Stewards Clear Verstappen After Singapore Yellow Flag Breach

Max Verstappen will retain pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix Sprint after Formula 1 stewards declined to penalize him for overtaking Lewis Hamilton under yellow flags during Sprint Qualifying at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. The stewards acknowledged a regulatory breach but concluded that the maneuver resulted from a significant speed difference between the two cars.

The incident occurred during SQ1 after Cadillac driver Sergio Perez hit the barriers, prompting officials to display single yellow flags. According to the stewards' decision, Verstappen passed Hamilton before Turn 8 while both drivers remained in the yellow flag sector.

Hamilton raised the incident over team radio, saying, "Max overtook me under yellow flags."

Verstappen subsequently indicated that he would allow Hamilton to pass again, explaining his understanding of the timing of the maneuver.

"I'll let Lewis by again. I think I passed him before the yellow, but I just want to be safe."

The stewards reviewed telemetry and statements from both drivers after the session. Their findings showed that Verstappen had been accelerating out of Turn 7 when the yellow flag appeared and then lifted off the throttle after noticing the warning.

According to the stewards' report, Verstappen had fully lifted off the throttle within approximately 40 meters of entering the yellow flag sector. Hamilton, who was ahead, had slowed and moved to the right to leave the racing line, while his speed had dropped below 60 km/h when Verstappen passed him.

The stewards determined that Verstappen had responded appropriately to the warning despite completing the overtake. They also considered the substantial speed difference between the cars and the potential safety implications of a more abrupt braking maneuver.

In their written decision, the stewards explained the circumstances behind the incident and why they chose not to impose a sporting penalty.

"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 report also established that Verstappen's speed at the overtaking point was approximately 70 km/h lower than his speed on another push lap during the same session. The stewards accepted that avoiding the pass would have required substantially harder braking, which Verstappen considered potentially unsafe.

After assessing the evidence, the officials confirmed that the overtake breached the yellow flag regulation but decided against a penalty because of the circumstances surrounding the maneuver.

"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."

The ruling preserves Verstappen's starting position for Saturday's Sprint at the Singapore Grand Prix. He will start ahead of Mercedes driver George Russell and Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc.