The results of the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix are under something of a cloud after officials announced they would investigate the final two laps of the race.
Max Verstappen saw the chequered flag first in Jeddah, just 0.5s clear of Charles Leclerc following a nail-biting exchange that lasted for much of the final 10 laps.
However, a clash between Alex Albon and Lance Stroll has added a degree of uncertainty to the result.
Albon and Stroll made contact at Turn 1, with the former having to pull his Williams to the side of the track in the first sector as the leaders began Lap 49.
That incident was noted and is being investigated by the stewards, though a series messages then followed on Page 3 of the timing screens – an official means of communication to teams.
The first of these notices was that Kevin Magnussen was under investigation for failing to slow under yellow flags.
Almost immediately after it was noted that Carlos Sainz had also failed to slow, and then Sergio Perez was listed for the same offence.
All three of those notices came after the chequered flag was displayed, at 21:27 local time before it was finally declared that “Laps 49 and 50 – double yellow under investigation”.
For now, only Albon and Stroll have been summoned to the stewards’ room, the pair doing so at 21:40 and 22:00 local time respectively.
No outcome has yet been published of that, Magnussen, Sainz, Perez, or the yellow flag situation itself as yet.
Race winner Verstappen noted the yellow flags and the difficulty in managing speed through the sector while flying under the stewards’ radar.
Magnussen finished ninth in the race, while Sainz was third and Perez fourth.
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