NEWS FLASH: Max Verstappen argument with FIA president moments after Saudi GP missed by TV.

The conversation was not shown on the Sky Sports broadcast from the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix but new footage has emerged of Max Verstappen being approach by Mohammed ben Sulayem.

Footage taken from the stands at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix shows the moment Max Verstappen was approached by the FIA president moments after the end of the race. The Dutchman appears visibly frustrated as he exchanges a few words with Mohammed ben Sulayem.

Verstappen finished second behind Oscar Piastri after being given a five-second time penalty for a first corner incident with the McLaren racer. He was found guilty by the stewards of leaving the track and gaining an advantage and the punishment cost him a shot at victory.

Verstappen’s frustration was evident in his post-race interviews. He walked out during one with David Coulthard and later refused to answer questions in the official FIA press conference, saying that speaking openly might get him into trouble.

However, it appears he didn’t hold back when speaking to FIA president Ben Sulayem. A video circulating online shows the two in conversation just after Verstappen exited his car, still removing his helmet and gloves. While only the back of Ben Sulayem’s head is visible, Verstappen is clearly animated, gesturing and shrugging as he spoke.

Just after the incident, Verstappen radioed in claiming he’d been forced off the track by Piastri. Piastri, on the other hand, blamed Verstappen, telling his team he didn’t think the Red Bull driver was ever going to make the corner.

Verstappen led the early part of the race after rejoining ahead of Piastri but was hit with a five-second penalty which he served during his pit stop. That allowed Piastri, who had already stopped, to get ahead. The McLaren driver went on to win by under three seconds, suggesting the penalty may have cost Verstappen the victory.

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner disagreed with the penalty. He showed images from Verstappen’s onboard camera, arguing that Max had the lead at the corner’s apex and deserved more racing room. “I thought it was very harsh,” Horner said. “We didn’t give up the position because we didn’t think he’d done anything wrong. You can clearly see Max was ahead.”

Still, Horner confirmed Red Bull wouldn’t appeal. “We spoke to the stewards and they see it as a clear-cut case,” he said. “If we protest, they’ll likely stick to their decision. We’ll show them the onboard footage that wasn’t available initially, but chances of a reversal are slim.”

Christian Horner produces onboard evidence to dispute FIA’s harsh and controversial verdict, arguing that the data clearly shows the circumstances surrounding the incident were misinterpreted. He insists that the onboard footage demonstrates a different perspective that takes into account the complexities of race conditions and driver behavior. This extensive evidence is aimed at not only challenging the decision but also fostering transparency and fairness in the regulatory processes that govern the sport. Horner’s approach highlights the ongoing tension between teams and the FIA, raising questions about the interpretation of rules and the need for a more nuanced understanding of racing scenarios.

Max Verstappen had to settle for second place at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after receiving a time penalty from the stewards for a first-lap clash with Oscar Piastri, who went on to win the race.

Red Bull won’t challenge the controversial decision, team principal Christian Horner confirmed, although he clearly disagreed with the outcome. Verstappen had started from pole, but Piastri got a better start and had the inside line into the first chicane. The Red Bull driver ended up cutting across the inside of turn two but kept the lead without handing it back.

Despite Verstappen and the team believing they had done nothing wrong, the stewards saw it differently and handed the Dutchman a five-second penalty, which ultimately cost him the win.

Horner described the penalty as “very, very harsh” and even brought onboard screenshots to support his argument that Verstappen was ahead at the corner’s apex—something he believes should’ve cleared his driver of any fault.

“We spoke to the stewards after the race. They considered it clear-cut,” Horner said. While frustrated by the ruling, Horner confirmed Red Bull wouldn’t appeal: “If we protested, they’d probably stick to their original decision. We’ll show them the onboard footage, but the chances are slim.”

Red Bull could’ve avoided the penalty by instructing Verstappen to let Piastri through, giving him a chance to regain the lead later without compromising his race strategy. But Horner said they didn’t feel it was necessary. “We didn’t think Max did anything wrong. At the apex, he was clearly ahead. The rules had been discussed before, and this felt overly severe.”

He added that giving up the lead could have left Verstappen vulnerable to George Russell and compromised their strategy. “So once we got the penalty, we just had to push on.”

In the end, Verstappen finished only 2.6 seconds behind Piastri on the same tire stint, meaning the five-second penalty made all the difference.

To make matters worse, Red Bull’s other driver, Yuki Tsunoda, also had a tough day. After qualifying a career-best eighth since joining from Racing Bulls, he was taken out on lap one following contact with Pierre Gasly.