Max Verstappen’s vehicle underwent a spontaneous inspection following his remarkable triumph at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
This event marked another flawless performance by the Dutch racer, securing victory and crossing the finish line ahead of his teammate Sergio Perez by a substantial margin of 13.6 seconds.
Verstappen’s achievement not only solidified his unblemished record in the 2024 season but also bolstered his position at the summit of the Drivers’ Championship leaderboard. As a 26-year-old, he stands as the prominent contender for clinching his fourth consecutive title.
However, post the intense race in Jeddah, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) opted to subject his Red Bull car to a meticulous examination, primarily focusing on ensuring compliance with the regulatory framework.
Subsequent to the inspection, the FIA issued a statement confirming the outcome: “After the race of the Saudi Arabian GP, car number 01 was randomly chosen among the top 10 cars for more extensive physical inspections.
“Subject to these physical inspections were all front and rear suspension dampers, the engine air intake system, the oil and coolant system and charge air cooling and all sensors related to the above systems. All inspected components were found to be in conformance with the 2024 technical regulations.”
The random selection of cars for post-race testing is a routine procedure observed at every event throughout the calendar year.
This practice gained significant attention during the previous year’s United States Grand Prix, where Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc faced retrospective disqualification due to excessive plank wear. Subsequent revelations unveiled that only four cars underwent inspection.
The announcement of these disqualifications ignited a flurry of controversy across various social media platforms, compelling the FIA to provide clarification. They stated,”A series of random checks are carried out every weekend on different areas of the cars. This process has been in place for many decades.
“It exists to ensure compliance with the regulations by virtue of the fact that the teams do not know before the race which specific areas of which cars might be examined beyond the standard checks carried out on every car each weekend.
“This means that, from their perspective, any part of the car could be checked at any time, and the consequences for non-compliance with the technical regulations can be severe.”
Martin Brundle raised doubts about the FIA’s procedures, advocating for comprehensive post-race inspections for all cars rather than just a limited selection.
In his column for Sky Sports, he expressed his opinion, stating: “If 50 per cent of the tested cars failed, then shouldn’t all the finishers have been checked? The answer must surely be yes.”
