Max Verstappen has come under scrutiny after receiving a warning from the FIA for a controversial pit lane incident during the third practice session at the Dutch Grand Prix. The 26-year-old Red Bull driver, who is leading the drivers’ championship by 78 points over McLaren’s Lando Norris, is in pursuit of his fourth consecutive title. Despite his dominance this season, Verstappen hasn’t claimed a victory since the Spanish Grand Prix, marking his longest winless streak since 2020.

At his home track, Circuit Zandvoort, Verstappen appeared to be off the pace, with Lando Norris becoming the first driver to beat him to pole position at the Dutch Grand Prix by a margin of 0.356 seconds.

However, the major talking point following Saturday’s final practice session was the FIA’s decision to issue Verstappen a warning. F1 journalist Chris Medland reported that Verstappen was reprimanded for crossing the white line at the pit exit, which is against the rules. Keen to accelerate his exit, Verstappen overtook Oscar Piastri on the inside and George Russell on the outside, crossing the prohibited white line in the process.

According to F1 regulations, cars are only permitted to leave the pit lane when a green light is displayed, and crossing the white line is strictly forbidden.

The incident sparked a heated debate on social media, with many fans calling for stricter penalties. One fan remarked, “The rules don’t apply to Max Verstappen. Give him a grid penalty, he does this all the time,” while another questioned, “Am I missing something here? Like is he allowed to do that?” Others pointed out that similar actions by other drivers, such as Lewis Hamilton, would likely result in a grid penalty.

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton was handed a three-place grid penalty after the stewards determined that he had unnecessarily impeded Sergio Perez’s Red Bull during Q1 on Saturday. The stewards noted that while Hamilton was warned by his team about Perez’s approach and attempted to move off the racing line, he could have slowed down more to avoid impeding Perez.

As the controversy surrounding Verstappen’s actions continues, the discussion about consistency in the enforcement of F1 rules remains a hot topic among fans and experts alike.