FIA race director Charlie Whiting has given his verdict on Esteban Ocon’s clash with Max Verstappen during the Brazilian Grand Prix, branding his manoeuvre as “wholly unacceptable”.

Ocon was penalised and handed a 10-second stop/go penalty by race stewards when he made an ambitious attempt to unlap himself past Verstappen at Turn 2, while the Dutchman was in the lead of the race.

The collision cost the Red Bull driver an almost certain victory, as the pair sought words post-race blaming one another for the crash.

Ocon believed he had acted fairly, noting under Formula 1 regulations he had the right to overtake Verstappen and regain a lap. Whiting clarified the ruling over drivers reclaiming a lap, stating a pass should be completed safely and fairly, without fighting.

“He’s absolutely allowed to unlap himself. That’s clear,” Whiting said. “It’s happened many times in the past. Of course you expect it to be done safely, but more to the point, I think it should be done cleanly and absolutely without fighting. You shouldn’t be fighting to get past.

“If he’s got the pace, then normally one would expect Red Bull to say Ocon’s got the pace, just let him through, that sort of thing.

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“But it seemed that he just went for it, and it was just a bit unfortunate that he decided to fight for it which was wholly unacceptable.”

Verstappen later confronted Ocon at the driver weighing area, shown by TV cameras forcefully pushing the Frenchman, which the FIA would hand Verstappen two days public service for his actions.

The decision to award Ocon with the second harshest in-race penalty behind a disqualification was defended by Whiting, who downplayed suggestions a tougher offence should have been awarded given Verstappen had been leading.

“I don’t think it makes any difference that he was the leader,” Whiting explained. “It makes it worse in a lot of peoples’ eyes, but as far as the stewards are concerned, that doesn’t matter.”