Max Verstappen’s title charge took a blow as the Formula One championship leader was hit with a five-place grid penalty at the Qatar Grand Prix after ignoring yellow flags during Saturday’s qualifying session.
The Red Bull driver was set to start second on the grid alongside title-rival Lewis Hamilton, who stormed to the 102nd pole position of his career to gain the upper-hand for Mercedes in Doha.
Now reigning champion Hamilton has a chance to close the 14-point gap to Verstappen in the drivers’ championship with the Dutchman starting seventh at the Losail International Circuit.
Max Verstappen has been handed a five-place grid penalty
Received for not respecting double waved yellows#QatarGP 🇶🇦 #F1 pic.twitter.com/sqq049oPey— Formula 1 (@F1) November 21, 2021
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Red Bull team boss Christian Horner admits the decision is “massive” in the fight for the championship this season.
“We are struggling to understand it. There was a yellow flag, he (Verstappen) just didn’t see it,” he told Sky Sports F1.
“It’s a rogue marshall that stuck out a flag out. He wasn’t told to do so. This is a crucial blow in the world championship. It is massive.”
NEW FRONT ROW: QATAR 👀
P1 @LewisHamilton
P2 @PierreGASLY #QatarGP 🇶🇦 #F1 pic.twitter.com/46G5FY7hRW— Formula 1 (@F1) November 21, 2021
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Verstappen drops back as a result of an incident at the end of qualifying, where a puncture for the AlphaTauri of Pierre Gasly caused confusion on track and he did not slow down sufficiently under double-waved yellow flags.
The second Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas – who qualified third – was hit with a similar punishment, only taking a three-place penalty as he failed to slow under single-waved yellows.
Carlos Sainz was also called to the stewards but no further action was taken after the stewards deemed the Ferrari driver did not have a case to answer.
