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By Alex Harrington
Sports Contributing Writer
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Max Verstappen, along with three other drivers, has come under investigation by the FIA for a potential Virtual Safety Car infringement at the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The incident, which unfolded at the Baku City Circuit, involves an allegation of possible overtaking under VSC conditions after the chequered flag.
Verstappen, who finished fifth in the race, firmly denies this, asserting that no overtaking took place under the VSC.
"I didn't pass under the VSC, we crossed the line, the race was finished," Verstappen clarified in response to the allegations, via Sky Sports F1. He further added:
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"There's a lot of examples this year where we've done exactly the same thing so I'm a bit surprised."
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The FIA investigation extended to several other drivers, too. Nico Hulkenberg from Haas, and Alpine drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon are also under investigation. The scrutiny over potential VSC breaches isn't the only focus; the race also saw Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and Red Bull's Sergio Perez under investigation following their collision. On top of this, McLaren faces inquiries regarding a possible violation related to personnel and equipment in the pit lane.
Despite this bad news for McLaren, their Azerbaijan campaign was a successful one. Oscar Piastri's win was remarkable, marking his second career victory.
"I tried, at the start to get in front, but once I got out of DRS I didn't have the pace," he said as reported by Newsweek Sports. "After the stop, I saw we were pretty close again.
"I felt like we had a bit of extra grip and thought we had to go for it because I thought I'd never get past otherwise."
His bold strategy paid off, leading to a nail-biting 35 laps as he held the lead under considerable pressure.
"I went for a big lunge and hung on for dear life for the next 35 laps. The last couple of laps were a little bit more relaxing but there's no such thing as a relaxing lap. That goes down as one of the better races in my career," Piastri reflected.
The final results of the race saw Piastri clinching the first position, followed by Charles Leclerc of Ferrari and George Russell of Mercedes rounding out the podium. Verstappen finished in P5, adding pressure to the shoulders of Red Bull for the remainder of the season if they're to maintain their driver's lead in the Driver's Standings.
2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Results
1. Oscar Piastri
2. Charles Leclerc
3. George Russell
4. Lando Norris
5. Max Verstappen
6. Fernando Alonso
7. Alex Albon
8. Franco Colapinto
9. Lewis Hamilton
10. Ollie Bearman
11. Nico Hulkenberg
12. Pierre Gasly
13. Daniel Ricciardo
14. Zhou Guanyu
15. Esteban Ocon
16. Valtteri Bottas
17. Carlos Sainz - DNF
18. Sergio Perez - DNF
19. Lance Stroll - DNF
20. Yuki Tsunoda - DNF
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