Charles Leclerc has received support from two Formula 1 world champions following his controversial five-second penalty at the 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix. Max Verstappen and Lando Norris both defended the Ferrari driver’s wheel-to-wheel contact with Liam Lawson at Interlagos, suggesting that the manoeuvre was acceptable racing despite the FIA stewards reaching a different conclusion.
The incident occurred during the closing laps of the São Paulo Grand Prix, when Charles Leclerc made contact with the Racing Bulls driver at the Juncão corner before completing an overtake. Although the Monegasque initially gained the position on track, the subsequent penalty dropped him back to eighth place, restoring Liam Lawson to seventh. The decision sparked debate among the drivers, with Max Verstappen and Lando Norris offering a considerably more forgiving assessment than the stewards.
Charles Leclerc receives five-second penalty after Liam Lawson collision in Brazil
The contact between Charles Leclerc and Liam Lawson during the closing stages of the Brazilian Grand Prix became one of the most discussed incidents of the race.
The Ferrari driver was attempting to gain a position on the New Zealander when the two cars made contact at Juncão. Approaching from behind, Charles Leclerc touched Liam Lawson’s car with his front wheel, delivering a slight but decisive nudge that helped open an opportunity to overtake.
Charles Leclerc subsequently completed the move and gained the position on track. However, the FIA stewards considered the earlier contact worthy of a five-second time penalty, which ultimately reversed the outcome of the battle.
The sanction relegated Charles Leclerc to eighth place in the final classification, with Liam Lawson recovering seventh position.
The decision added another frustrating moment to Ferrari’s difficult Brazilian Grand Prix weekend, although the incident itself generated differing opinions among the drivers.
Liam Lawson was particularly critical of the manoeuvre and even recalled a similar incident involving Charles Leclerc during his Formula 2 career.
“I don’t know whether it’s legal or not. He did something like that in the past as well. Maybe that’s his speciality,” the Racing Bulls driver commented with a hint of sarcasm.
However, two Formula 1 world champions saw the situation rather differently.
Max Verstappen defends Charles Leclerc with ‘rubbing is racing’ verdict
Max Verstappen was among those who defended Charles Leclerc’s manoeuvre, offering his opinion before even learning that the Ferrari driver had received a penalty.
The Red Bull driver was discussing the race with Lando Norris and Isack Hadjar in the room behind the podium when footage of the collision appeared in the race highlights.
After watching the contact between Charles Leclerc and Liam Lawson, Max Verstappen delivered a short and immediate assessment: “Rubbing is racing.”
The expression is a famous reference to the 1990 film Days of Thunder, set in the world of American NASCAR racing. By using those words, Max Verstappen made it clear that he considered the slight wheel-to-wheel contact between Charles Leclerc and Liam Lawson a legitimate part of racing.
His interpretation suggested that the Ferrari driver’s manoeuvre fell within the type of physical, closely contested racing that drivers should be allowed to engage in.
Lando Norris agrees Charles Leclerc’s move on Liam Lawson was acceptable
Lando Norris also defended Charles Leclerc’s actions, expressing a similar opinion during a streamed conversation with his friend and fellow British racing driver Max Fewtrell.
Discussing the incident, the two agreed that the manoeuvre was close to the limit of what the regulations should allow, but did not believe it had crossed that boundary. Max Fewtrell explained that the amount of contact was important when assessing whether the Ferrari driver’s move was acceptable.
“That’s racing, even if we’re on the limit. I think if the push had been a little harder, Liam Lawson would have lost more time and it wouldn’t have been fair. But as it was, it was a perfectly acceptable push.”
Lando Norris immediately agreed with that interpretation, going even further in his assessment of the manoeuvre.
“I agree, I agree. In my opinion, it was a perfectly placed push.”
The McLaren driver’s comments highlighted the distinction he and Max Fewtrell made between a small amount of contact during a close battle and a more forceful collision that could unfairly compromise another competitor’s race. For Lando Norris, the contact between Charles Leclerc and Liam Lawson remained within an acceptable level of racing aggression.
FIA stewards take different view despite support for Charles Leclerc
Despite the support from Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, the FIA stewards ultimately reached a different conclusion about the incident.
While the two world champions regarded Charles Leclerc’s contact with Liam Lawson as part of normal wheel-to-wheel racing, the officials considered the manoeuvre sufficient grounds for a five-second penalty.
The contrasting assessments demonstrated how differently drivers and stewards can interpret the limits of acceptable contact during an overtake. For Charles Leclerc, the practical consequence remained unchanged. The penalty cost him seventh place and left him eighth in the final Brazilian Grand Prix classification, regardless of the support expressed by his fellow competitors.
The late-race position change and the effect of the penalty can also be explored through the F1 Race Position and Progression Tracker, which allows comparisons of how drivers moved through the running order during the Grand Prix.
Ultimately, the incident divided opinion. Liam Lawson questioned the legality of Charles Leclerc’s actions, while Max Verstappen and Lando Norris believed the Ferrari driver had stayed within the acceptable boundaries of hard racing. The stewards, however, had the final say.
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