Red Bull blames the light panel on the track for Max Verstappen’s 5-place grid penalty in maiden Qatar GP

Max Verstappen received a 5-place grid penalty. Red Bull blames the light panel, which is meant to display the various flags for Max Verstappen’s ignoring of double-waved yellow flags in Q3 of the Qatar GP.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has been hit with a five-place grid penalty for the main race of the Qatar GP for ignoring double-waved yellow flags. The yellow flags were caused by sister team Alpha Tauri’s Pierre Gasly, who had damage and a puncture on the main straight.

Verstappen was summoned to the stewards along with Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz for the same reason, but in the case of the other drivers, it was a single yellow flag which they ignored.

 

Valtteri Bottas has been given a three-place grid penalty which means he will be starting the race from P5, and Verstappen will be starting from P7. Carlos Sainz was not given any penalty as he was the only driver of the three summoned who lifted off during the flag.

Now, Red Bull is arguing that the light panels meant to display the flags on the track are to blame for Max ignoring the double-waved yellows. They claim that the light wasn’t displayed and had been turned off.

They, however, did acknowledge that the team also failed to alert Verstappen that the track had gone yellow and then clear.

Also read: Sebastian Vettel thinks the yellow flags at the end of Q3 were withdrawn because the Red Bull star was in his flying lap

The stewards have expressed their sympathy for the Dutch driver but maintain that it is the driver’s responsibility to take action and thus will not be taking back the punishment.

Lewis Hamilton receives a new hope after Red Bull hit

The grid penalty can very well be the deciding factor for this season’s intense battle between Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Hamilton’s blazing weekend in Brazil reduced the gap to championship leader Verstappen by 13 points. 

Now, Mercedes continue to look strong in the maiden Qatar GP. Despite Hamilton using his older engine from Turkey instead of the one from Brazil, he has topped the time charts for the majority of the weekend and looks determined to maximise the result from this race.

With just three races left in the season, anything can change at any time.

Also read: Red Bull advisor is not optimistic about their chances to win the Championship after a dominant Mercedes performance in Brazil