Suzuka, April 5, 2025 – by GP Thread
Both Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri were summoned to the stewards on Saturday after allegedly breaching procedural instructions during the third free practice session at the Japanese Grand Prix.
The incident occurred following a red flag stoppage in FP3, caused by a small grass fire at Turn 12—the second of the weekend. With track time already limited after Friday’s heavily disrupted FP2, drivers were eager to maximize the remaining session. A queue quickly formed at the pit exit in preparation for the restart.
However, Verstappen and Piastri were spotted skipping the line as they moved toward the designated practice start area.
Stewards Issue Formal Warnings
Both Red Bull and McLaren were investigated and ultimately received formal warnings for not following the Race Director’s instructions regarding pit lane behavior.
According to the stewards’ report, Verstappen’s car overtook a significant number of others while navigating the working lane on his way to the start box — briefly entering the fast lane before cutting across.
“The stewards noted that the driver of Car 1 did perform a genuine practice start and rejoined the queue only after all other cars in the fast lane had passed,” the report stated.
Hamilton and Sainz Question the Move
Over the team radio, Lewis Hamilton, who had received a similar warning on Friday, called out McLaren: “McLaren jumped the queue.” Carlos Sainz also questioned whether the maneuver was within the rules.
Although no grid penalties were issued, the incident adds to a growing list of drivers and teams walking a fine line with race control this weekend.