Max Verstappen has been dealt a major blow ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix, as Formula 1 stewards have stripped him of his pole position for an incident during qualifying.
The 2024 Driver’s Championship winner was found guilty of blocking George Russell on the racing line during Q3, forcing the Mercedes driver to take evasive action to avoid a potential collision. Russell described the maneuver as “dangerous,” which led to an official investigation by the stewards.
The investigation concluded that Verstappen had been driving too slowly on his final preparation lap, impeding Russell’s ability to set a competitive time. As a result, the stewards handed Verstappen a penalty, demoting him from pole position and changing the grid hours before the race.
This decision marks a significant turn of events for the Red Bull driver, as he will now have to battle through the grid in what promises to be a highly competitive race in Qatar.
