Verstappen Faces Stewards Hearing Over Hamilton Yellow Flag

Max Verstappen's pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix sprint is under threat after Formula 1 stewards summoned him over a potential yellow flag violation involving Lewis Hamilton during sprint qualifying. The incident occurred in SQ1 at Marina Bay Street Circuit after Sergio Perez crashed into the barriers at Turn 5, prompting yellow flags as debris spread onto the track.

According to The Race, Verstappen passed Hamilton between Turns 7 and 8 while single-waved yellow flags were displayed following the incident involving Perez's Cadillac. The stewards must determine whether the flags were already active when Verstappen overtook Hamilton, a decision that could affect the starting grid for the sprint race.

Perez initially damaged his front wing when he struck the barriers at the Turn 5 right-hander. His front wing subsequently detached at Turn 8, leaving debris that prompted the yellow flag warnings.

Verstappen was on a flying lap while Hamilton, who had completed his lap, was exiting Turn 5. Verstappen's race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, warned him about the flags over team radio.

"you're in yellows" said Gianpiero Lambiase, Verstappen's race engineer.

Lambiase then repeated the warning to emphasize the flag status as Verstappen continued around the circuit.

"single yellows" said Gianpiero Lambiase, Verstappen's race engineer.

Verstappen continued pushing until Turns 10 and 11 before communicating his intention to abandon the lap and allow Hamilton to pass again. A red flag was subsequently deployed, interrupting the session.

"err, I think I have to abort…I’ll let Lewis by again" said Max Verstappen, Red Bull driver.

Verstappen then explained his understanding of the sequence, suggesting that the overtake might have occurred before the yellow flags appeared. He said he wanted to avoid any potential breach of the regulations.

"I think I passed him before the yellow, but I just wanted to be safe" said Max Verstappen, Red Bull driver.

Technical problems prevented officials from accessing onboard camera footage that could have established the precise moment the yellow flags were deployed. External camera footage showed the flags displayed while Verstappen was alongside Hamilton's Ferrari, but it did not conclusively establish whether they were active before the pass.

The stewards scheduled a hearing with Verstappen and Hamilton for 10:15 p.m. local time in Singapore. According to The Race, a finding against Verstappen would likely cost him sprint pole position, with a grid penalty the usual punishment for this type of violation.