Max Verstappen delivered a surprising qualifying session Saturday evening on the Qatar Grand Prix, stealing pole place from favorites reminiscent of George Russell and Lando Norris. That efficiency ended a prolonged drought for Verstappen — who final began on pole in a Grand Prix in Austria again in July — and was a surprising turnaround from his efficiency within the F1 Dash Race earlier within the day, the place he completed eighth.
However he won’t begin there.
Verstappen has been given a one-place penalty, and assessed a penalty level, after an investigation into impeding throughout qualifying:
Race officers summoned Verstappen for an investigation into a possible impending incident that occurred throughout Q3 involving George Russell. Because the Mercedes driver was starting a push lap close to the tip of the session, Verstappen was proper on the racing line in entrance of him.
You possibly can see the incident in query right here:
As famous, Russell flagged that in actual time, calling it “tremendous harmful” from the Crimson Bull driver.
The summons famous that Verstappen could have been “driving unnecessarily slowly” through the qualifying session:
The usual penalty for impeding throughout a qualifying session is a three-place grid drop, and relying on what the race officers hear from Verstappen, the Crimson Bull driver is perhaps beginning a bit additional again on the grid when the lights exit Sunday evening in Qatar.
