Max Verstappen will not face any penalty after being investigated for a yellow flag infringement during qualifying for the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix Sprint Race.
The Dutchman overtook Lewis Hamilton during SQ1, just as an LED light over the circuit changed from stagnant yellow to flashing, indicating the flag was being waved.
Hamilton complained that the Red Bull driver had overtaken him under these conditions, which left him at significant risk of a penalty.
Verstappen shrugged off the worry to take a superb pole position at the Marina Bay Circuit, taking top spot by over a tenth of a second from George Russell.
But the four-time World Champion faced an anxious wait to learn of the stewards’ decision, having presented his case to them, along with Hamilton.
Subsequent deliberation, with data and video replay evidence taken into account, determined that Verstappen had not breached Appendix H, Article 2.5.5b of the FIA International Sporting Code.
“The Driver of Car 3 explained that he was on throttle exiting turn 7 and then saw the yellow flag and lifted,” the stewards’ document read. “This was confirmed by telemetry. Within approximately 40 metres of entering the yellow flag sector, the Driver of Car 3 had lifted fully off throttle.
“The Driver of Car 44 was braking and had reduced speed to less than 60km/h at the point Car 3 overtook. Because Car 3 was on a push lap and was on throttle out of turn 7 and Car 44 had slowed, the speed differential at the point of the overlap was significant despite the fact that the Driver of Car 3 had also started braking.
“The Stewards were satisfied that the Driver of Car 3 reacted appropriately to the yellow flag by lifting off throttle and reducing speed. The speed of Car 3 at the overtake point was some 70km/h less than Car 3’s speed on another push lap in the same session.
“The Driver of Car 3 explained that to have avoided the overtake would have required him to have braked very heavily and he considered to have done so would have potentially created an unsafe situation. The Stewards determined that the Driver of Car 3 breached the yellow flag regulation by overtaking Car 44. However, the Stewards were satisfied that the overtake was an unfortunate consequence of the significant closing speed differential and, in these circumstances, determined not to impose a penalty.”
Verstappen, therefore, retains his pole position, with Hamilton starting sixth.
READ MORE – F1 2026 Singapore Grand Prix – Sprint Qualifying Results
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