“Next time I’ll crash” – Max Verstappen critical after penalty in F1 Qatar GP qualifying. The penalty Max Verstappen received following the Qatar GP qualifying session raised eyebrows.

A grid position penalty: The sanction imposed on Max Verstappen after qualifying was rather unusual and is likely to set a precedent for future races. Typically, grid penalties for impeding are at least three positions, and many expected a similar penalty after the incident involving the four-time champion and George Russell.

The stewards justified their decision by stating that neither car was on a flying lap. It was deemed a misunderstanding, resulting in a “mitigated penalty” for Max Verstappen.

Max Verstappen critical of the investigation
The Dutchman commented on the investigation even before knowing the outcome. “We were both driving slowly. I don’t know what I could have done differently,” said the four-time champion. “The mere fact that there’s an investigation seems strange to me.”

“It means that next time I’ll go faster and end up crashing into other cars,” Max Verstappen added sarcastically. “George should have braked like I and the cars in front of me did. Honestly, I’m a bit tired of these things happening at the end of the season.” – the four-time Formula 1 world champion pointed out at the end of the qualifying session for the Qatar Grand Prix.

The stewards ultimately decided to penalize Verstappen with a single grid position drop, allowing George Russell to start from pole position. Despite his struggles in the Sprint, Verstappen will still aim for victory in Qatar.