FIA announce late Verstappen DEMOTION in Brazilian GP sprint race

The FIA have announced a quick decision in their investigation into Max Verstappen at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The Dutchman came in third in the sprint race on Saturday afternoon, behind Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, but has been hit with a late punishment after an incident in the final laps.

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Just after the chequered flag, it was revealed that the F1 champion was under scrutiny for an alleged Virtual Safety Car (VSC) infringement.

This offense was alleged to have occurred on lap 23 of the race, just as the VSC was about to end and Verstappen was eyeing an overtake on McLaren's Oscar Piastri.

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FIA announce Max Verstappen penalty verdict

After completing their investigation, the FIA has now announced that Verstappen did indeed break the rules, slapping the F1 champion with a five-second penalty as a result of his breach of article 56.5 of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations.

This article refers to failing to stay above the minimum time set by the FIA ECU during the VSC ending, which, in this case, was at 11:31 local time.

As a result of the five seconds added to Verstappen's time, the Dutchman has lost his third-place finish, demoted to P4. Instead, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc now officially claims third spot.

It is a small boost for Norris in the championship battle, with the McLaren man's deficit to Verstappen cut by a further point to 44 points.

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