Verstappen keeps Singapore Sprint pole after stewards clear yellow-flag incident

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

Max Verstappen will start Saturday’s Singapore Sprint from pole position after the race stewards delivered their verdict following a post-session investigation into an incident during Sprint Qualifying. The stewards examined whether Verstappen breached yellow-flag rules when he was alleged to have passed Lewis Hamilton under yellow conditions linked to an early SQ1 stoppage caused by Sergio Perez’s Cadillac hitting the barriers.

According to the stewards’ decision document, a single yellow flag was displayed as Verstappen (car 3) exited Turn 7 on a push lap. Hamilton (car 44) was ahead and had been warned of car 3’s approach. After exiting Turn 7, Hamilton slowed and moved to the right to ensure he was off the racing line, while car 3 completed an overtake on Hamilton prior to Turn 8 while both cars remained in the yellow-flag sector. Verstappen then abandoned the push lap.

In their assessment, the stewards said telemetry confirmed Verstappen lifted appropriately after the yellow flag was shown. The document states that within approximately 40 metres of entering the yellow flag sector, car 3 fully lifted off throttle. It also noted that Hamilton was braking and had reduced speed to less than 60 km/h at the point when the overtake occurred, while car 3 was still carrying substantial speed.

The stewards concluded that the overtaking action did breach the yellow-flag regulation. However, they determined that the overtake was an unfortunate outcome of the significant closing speed differential created by the combination of push-lap throttle status for car 3 and the slowed condition of car 44. They said they were satisfied Verstappen reacted to the yellow by lifting off throttle and reducing speed, and pointed to comparative speed evidence versus another push lap in the same session.

The stewards also recorded Verstappen’s explanation that avoiding the overtake would have required very heavy braking, which he believed could have created an unsafe situation. On that basis, they decided not to impose a penalty, leaving Verstappen on pole for the Sprint.

Before the stewards’ decision, Verstappen said he was pleased with his performance in Sprint Qualifying and described the RB22 as “coming alive” more once soft tyres were fitted in SQ3. He also reflected on the tightness of Singapore, noting how hard drivers push close to the walls, and expressed confidence as the team continued to build momentum across recent races.