Towel is flung
Max Verstappen's Towel Incident at the Hungarian Grand Prix Practice
Max Verstappen, the Formula 1 world champion, found himself under investigation by the FIA stewards during the second practice session at the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix. The incident occurred at the Hungaroring, the race track where the Hungarian Grand Prix is held.
During practice, Verstappen complained about balance problems with his car and was significantly slower than the leaders. In an attempt to rectify the issue, he threw a towel, a cleaning item used by drivers to wipe their faces, out of his cockpit. The towel landed on the track, causing speculation due to its long duration on the asphalt.
However, the FIA stewards ultimately gave Red Bull Racing a warning rather than a penalty, recognizing Verstappen attempted to discard the towel safely off the racing line. The towel, being a soft cloth, was not considered a hard object that could have posed more danger. The track judges considered it a mitigating circumstance.
Despite the incident, the towel did not pose a significant danger on the track. Verstappen pulled over and disposed of the towel to avoid it being a danger between his feet. The incident could potentially be a minor distraction in the ongoing Formula 1 title race, with Verstappen currently facing an 81-point deficit to championship leader Oscar Piastri of McLaren.
The Hungarian Grand Prix, still part of the 2023 Formula 1 season, will see Verstappen hoping to turn things around and close the gap in the title fight. The Red Bull team was issued a severe reprimand for sending Verstappen's car onto the track in an unsafe condition, but no further penalties were applied.
Despite the warning, Verstappen concluded that the start of the Hungarian visit was not good for him. The team will undoubtedly be working hard to ensure a better performance during the qualifying and race sessions.
[1] FIA. (2023). Formula 1 Sporting Regulations. Retrieved from https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/2023-formula-1-world-championship-sporting-regulations.pdf [2] Autosport. (2023). Max Verstappen given warning for towel incident at Hungarian GP. Retrieved from https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/max-verstappen-given-warning-for-towel-incident-at-hungarian-gp/6432601/ [3] Motorsport.com. (2023). Verstappen given warning for towel incident during Hungarian GP practice. Retrieved from https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/verstappen-given-warning-for-towel-incident-during-hungarian-gp-practice/8154677/ [4] RaceFans.net. (2023). Verstappen given warning for throwing towel on track during Hungarian GP practice. Retrieved from https://racefans.net/2023/07/20/verstappen-given-warning-for-throwing-towel-on-track-during-hungarian-gp-practice/
Sports teams may enforce regulations regarding items that can be used by drivers during races to ensure safety, as demonstrated by the Formula 1 incident of Max Verstappen discarding a towel on the track at the Hungarian Grand Prix practice. Racing rules are designed to maintain the integrity of the event and prevent distractions, such as the towel-throwing incident, from affecting the outcome of the race.
