Verstappen given five-place grid drop for Qatar GP for yellow flag rule break

Max Verstappen has been hit with a five-place grid penalty for Sunday’s Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix after failing to respect yellow flags in Q3.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB16B

The stewards issued a summons for Verstappen on Saturday night after footage emerged of the Red Bull driver not appearing to lift while completing his lap.

Double waved yellow flags were shown after Pierre Gasly’s AlphaTauri car stopped on the start/finish straight after he sustained damage while running wide over the kerb at Turn 15.

Onboard footage from Verstappen’s car showed a double-waved yellow flag on the left-hand side of the circuit, but the Red Bull driver did not lift.

The cited article of the race director’s notes states drivers “must reduce speed significantly and be prepared to change direction or stop” in response to double-waved yellow flags.

A hearing was scheduled for 1pm local time in Qatar, four hours before the start of the race, with the stewards opting to hand Verstappen a five-place grid penalty.

The penalty is in line with the five-place grid drop given to Lando Norris at last year’s Turkish Grand Prix for failing to slow for double-waved yellow flags in qualifying.

It comes as a setback for Verstappen in his ongoing championship fight with Lewis Hamilton, who will start on pole position at the Losail International Circuit.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, waves to fans after Qualifying

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, waves to fans after Qualifying

Photo by: Jerry Andre / Motorsport Images

Verstappen qualified second on Saturday, four-tenths of a second behind Hamilton, but will now have to recover a handful of positions to get his way back up the order.

Valtteri Bottas and Carlos Sainz Jr also met with the stewards for failing to slow for single-waved yellow flags, with Bottas being handed a three-place grid drop, while Sainz has avoided a grid penalty.

Verstappen and Red Bull argued there were mitigating circumstances, including the “lack of display of the yellow light panels, no dash warning lights and no audio signal to the driver”.

But the stewards made clear that the International Sporting Code places “onus of responsibility of complying with flag signals clearly on the driver”.

Read Also:

Verstappen confirmed to the stewards he had seen Gasly’s stricken car, to which they argued: “It is reasonable to expect, as was the case of the driver of Car 55, that there was a potential danger and that a yellow flag situation probably existed and therefore to take the appropriate action.”

It promotes Gasly onto the front row of the grid for the race alongside Hamilton, while Fernando Alonso will start from third place.

shares
comments

Related video

Bottas hit with three-place Qatar GP grid penalty for yellow flag infringement

Why the FIA punished Verstappen despite no yellow lights

Why Mercedes may be wrong to be so cagey on new F1 expectations

Why Mercedes may be wrong to be so cagey on new F1 expectations

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Alex Kalinauckas

Why Mercedes may be wrong to be so cagey on new F1 expectations Why Mercedes may be wrong to be so cagey on new F1 expectations

Is this F1's most underrated driver of 2023?

Is this F1's most underrated driver of 2023?

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Spanish GP
Jake Boxall-Legge

Is this F1's most underrated driver of 2023? Is this F1's most underrated driver of 2023?

Spanish Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023

Spanish Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Spanish GP
Jake Boxall-Legge

Spanish Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023 Spanish Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023

Why Verstappen's 2023 Spanish GP win wasn't as simple as it looked

Why Verstappen's 2023 Spanish GP win wasn't as simple as it looked

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Spanish GP
Alex Kalinauckas

Why Verstappen's 2023 Spanish GP win wasn't as simple as it looked Why Verstappen's 2023 Spanish GP win wasn't as simple as it looked

How F1 teams manage the punishing reality of F1’s relentless schedule

How F1 teams manage the punishing reality of F1’s relentless schedule

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
GP Racing

How F1 teams manage the punishing reality of F1’s relentless schedule How F1 teams manage the punishing reality of F1’s relentless schedule

The war reality that shines a light on the job Red Bull is doing

The war reality that shines a light on the job Red Bull is doing

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Monaco GP
Jonathan Noble

The war reality that shines a light on the job Red Bull is doing The war reality that shines a light on the job Red Bull is doing

How Mercedes' new F1 upgrades fared - and what's next for the revitalised W14

How Mercedes' new F1 upgrades fared - and what's next for the revitalised W14

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Monaco GP
Jake Boxall-Legge

How Mercedes' new F1 upgrades fared - and what's next for the revitalised W14 How Mercedes' new F1 upgrades fared - and what's next for the revitalised W14

Why the highlight of F1 2023 so far should end Monaco's calendar slot debate

Why the highlight of F1 2023 so far should end Monaco's calendar slot debate

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Monaco GP
Alex Kalinuackas

Why the highlight of F1 2023 so far should end Monaco's calendar slot debate Why the highlight of F1 2023 so far should end Monaco's calendar slot debate

Subscribe