Verstappen hears the stewards' verdict after crash in Australian GP qualifying

The Dutchman crashed in Q1 on his first flying lap. Under braking for Turn 1, the rear axle of his Red Bull suddenly locked up, causing him to lose control, slide through the gravel, and hit the wall hard. As a result, Verstappen failed to set a valid lap time and dropped out of qualifying immediately. Normally, that automatically means a driver is not allowed to take part in the race, as he did not set a time within 107 percent of the fastest Q1 time. Red Bull therefore submitted a request to the stewards afterwards to still allow Verstappen to race.

The FIA agreed. The decision states that Verstappen set sufficiently representative lap times during free practice. Therefore, he is granted permission to take part in the race despite the absence of a valid qualifying time. This means Verstappen will line up on the grid in Melbourne on Sunday. Due to his Q1 crash, he will have to start from the back.

Carlos Sainz has also been cleared to start. The Williams driver likewise did not set a qualifying time within the 107-percent rule, but had shown sufficient pace during practice. As a result, the stewards have also given him the green light to take part in the race.

The situation was slightly different for Lance Stroll. The Aston Martin driver did not take part in qualifying at all due to a damaged oil line in his car. The team decided, as a precaution, not to take any risks and to further inspect the car.

Aston Martin explained to the stewards that teammate Fernando Alonso’s car had demonstrated it could run within 107 percent. They also pointed to Stroll’s experience, having started 178 Grands Prix and completed many miles in the AMR26. The stewards found those arguments convincing and have therefore allowed the Canadian to start the race.

This means all three drivers, despite not meeting the 107-percent rule in qualifying, are still permitted to compete in the Australian Grand Prix.