Further Max Verstappen blow as Russell raises Qatar GP grid concerns

George Russell claimed drivers on the right side of the Qatar grid were at an “unfair” disadvantage due to the dirty track, which does not bode well for the penalised Max Verstappen.

Mercedes racer Russell was due to start the Qatar GP from that side of the grid which he dislikes, but instead, it will now be Verstappen who does so, after the stewards gave him a rare one-place grid penalty for driving too slowly in Q3, with Russell taking evasive action after encountering the Red Bull driver at Turn 11.

Max Verstappen facing Qatar GP ‘unfair’ disadvantage

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

The stewards’ verdict essentially flipped Verstappen and Russell around, with Russell inheriting pole while Verstappen launches from P2.

Russell started Saturday’s Sprint from P2 and lost that position to McLaren’s Oscar Piastri into Turn 1, a position which he could not recover.

And speaking ahead of Verstappen’s penalty confirmation, Russell had expressed his concerns over the right-side grid slots in Qatar.

Looking ahead to the race, Russell told the media, including PlanetF1.com: “It’s going to be exciting. I mean, those inside starting positions were really tricky. I think every driver on the right-hand side made a poor start and that ultimately cost me the chance to fight with Lando [Norris].

“Now, obviously, Max up front, I think it’s going to be a really close fight between, I mean, all four teams. Ferrari looked on the same pace as Lando and myself this morning. So, I mean, I hope it’s going to be a good one, but the tyres seem pretty resilient. Maybe we’ll see another DRS train, I don’t know.”

Russell had called for the track to be cleaned ahead of the race or drivers on that side of the grid – which will include Verstappen – will be placed at an “unfair” disadvantage.

“It’s probably about one and a half cars length difference from the inside all the way to Turn 1,” he explained.

“We normally judge it based on distance in four seconds, and we think it’s probably about four metres different left to right. It’s, yeah, I mean, it’s quite a big difference here.

“I hope the guys tonight or the track can clean it a bit because it was pretty clear in the Sprint that everyone on that right side made bad starts, and that’s obviously a little bit unfair to have those circumstances.”

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Verstappen was in disbelief to even be called to see the stewards for driving too slowly in qualifying.

Speaking ahead of his penalty being issued, he said: “We were all just driving slowly. I wouldn’t know what I could have done differently.

“The fact that I have to go [to the stewards’ office] is already very strange to me. Otherwise, next time I’ll just drive flat out too and pretend to crash [into the other car].”

“He [Russell] should have braked. I braked. Just like the cars in front of me. And I don’t want to screw them. I’m honestly a bit done with all of this at the end of the season.”

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