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Max Verstappen received a five-second time penalty for violating the Virtual Safety Car in the sprint race, which dropped him to fourth place in the final standings.

Verstappen crossed the finish line third at Interlagos on Saturday afternoon, behind the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, but faced an investigation for a possible VSC violation on the final lap restart.

Just before the lights turned green, Verstappen drove alongside Piastri but fell back when the sprint race resumed. Under the VSC, drivers must maintain a minimum delta to ensure they do not gain an advantage over the vehicles in front.

According to the sports commissioners Verstappen:

💬 “Was 0.63 seconds below the minimum time at the VSC end when the FIA ​​light boards turned green. This suggests a sporting advantage achieved under the VSC.”

Verstappen explained at the hearing that he tried to correct the error after receiving notification that he was below delta, but was unable to do so before the race went green again.

The penalty drops Verstappen from P3 to P4 in the sprint, behind Charles Leclerc, and also means his championship lead over Norris has now shrunk to 44 points ahead of qualifying for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix on Saturday.

Verstappen also received a penalty point on his FIA super license, bringing his total to seven points over a 12-month period. Any driver who achieves 12 points within 12 months will receive a one-race ban.