Max Verstappen has been stripped of his Qatar Grand Prix pole position following a post-qualifying investigation by the FIA.
The Dutchman has been handed a one-place grid penalty, and will therefore not start from pole position as he swaps positions with Mercedes’ George Russell for the start of Sunday’s race at the Lusail International Circuit.
During the qualifying session, Max Verstappen initially set a blistering lap time of 1:20.520 to secure Qatar Grand Prix pole, narrowly beating Russell by just 0.055 seconds.
This achievement was particularly noteworthy as it marked the first pole position for the recently crowned F1 World Champion since June, a much-anticipated return to form after a challenging series of races.
However, the excitement was short-lived as stewards summoned both Verstappen and Russell to explain an incident that occurred during the final stages of qualifying.
The crux of the issue revolved around Max Verstappen allegedly driving unnecessarily slowly on an out lap, which is a breach of Article 33.4 of the Formula 1 sporting regulations.
This rule is designed to prevent drivers from slowing down excessively during qualifying sessions, which can lead to dangerous situations on track.
In this instance, George Russell found himself closing in on a slow Verstappen at Turn 12 as they prepared for their respective flying laps and had to brake to avoid contact with the Red Bull. He then dipped a wheel onto the gravel, before making his way past at Turn 13
The Brit had to abandon his push lap after he was forced to take the evasive action to avoid a collision, describing the moment as “hairy” and “super dangerous.”
The FIA’s investigation revealed that Qatar Grand Prix pole winner Max Verstappen had been on a different preparation strategy compared to Russell and had let other cars pass during his cooldown lap.
However, stewards determined that he was well outside the delta time set by race control, which is intended to manage traffic and ensure safety during qualifying sessions. The delta time for this weekend was specifically set at 1 minute and 40 seconds between safety car lines.
In their ruling, the stewards noted that while neither driver was on a push lap at the time of the incident, Verstappen’s actions were deemed unnecessary given that he had clear visibility of Russell approaching from behind.
A statement from the stewards read: “Car 1 [Verstappen] was on a different preparation strategy to that of Car 63 [Russell]. Car 1 was well outside of the delta and the driver of Car 1 explained he had let Cars 4 and 14 past.
“The driver of Car 63 claimed that he had adhered to the delta and did not expect Car 1 to be on the racing line. He stated that if a car was going slow in a high speed corner, it should not be on the racing line.
“The Stewards regard this case as a complicated one in that clearly Car 1 did not comply with the Race Director’s Event Notes and clearly was driving, in our determination, unnecessarily slowly considering the circumstances.”
They also stated that it was evident Max Verstappen was attempting to cool his tires but still failed to comply with race regulations regarding minimum lap times.
“It was obvious the driver of Car 1 was attempting to cool his tyres. He also could see Car 63 approaching as he looked in his mirror multiple times whilst on the small straight between Turns 11 and 12.”
As a result of this investigation, Verstappen received a one-place grid penalty, stripping him of Qatar Grand Prix pole to second place on the starting grid for Sunday’s race. This decision allowed George Russell to inherit pole position, marking his fifth career pole and fourth of the current season.
The ramifications of this penalty extend beyond just one race; they could have significant implications for Red Bull Racing’s hopes in the constructors’ championship as they trail McLaren by 67 points with only two races remaining.
Max Verstappen losing Qatar Grand Prix pole is particularly notable given that it is not common for drivers of his caliber to face such penalties for driving behavior during qualifying.
The incident highlights the ongoing scrutiny drivers face regarding their conduct on track and how critical every moment can be in high-stakes environments like Formula 1.
For Red Bull Racing, this situation adds pressure as they aim to secure points in both individual driver standings and the constructors’ championship. Verstappen has already clinched his fourth consecutive drivers’ title earlier in Las Vegas, but team dynamics are equally important as they strive for collective success.
