General
Steward who took away Verstappen podium: "Was public enemy number one"
- GPblog.com
Many people probably remember the moment like it was yesterday. The 2017 American Grand Prix had just ended. After an overtaking move, Verstappen managed to reach the podium. However, the stewards concluded that Verstappen made a mistake. Five seconds penalty. Consequence: no podium for Verstappen, but for Kimi Räikkönen.
Garry Connelly had to make the decision as a steward in the end. According to him, the hardest decision he ever made. "I think that’s something that always sticks with me, that was probably one of the toughest decisions I’ve ever had to take with my colleagues," according to The Race.
All of the Netherlands behind them
Nevertheless, he stands by his position. “It's something that I still believe we did the right thing.” Verstappen drove off the track when overtaking Raikkonen, was the verdict of the stewards.
After the race Connelly received a lot of criticism, including from father and son Verstappen. Also on social media Connelly received a lot of criticism. “We were public enemies number one in in the Netherlands, and all the Red Bull fans around the world were up in arms, and a lot of other people as well.”