Max Verstappen is STRIPPED of pole place forward of Qatar Grand Prix after four-time world champion was penalised for driving ‘unnecessarily slowly’
- Pole position will instead by taken up by Mercedes driver George Russell
- Max Verstappen will now start in second place after his one-place grid penalty
- The Dutchman was penalised for driving ‘unnecessarily slowly’, impeding Russell
Max Verstappen was dramatically stripped of pole position at 1am local time in Doha – handing George Russell prime spot for the Qatar Grand Prix.
The newly recrowned world champion was penalised for driving ‘unnecessarily slowly’ and impeding the Mercedes man as they geared up for their final flying laps at Lusail Circuit.
The stewards’ decision – demoting Verstappen one place – came three hours after the action ended.
It gives Russell his fifth career pole and the chance to build on his winning performance in Las Vegas a week ago.
Verstappen qualified 0.055sec ahead of Russell with Lando Norris third best.
‘What a turnaround,’ exclaimed Verstappen, referencing his problems over the weekend – little knowing what fate awaited him in the stewards’ room.
Max Verstappen missed the chance to score his first pole position since the Austrian GP in June
George Russell will start in first for Sunday’s Grand Prix, his second consecutive pole position
Verstappen clinched his fourth Driver’s World Championship after finishing P5 in Las Vegas
It would have been Red Bull’s first pole since Austria five months ago to the day. ‘Well done for giving me a car that feels a lot more connected,’ added Verstappen.
But the Dutchman was hauled before the stewards to answer for his go-slow.
Speaking before the stewards’ adjudication, Russell said he believed Verstappen’s tactics cost him outright pole.
‘I had a really scrappy out-lap with the near collision with Max, and I ended up going through the gravel two corners prior to opening my lap,’ explained the British racer. ‘It was not a good start to the lap, so that was probably the 55 milliseconds.
‘I hope it didn’t damage the car, but maybe that’s the reason we didn’t improve? I don’t know. It was a bit of a hairy one, two corners before we start the lap.’
Verstappen said: ‘There were two cars in front of me also making a gap, so I had to make a gap. And I knew that everyone was on a slow lap, not on a push lap.
‘George got excited. He wanted to pass and get around. That’s fine. Everyone tries to get their position to have the best possible start to the lap.’
