George Russell will start Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix from pole position after Max Verstappen was given a one-place grid penalty for impeding the Brit during qualifying.
As they prepared for their final flying laps at the end of qualifying, Red Bull’s Verstappen caught Russell by surprise as he slowed in the third sector, leaving the Mercedes driver needing to take late evasive action that forced him onto the kerb and gravel.
Russell had been on provisional pole before the final runs, and said after the session that the incident was “maybe” the reason he was unable to improve on his first effort.
Verstappen was called to the stewards for the alleged offence of “driving unnecessarily slowly”, with Russell also invited to give his version of events, before a decision was eventually communicated more than three hours after the end of the session.
The penalty for such an offence would usually be a three-place grid penalty, but the stewards said the fact that Russell had clear visibility of Verstappen, and that neither driver was on a push lap, resulted in a less severe punishment.
Verstappen also received one penalty point on his FIA super licence, which takes him halfway to the 12-point threshold over a year-long period that if breached results in a one-race ban.
While the ruling boosts Russell’s chances of claiming back-to-back victories following his win in Las Vegas last week, it is unlikely to cause major uproar given Verstappen has already sealed a fourth successive drivers’ title.
The stewards’ ruling in full
The Stewards heard from the driver of Car 1 (Max Verstappen), the driver of Car 63 (George Russell), team representatives and reviewed positioning/marshalling system data, video, timing, telemetry, team radio and in-car video evidence.
Car 1 was on a different preparation strategy to that of Car 63. 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.
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.
Unusually, this incident occurred when neither car was on a push lap. Had Car 63 been on a push lap, the penalty would have most likely been the usual 3 grid position penalty, however in mitigation of penalty, it was obvious that the driver of Car 63 had clear visibility of Car 1 and that neither car was on a push lap.
What did the drivers say?
Both drivers reflected on the interview during post-session interviews with Sky Sports F1 before they met with the stewards.
George Russell on Sky Sports F1:
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George Russell was left frustrated with Max Verstappen after the pair almost crashed during qualifying in Qatar.
“When you’re preparing for your lap and you end up going through the gravel two corners before the lap starts, it’s not exactly the ideal preparation.
“There was no reason why I shouldn’t have improved, and I went three tenths slower.
“We’ve got this delta on the steering wheel we have to follow, and that was implemented to stop cars going too slow on the out-lap, to avoid high-to-low speed incidents.
“He was clearly going too slow. I was following the rule and almost had the crash.
“To be honest, I’ll be surprised if anything happens but it was just a bit of a shame to finish that way because I felt in a really great groove.”
Max Verstappen on Sky Sports F1:
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Red Bull’s Max Verstappen reflects on his near-crash with George Russell during qualifying at the Qatar Grand Prix.
“I’m not there to annoy people, because if I follow my delta I’m going to screw over two other cars, and I think I’m at the stage of the championship that it’s not necessary to be arguing with other drivers.
“So I’m like, whatever, I just follow the guys ahead of me, try to sort myself out.
“At the same time, I think George had different plans. He wanted to get his tyres up to temp a little bit more. So he then wanted to of course go around me.
“That’s what we just have with these delta times, that one tries to stick to it, the other one backs out because he sees the two cars in front that he doesn’t want to annoy as well, because otherwise they will struggle to get their tyres ready for the lap.
“So it’s just a bit of an unlucky situation, I would call it.”
Sky Sports F1’s live Qatar GP schedule
Sunday December 1
10.55am: F1 Academy Race Two
12.15pm: F2 Feature Race
2.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Qatar GP build-up
4pm: THE QATAR GRAND PRIX
6pm: Chequered Flag: Qatar GP reaction
7pm: Ted’s Notebook
Formula 1’s season-ending triple-header continues this weekend with the Qatar Grand Prix, live on Sky Sports F1. Get Sky Sports F1 or stream with NOW