Double standards? Hamilton’s cut corners at Abu Dhabi 2021 and Verstappen’s at Jeddah 2025
Four years apart, two similar situations prompted two different decisions by the FIA race stewards. In 2021, Lewis Hamilton cut a corner without being penalized. In 2025, Max Verstappen committed a similar manoeuvre and was given a penalty. A look back at the facts.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021: no penalty for Lewis Hamilton
During the first lap of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Max Verstappen (Red Bull) attempted an overtake on Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) at turn 6. To avoid contact, Hamilton went off track, cut turn 7, and then rejoined the circuit in the lead.
Red Bull believes that the Briton gained an advantage by cutting the track. However, the FIA stated that Hamilton gave back the advantage gained by slightly slowing down on the next straight. No order to return the position was given, and no penalty was applied. The incident was not subject to a more in-depth official investigation.
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2025: Penalty for Max Verstappen
On March 9, 2025, during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah, Max Verstappen started in pole position but was overtaken at the start by Oscar Piastri (McLaren). At turn 2, Verstappen went off track while defending his position, cutting part of the corner and rejoining ahead of the Australian.
The race stewards quickly examined the incident. They determined that Verstappen gained a lasting advantage by leaving the track limits and did not give it back. A 5-second penalty was applied during the race.
This penalty resulted in him being demoted by one position after the race, losing the victory to the new leader of the world championship.
The rule: « lasting advantage » off track
The FIA states in Article 27.3 of the Sporting Code that « the driver must not leave the track without a justifiable reason » and that « failure to respect track limits may be penalized if a lasting advantage is gained from this action ». The assessment of « the lasting advantage » is left to the discretion of the stewards, depending on the race context.
In the case of Hamilton (2021), the FIA considered that he had sufficiently slowed down. For Verstappen (2025), the stewards judged that he maintained his position without relinquishing the advantage gained in the maneuver.
The two decisions are based on the same rule, but resulted in two different interpretations. The FIA cites the specific context of each situation, which fuels an ongoing debate in the paddock and among observers: should judgment criteria be more standardized to ensure consistency between the Grand Prix events?
Max Verstappen about the penalty…
“It’s better we don’t talk about it, because we are anyway not allowed to express our opinion on that, so..”pic.twitter.com/IB894kDGVQ
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) April 20, 2025
