Russell promoted to Qatar pole by Verstappen grid.....

Russell promoted to Qatar pole by Verstappen grid…..read more.

In a dramatic turn of events at the QatarPrix, Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing has been stripped of his pole position after receiving a grid penalty for impeding Mercedes driver George Russell during the qualifying session. The ruling has promoted Russell to pole, while Verstappen will start from second position.

Verstappen initially clinched pole with a time just 0.055 seconds faster than Russell, but his actions during the session drew the attention of the stewards. The incident occurred at Turn 12, where Verstappen reportedly drove unnecessarily slowly, causing Russell to go onto the gravel. The stewards determined that Verstappen had violated the rules by not maintaining an appropriate speed and impeding a competitor.

Although both drivers were not on a flying lap at the time, the stewards acknowledged that Verstappen should not have been on the racing line while moving slowly. Their ruling pointed out that Verstappen was clearly attempting to cool his tires and was aware of Russell’s approach, having checked his mirrors multiple times. The stewards noted the complexity of the case, explaining that had Russell been on a fast lap, the penalty would have likely been more severe, such as a three-grid position drop. However, they took into account that Russell had a clear view of Verstappen.

Russell had initially set a competitive time in the first runs of the final qualifying session, but he felt that the incident with Verstappen disrupted his rhythm, preventing him from putting his tires in the optimal temperature window for his final lap. He expressed disappointment, stating that he believed he had the pace to improve but struggled after the gravel incident.

Meanwhile, McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri secured third and fourth positions, respectively, with Piastri having earlier led a one-two finish in the sprint race. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc claimed fifth, followed by Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes, Carlos Sainz from Ferrari, and Fernando Alonso from Aston Martin. Despite losing pole, Verstappen’s performance was noteworthy, especially after a disappointing eighth place finish in the sprint race, where he had experienced