Max Verstappen will start the Singapore Grand Prix Sprint race from pole position after stewards opted not to penalise him for overtaking Lewis Hamilton under yellow flags during Friday’s qualifying session. The incident occurred in SQ1 following a crash involving Sergio Perez.
Perez, driving for Cadillac, locked up and hit the barriers at Turn 5, damaging his front wing. He then proceeded to return to the pit lane, dragging the broken component which subsequently detached and left debris on the circuit.
Single waved yellow flags were deployed in the sector where the debris was present. Verstappen, on a flying lap, encountered Hamilton’s Ferrari in this yellow-flagged section of the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
Hamilton, who had slowed to less than 60 km/h, reported the overtake over team radio, stating, ‘Max overtook me under yellow flag.’ Verstappen’s race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, had informed him he was ‘in yellows’ just prior to the incident.
Stewards launched an investigation, reviewing telemetry, video evidence, and team radio communications from both drivers and their respective teams. Verstappen initially suggested he had completed the pass before the yellow zone.
Telemetry data confirmed Verstappen lifted off the throttle at the exit of Turn 7 upon seeing the yellow flag. He was fully off throttle within approximately 40 metres of entering the yellow flag sector.
However, the Red Bull driver was on a push lap, resulting in a significant speed differential between his car and Hamilton’s slowed Ferrari. Verstappen overtook Hamilton between Turn 7 and Turn 8, while both cars were still within the yellow flag sector.
The FIA Sporting Regulations, specifically Article B1.8.4, stipulate that a driver passing through a single waved yellow flag marshalling sector must reduce speed and not overtake.
Despite confirming a breach of the yellow flag regulation, the stewards determined not to impose a penalty. They cited the circumstances, noting that avoiding the overtake would have required Verstappen to brake heavily, potentially creating an unsafe situation.
The stewards were satisfied Verstappen reacted appropriately to the yellow flag by lifting off the throttle and reducing speed. His speed at the overtake point was approximately 70 km/h less than on another push lap in the same session.
Verstappen secured pole position for the Sprint race with a lap time of 1:31.156. George Russell of Mercedes qualified second, 0.120 seconds behind.
Charles Leclerc, Hamilton’s Ferrari teammate, will start third, with Oscar Piastri (McLaren) and Lando Norris (McLaren) completing the top five. Hamilton himself qualified sixth for the Sprint race.
