FIA explains why Verstappen escaped penalty to keep Singapore Sprint pole

The Dutchman produced a stunning lap in the closing stages of Sprint Qualifying, beating his rivals to secure pole position and building on the momentum from his superb weekend at Sepang just a week earlier.

However, uncertainty soon emerged over whether he would be allowed to keep pole following his controversial overtake on Lewis Hamilton under yellow flags during SQ1. The stewards subsequently investigated the incident before ultimately clearing Verstappen of any wrongdoing warranting a penalty, allowing him to retain his place at the front of the grid for Saturday's Sprint.

According to the FIA stewards' official explanation, Hamilton was aware that Verstappen was approaching from behind and had slowed down considerably before moving to the right-hand side of the circuit to stay clear of the racing line. The Ferrari driver was travelling at less than 60 km/h when Verstappen passed him, creating a significant difference in speed between the two cars. The Dutchman subsequently abandoned his flying lap after completing the overtake.

During the investigation, Verstappen explained that he was accelerating out of Turn 7 when he noticed the yellow flag and immediately lifted off the throttle.

The FIA confirmed that telemetry supported his account, showing that the Dutchman completely released the accelerator within approximately 40 metres of entering the yellow-flag sector. Meanwhile, Hamilton was braking and travelling at less than 60 km/h when the overtake occurred, creating a considerable difference in speed between the two cars, even though Verstappen had also begun braking.

The stewards concluded that Verstappen responded appropriately to the yellow flag by reducing his speed and lifting off the throttle. Their assessment was further supported by telemetry showing that the Red Bull driver was travelling approximately 70 km/h slower at the point of the overtake than he had been during another flying lap in the same session.

Verstappen also argued that avoiding Hamilton altogether would have required extremely heavy braking, potentially creating a dangerous situation given the substantial difference in speed between the two cars.

Although the stewards acknowledged that Verstappen technically breached the yellow-flag regulations by overtaking Hamilton, they ultimately decided against imposing a penalty. The FIA considered the manoeuvre an unfortunate consequence of the significant closing speed between the two drivers rather than a failure by Verstappen to respond appropriately to the warning flags.

Taking those circumstances into account, the stewards determined that no further punishment was necessary, allowing the Dutchman to retain his pole position for Saturday's Sprint race in Singapore.