But perhaps even more puzzling was the fact that the FIA gave the reigning world champion a free pass despite its shiny new ‘zero tolerance’ rules on driver decorum.

However, it turned out that the Red Bull driver’s body language wasn’t a tantrum – but a cheeky hello gone rogue.

The FIA’s recent vow to clamp down on bad behavior had everyone braced for a penalty-point avalanche at the sight of Verstappen’s gesture, especially with Max latter already lugging eight on his license.

Twelve in a year means a race ban, and his first two – souvenirs from a 2024 Austrian GP tangle with Lando Norris – don’t expire until June 30. The math was tight, and the stakes were high.

TV cameras caught the moment in glorious detail, beaming it to a global audience. Commentators scrambled, pegging it as a swipe at an overzealous photographer sniffing around Red Bull’s tech secrets.

“Max doesn’t mess about,” they mused, imagining a lens poked too close to the RB21’s sacred aerodynamics.

The paddock buzzed with theories – until the plot twisted faster than Monaco’s chicane. German outlet Motorsport-Total.com spilled the beans: the target wasn’t a shutterbug but Luke Browning, a Williams junior driver and—wait for it—Verstappen’s mate.