Max Verstappen Issues Blunt Response to Race Penalty that Cost Him the Win in Jeddah

Red Bull's Max Verstappen was handed a massive penalty that ultimately cost him the win after a Turn 1 fight resulted in him leaving the track and not conceding the position to Piastri.

He could have given the position back, but the Red Bull driver maintained that he was ahead at the apex and therefore had a right to the position. The FIA then investigated the incident and issued a five-second time penalty.

The driver served the penalty at the pits, though McLaren's Oscar Piastri overtook Max after the stops and never looked back.

More News: F1 Analyst claims Max Verstappen's 'Head Turned' towards Other Teams Amid Red Bull Problems

Verstappen was reluctant to speak much after the race, with radio messages kept brief to avoid airing his evident issues with the penalty.

After the race, Max pointed to the reason of his frustration.

"To be honest, I think any word towards that is just a waste of time," Verstappen said.

ℹ️ Max has been given a five-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage ⏱️#F1 || #SaudiArabianGP
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) April 20, 2025

"We talked about it a lot, and last year, this year, are different kind of rules, so that’s also not the problem."

"But honestly, this is also not my problem, to be honest. I think the positive is that we had quite decent pace in the race."

"I was much happier on that medium as well, because honestly, I didn’t expect that pace in the car, but it did show that the changes we made to the car from Friday to Saturday definitely helped a lot on tyre wear as well."

More News: What are Max Verstappen's Options if the 4-Time Champion Leaves Red Bull

When pressed for specifics about which rule change he was referencing, he said, "let’s get the paperwork. It’s all written down."

Considering how strongly the Red Bull driver felt about he penalty, the question was raised about whether he would appeal the ruling from the FIA, to which Verstappen seemingly had no interest in.

Unfortunately, the damage to Yuki’s car is too much for him to continue, and he is out of the race 💔 https://t.co/dIY2ND3cGc
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) April 20, 2025

"It’s not in my interest. The only thing that is in my interest is now looking forward to go home."

More News: Fernando Alonso Would Welcome 'Unlikely' Max Verstappen Aston Martin Move

Verstappen is known as one of the most aggressive drivers on the grid, fighting hard and stubbornly trying to hold onto any position he manages to secure.

Red Bull was very close to capturing their second race win in the past three races; however, the pace shown by the RB21 should give the team optimism about their progress in car development.

For more F1 news, head over to F1 on SI.