Max Verstappen supposedly secures the best starting position for the penultimate race of this Formula 1 season. But the world champion in the Red Bull subsequently loses grid position 1.
The joy of Max Verstappen's first pole position in almost six months was already gone long after midnight in Qatar. The old and new Formula 1 world champion was penalized one place by the race stewards at the Grand Prix on the Lusail International Circuit. As a result, he has to leave the best grid position for this Sunday's race (17:00 CET) to George Russell from Mercedes. Verstappen, who beat Russell by 55 thousandths of a second, will start from second position.
Verstappen was unnecessarily slow
The ups and downs in the Emirate continued for the four-time champion. After a disappointing sprint race on Saturday with eighth place, he raced to first place in the knockout elimination for the penultimate race of the season - also to his own surprise. "What a turnaround," Verstappen had jubilantly radioed to the Red Bull command post: "Crazy, I didn't expect that either." The 27-year-old Dutchman achieved his last pole so far at the beginning of July in Spielberg.
The fact that it stayed that way was due to Verstappen's driving behavior during a so-called cool-down lap in the decisive phase of qualifying. In the opinion of the race stewards, Verstappen was driving unnecessarily slowly.
There are no changes behind the front row as a result of Verstappen's penalty. Lando Norris and team-mate Oscar Piastri are third and fourth on the grid. Charles Leclcerc and Carlos Sainz from McLaren's closest rival Ferrari did not finish higher than fifth and seventh in qualifying - a clear disadvantage in the battle for the team title.
In the standings, McLaren leads Ferrari by 30 points - also thanks to their one-two finish in the sprint race in Qatar. In the last of its kind this year over 100 kilometers, Norris had allowed his team-mate to win in the final meters as a thank you for his assistance in Brazil.
Pérez's embarrassing moment in the pit lane
First and second place and the fastest race lap would earn another 44 points in this Sunday's main race, and the same applies to next Sunday's finale in Abu Dhabi. This means that McLaren needs this many points - 44 - with a win if the team wants to secure the constructors' title early in Qatar; without a win, 45 are needed, as it is currently 5:5 in terms of wins, but Ferrari has significantly fewer second places. Defending champions Red Bull are 67 points behind McLaren in third place in the constructors' championship.
This is mainly due to Sergio Pérez, who finished last in the sprint and caused a curious scene when he was taken by surprise and overtaken by the Argentinian Williams driver at the start from the pit lane. As nothing was possible anyway, Red Bull made a few more changes to the Mexican's car during a pit stop, which initially paved the way for Verstappen to take pole in qualifying before he had to settle for second place.
SDA
