Verstappen avoids penalty for return to track in Monaco FP1

Max Verstappen has avoided a penalty after being called before the stewards for suspectedly returning to the track in an unsafe manner during the first Formula 1 practice session of the Monaco Grand Prix race weekend.

Verstappen went off-track at Sainte Devote after locking up midway through FP1, and opted to reverse his Red Bull RB14 car back onto the circuit instead of spinning it around.

The incident caught the attention of race control, who called Verstappen before the stewards for possibly acting in a dangerous manner on-track.

However, the Dutchman was cleared by the stewards after they reviewed video evidence and heard from Verstappen, ultimately deeming him not to have posed any danger to the oncoming drivers.

“The Stewards reviewed video evidence and heard from the driver of car 33, Max Verstappen and found that yellow flags (first a single yellow and later a double yellow) had been waived to warn the other drivers that his car had gone off the track at Turn 1,” a statement from the stewards reads.

“Car 33 (VER) had to reverse on to the track to rejoin but did so under yellow flags and in a manner that posed no danger to the other drivers.”