Red Bull decides not to challenge the 'severe' penalty.

      "We plan to request the FIA to review new onboard footage."

      

      Red Bull is very unlikely to contest the stewards’ decision to impose a controversial 5-second penalty on Max Verstappen. Title competitors Oscar Piastri and Verstappen approached turn one at Jeddah on Sunday side by side, with Red Bull taking the lead after going off track through the chicane. "I'm convinced this corner was mine," Piastri, the new championship leader and eventual race winner, told Viaplay afterwards. "I told myself 'I’m not yielding here.' Everyone witnessed what transpired next," the McLaren driver added.

      Piastri ultimately won the race by a margin smaller than the 5 seconds of the penalty. Verstappen was so upset that he outright refused to share his thoughts with the media. "I don’t care," he told the Viaplay interviewer when informed that the world was interested in his opinion. "I don’t want to discuss it." When probed further, Verstappen replied: "Because I don't want to."

      Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko spoke on behalf of the reigning world champion, stating that the penalty was "a bit harsh." "We observed the Formula 2 races where similar incidents occurred involving two or three drivers, and they were only given warnings," he noted. "In the end, Max is correct in saying 'it is what it is.'"

      Team principal Christian Horner expressed his frustration, bringing printed telemetry and onboard photos to his post-race meeting with the media. "We will request the FIA to review new onboard footage, which was not accessible at that time," he stated.

      However, a protest or request for a 'right of review' seems improbable. "We will discuss it and present these images to them, but a protest is highly unlikely. I’m unsure what happened to the principle of 'let them race' in the first corner, as that seems to have vanished," Horner commented.

      Marko conveyed to Austrian broadcaster ORF, "In theory, we could file a protest, but that would require new evidence, which we don’t have. However, the television footage shows everything, so we see no reason to pursue a protest."

      Verstappen also appeared entirely disinterested in disputing the decision. "No, it's not in my interests," he said. "My only interest is to go home."

      Interestingly, even Piastri acknowledged that he didn't believe Verstappen did anything particularly wrong. "If the roles were reversed, and I was in his position, it would probably have looked just the same," the Australian remarked. Similarly, Verstappen had no criticism for Piastri, who is emerging as a strong contender for the 2025 world championship. "He’s very solid. His calm approach is commendable, and it reflects on the track. He performs when needed and hardly makes mistakes, which is essential when vying for a championship."