Sprint race poleman Max Verstappen has been summoned to the stewards at Formula 1’s Singapore Grand Prix for potentially overtaking Lewis Hamilton under yellow flags during sprint qualifying.
The incident took place in SQ1 when Sergio Perez nosed his Cadillac into the barriers at the Turn 5 right-hander, damaging his front wing.
Perez’s front wing detached at Turn 8, and Hamilton (having finished a lap) was exiting Turn 5 with Verstappen (on a flying lap) behind him.
Verstappen caught and passed Hamilton between Turn 7 and Turn 8, where there were single-waved yellows deployed for Perez’s debris.
Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase told him “you’re in yellows” then reiterated, “single yellows”.
Verstappen kept pushing until Turns 10-11 when he came on the radio to say “err, I think I have to abort…I’ll let Lewis by again”.
The red flag is then thrown and Verstappen continues, “I think I passed him before the yellow, but I just wanted to be safe”.
Technical issues mean onboard cameras weren’t available to determine when exactly the yellow flags were deployed.
The off-board view certainly shows they’re out when Verstappen is alongside Hamilton’s Ferrari, but the key question will be if they were present before Verstappen passed him.
That will be decided in a stewards’ hearing with Verstappen and Hamilton, which will take place 10.15pm local time in Singapore.
If Verstappen’s found guilty, he’s highly likely to lose his sprint pole, with a grid penalty the usual punishment for such offences.