish.
The incident occurred on lap 61 during a safety car restart. Verstappen, struggling with oversteer on hard tires, lost momentum as Leclerc seized the opportunity to overtake. However, as they raced side by side, Leclerc appeared to slightly move toward Verstappen, prompting the Dutch driver to allege that Leclerc should have been penalized.
The stewards reviewed detailed telemetry, team data, and video evidence before concluding that both drivers contributed to the minor collision. They classified the incident as a racing incident, stating: "Both cars were moving slightly towards each other in the middle of the track, and a minor collision occurred as a result."
Verstappen later finished the race in 10th place after receiving a 10-second penalty for a separate incident involving George Russell. This penalty also added three points to his license, bringing him to the brink of a race ban ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix.
Leclerc’s podium capped a strong performance, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri of McLaren taking the top two spots.
