Max Verstappen escaped a penalty following a post-race review by Formula 1 stewards after the Hungarian Grand Prix. The incident in question involved Verstappen overtaking Lewis Hamilton during the race, causing the Ferrari driver to take evasive action off track without any contact being made.
The incident occurred on lap 29 of the race in Budapest when Verstappen made a move on the inside of Hamilton at turn four. Although Verstappen emerged ahead after the maneuver, race control flagged the incident for investigation once the Grand Prix concluded.
Both Verstappen and Hamilton were called to provide their accounts of the incident to the stewards. Hamilton opted not to attend, leaving Verstappen potentially facing a penalty if it was determined that he unfairly forced another driver off track during the overtake.
Ultimately, the stewards decided not to penalize Verstappen after considering his explanation. They noted that there was no contact between the cars, and despite the ambitious nature of the move, it did not qualify as forcing another car off track. Verstappen finished ninth in the race, earning two points for Red Bull, while Hamilton finished 12th and one lap down after a challenging weekend.
The Hungarian Grand Prix was won by Lando Norris, who secured his fifth victory of the year and third in four Grands Prix, fending off teammate and title contender Oscar Piastri. Norris executed a successful alternative strategy, while Piastri had to back off on the final lap to avoid a collision with Norris. This result narrows the gap between Norris and Piastri in the championship standings, with George Russell claiming third place in his Mercedes as Charles Leclerc struggled in the later stages of the race in his Ferrari.
