A pit lane incident between Max Verstappen and Pierre Gasly could have had costly consequences for both drivers in Austin. On Saturday, however, the Red Bull driver bounced back stronger than ever: first, with a win in the Sprint Race that extended his lead over Lando Norris, and then securing second place in qualifying.
The Alpine driver, on the other hand, will start from seventh on the grid.
During United States Grand Prix qualifying at the 5.513-kilometre Circuit of The Americas in Austin, there was a minor mishap between the two drivers. In Q3, Alpine sent car #10 out just as Verstappen was passing through the pit lane. The Dutchman had to take evasive action to avoid a potential collision with Pierre Gasly.
The incident caught the attention of the stewards, who immediately reviewed it. There was no penalty for the Alpine driver, but the team received a fine for an unsafe release.
Max Verstappen commented on the event with his usual sarcasm: “I saw what that mechanic did. He sent him out. I’ll buy him a pair of glasses!” he joked in an interview with Viaplay. “And not for Pierre, but for that mechanic!” he clarified. The Red Bull driver even had a specific type of glasses in mind: “A really big pair!”
Alpine was fined 5,000 euros. The stewards blamed the French team for the unsafe release, sparing Pierre Gasly from a penalty that could have compromised his race, especially given his respectable seventh-place starting position.
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