Max Verstappen will not start from pole position at the Qatar Grand Prix after receiving a one-place grid penalty.

Despite setting the fastest lap during the qualifying session at the Lusail International Circuit, Verstappen was penalized for breaching Article 33.4 of the F1 sporting regulations, which prohibits “driving unnecessarily slowly.” As a result, he swaps places with George Russell, who now takes pole.

The incident occurred during the final moments of Q3 when Verstappen was on a slow lap, preparing for his next attempt. Russell, who was on a fast lap, caught up to him quickly and had to steer into the gravel to avoid an accident. The Dutchman was summoned to the stewards after the session, who decided that his actions were unsafe.

This decision means Verstappen will start the race from second, while Russell secures his fifth career pole position and fourth of the current season.

Normally, a similar incident earns the guilty driver a three-place grid drop penalty, however, the stewards highlighted in the statement the unusuality of the situation.

“The Stewards regard this case as a complicated one in that clearly Car 1 did not comply with the Race Director’s Event Notes and clearly was driving, in our determination, unnecessarily slowly considering the circumstances. 

“It was obvious the driver of Car 1 was attempting to cool his tyres. 

“He also could see Car 63 approaching as he looked in his mirror multiple times whilst on the small straight between Turns 11 and 12. Unusually, this incident occurred when neither car was on a push lap. 

“Had Car 63 been on a push lap, the penalty would have most likely been the usual 3 grid position penalty, however in mitigation of penalty, it was obvious that the driver of Car 63 had clear visibility of Car 1 and that neither car was on a push lap.”