Red Bull Racing Reprimanded For Verstappen Tossing Towel On Track During Hungarian GP Practice

Last Updated:August 02, 2025, 16:30 IST

Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing were reprimanded after Verstappen threw a face towel from his cockpit during practice for the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix. No penalty was issued.

Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen (X)

Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing received an official reprimand from Formula One stewards on Friday following an unusual incident during practice for the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix, in which the Dutch driver threw a face towel out of his cockpit and onto the track.

The three-time world champion was summoned to speak with race officials after the second free practice session at the Hungaroring, where stewards reviewed video evidence of the event.

The incident occurred midway through Free Practice 2. Verstappen was seen pulling his car off the racing line at Turn 3, slowing down noticeably. He then removed both hands from the steering wheel to retrieve a small white towel from the side of his cockpit and proceeded to toss it out of the car.

Although the towel landed well off the racing line, it remained on the asphalt until the session concluded. The situation raised immediate concerns about track safety and prompted race control to refer the matter to the FIA stewards, who reviewed it as a possible case of unsafe behaviour on track.

FIA Issues Warning, Not Penalty

While similar scenarios in the past have led to fines or penalties for teams, the FIA ultimately decided not to take disciplinary action beyond a formal warning. The stewards’ statement explained the rationale behind the decision.

“Shortly after Car 1 was released from its garage, the driver of Car 1 (Verstappen) was observed to have thrown a towel out of the cockpit," the stewards noted.

“The driver explained that while in the garage, the face towel had slipped from his lap to the side of the seat, and the team was unaware that it remained in the cockpit.

When the driver realised it was there, he moved to the far right of the track and attempted to throw it as far away from the car and the track as possible."

Despite Verstappen’s intention to discard the towel safely, it remained on the circuit surface for the remainder of the session.

“It Was the Safest Option"

Speaking to reporters after the session, Verstappen offered a composed explanation for the moment, which — though harmless in the end — raised eyebrows in the paddock due to its rarity.

“It’s just a towel that you normally wipe your face with when you come back in," Verstappen said. “It was still in the car when I went out."

Rather than risk the cloth interfering with his footwell, Verstappen made a split-second decision to dispose of it on track, away from the racing line.

“Instead of it maybe potentially flying in between my feet, which is the dangerous part, I drove off line and I got rid of it in the safest way possible," he added.

Siddarth Sriram

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...Read More

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...

Read More

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First Published:

August 02, 2025, 16:30 IST

News sports Red Bull Racing Reprimanded For Verstappen Tossing Towel On Track During Hungarian GP Practice

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