Charles Leclerc gets a grid penalty of three places in Abu Dhabi for his reckless braking action during the Sakhir GP. However, according to Martin Brundle, Max Verstappen was more instigator than the victim. Although Leclerc was punished and several analysts believed that Verstappen was a victim of the incident with Leclerc and Sergio Perez, Skysports reporter Martin Brundle thinks it's the other way around. In his column on Skysport.com, Brundle writes: "Verstappen sensed trouble and was unusually early on his brakes, thus releasing Perez on the outside and enciting Leclerc into an ultimately late, wild braking action on the inside of a sandy track." Brundle continues: "Perez cut to the apex of the bend to overtake Bottas. He would never have had the opportunity to see Leclerc. However, it would have been smart to assume that someone can always sit there". Brundle seems to blame Verstappen, who, according to the Brit, got in the way of sight of Perez and made sure that Leclerc had no choice but to brake late and wild. His conclusion about Verstappen is: "The cruelest was Verstappen. He drove very defensively and so as not to have to brake hard, he drove past [Leclerc, ed.] on the outside in a gravel trap that I think few drivers knew about. From just surviving the incident to driving your wheel off the wall. It was a hugely painful way for Max to waste an opportunity".
Source: GPBlog