Max Verstappen, who initially believed he had secured pole position for the Qatar Grand Prix, was hit with a rare penalty after the stewards decided to impose a one-place grid drop. Verstappen’s time, 0.055 seconds faster than George Russell’s, would have placed him at the front of the grid, but following a post-qualifying investigation, it was Russell who inherited pole position. The penalty came after Verstappen was judged to have driven too slowly during his cool-down lap in preparation for his final attempt. Russell, approaching the Turn 11 apex, had to take evasive action to avoid colliding with Verstappen, calling the situation “super dangerous” over his team radio.
The stewards had already issued a warning after Sprint qualifying, when Verstappen’s teammate, Sergio Perez, was reprimanded for a similar issue. Following Perez’s reprimand, the stewards advised all drivers to pay particular attention to the event notes during qualifying sessions, warning that any potentially dangerous behavior or obstruction could lead to grid penalties. Verstappen’s penalty stemmed from his actions during the cool-down lap before his final flying lap, where he was attempting to prepare for his next timed attempt by cooling his tires. However, his actions caused a hazardous situation with Russell, who had no expectation of encountering a slow-moving car on the racing line.
The stewards’ explanation of the penalty noted that Verstappen’s driving was “unnecessarily slowly considering the circumstances,” despite his intention to cool his tires. They clarified that Verstappen had visibility of Russell approaching, having checked his mirrors multiple times between Turns 11 and 12. Interestingly, both drivers were not on a push lap at the time, which mitigated the usual penalty for such incidents. If Russell had been on a push lap, the penalty would likely have been a three-place grid drop.
In addition to the grid penalty, Verstappen received one penalty point on his super license, raising his total to six points over a 12-month period. If Verstappen accumulates 12 penalty points in a year, he would face a one-race ban, as seen with Kevin Magnussen earlier this year. The stewards referred to Article 12.4.1.f of the International Sporting Code, which allows them to impose a grid penalty of any number they deem appropriate for such violations.
