BARCELONA, Spain — In a year in which McLaren has emerged as Formula One’s dominant team with a brilliant car and two outstanding drivers, Max Verstappen’s efforts to stay in the hunt for the World Championship must be applauded.

Formula 1 has gone into meltdown after Max Verstappen escaped with just a 10-second penalty for ramming into bitter rival George Russell during the Spanish Grand Prix.

F1 world champion Nico Rosberg called for Max Verstappen to be given a black flag during the Spanish Grand Prix, which would mean disqualification for the Red Bull star. Verstappen was slapped with a 10-second time penalty in the immediate aftermath of the Spanish GP,