Late penalty costs Verstappen the Austin podium—and sends him out of the cooldown room

Max Verstappen was already in the cooldown room when a post-race five-second penalty changed the result of the 2017 United States Grand Prix. It dropped him to fourth and put Kimi Räikkönen third; Verstappen had to leave the room shortly before the ceremony to make way for Räikkönen.

Verstappen had started 16th at Circuit of the Americas after a qualifying grid penalty for exceeding the permitted number of engine components. Strong race pace and a smart strategy moved him forward and into the fight with Räikkönen for third. On lap 56, the final lap, he dived down the inside at Turn 17 and cut across the kerb. All four wheels of his Red Bull went beyond the white line on the inside of the track; he crossed the finish in third.

The stewards ruled that leaving the track had given Verstappen a lasting advantage over Räikkönen. The penalty was confirmed only after Verstappen had walked to the podium area and been taken to the cooldown room, normally reserved for the top three before the ceremony.

It was not the first time Verstappen had been pulled from the cooldown room after a post-race demotion: at the 2016 Mexican Grand Prix he was also dropped to fourth behind Daniel Ricciardo after a clash with Sebastian Vettel. In Austin, Lewis Hamilton won ahead of Vettel, with Räikkönen completing the podium.