Verstappen summoned over Russell incident in Qatar qualifying

Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen has been summoned to the Qatar Grand Prix stewards for driving unnecessarily slowly during qualifying, in which he appeared to block George Russell.

The Red Bull driver who clinched his first grand prix pole since June’s Austrian Grand Prix, was on a slow lap ahead of a final flyer – but Russell caught him through the Turn 12-13-14 trio of right-handers.

Russell had to take evasive action and rattled the gravel on the corner’s high line, which he was worried had caused damaged to the floor. He contended over the radio that it was “super dangerous”.

Verstappen contended that he had two cars in front of him, and was trying to ensure he had a gap to start his final run on – and suggested Russell got too “excited” to make a move.

“There were two cars in front of me also making a gap, so I had to make a gap. I knew that everyone was on a slow lap, not on a push up.

Pole man Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, talk in Parc Ferme

Photo by: Dom Romney / Motorsport Images

“And then I think George got excited. He wanted to pass and get around. That’s fine, I mean, everyone of course tries to get their position to have the best possible start to the lap.”

Russell responded, stating: “I was following my delta, and I didn’t want to get penalised because we were told to follow the delta.”

Speaking about the incident, Russell suggested that the dent to his preparations ahead of his final lap could account for the ultimate 0.055s gap.

“I ended up going through the gravel all over the floor, so it felt like the floor was scraping over that curb and through the gravel,” Russell said of the incident. 

“So I hope it didn’t damage it. Maybe that’s the reason why we didn’t improve. I don’t know. But it was a bit of a hairy one, two corners before we started the lap.”

Speaking about the incident on Sky, Christian Horner explained that “this is an outlap where they’re all warming tyres up. So it’s not a timed lap. They’re all jockeying and pushing for position there.

“I mean [Russell] is pushing those corners to generate tyre temperature at that point, I think his first sector was a long way off.

“So they’re just building up; I think Fernando [Alonso] was in that little train as well. It’ll go to the stewards, but hopefully it should be all right.”

Photos from Qatar GP Sprint Race & Qualifying