Qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix led to disarray after Max Verstappen crashed his Pink Bull on the quick Flip 9 on his ultimate push lap.
Championship chief Kimi Antonelli was additionally on a push lap, making an attempt to enhance on his earlier time, and misinterpreted the waved yellow flags on the scene for double waved yellows.
Inside the rulebook, the excellence between single and double waved yellows may be very clear: drivers should demonstrably decelerate for single yellows, whereas double yellows signify a better hazard which requires them to be ready to cease instantly. Any lap time set beneath double waved yellows is struck off.
“I noticed double yellow, so it most likely was my mistake,” mentioned Antonelli afterwards. “I aborted the lap and that was it, so my mistake on execution.
“I heard ‘yellow yellow’ [from engineer Peter Bonnington on the radio], however I used to be trying on the marshal and doubtless I noticed incorrect and I simply noticed two flags as a substitute of 1 and I aborted.
“Additionally it was exhausting to see as a result of there was the solar within the face. I simply regarded on the marshal as a result of the panel [on the steering wheel] went yellow – however in fact, you do not know if it is a single or double, so I regarded on the marshal and it was exhausting to see. I simply noticed double yellow as a substitute of 1.”
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The error proved expensive for Antonelli as a result of it left him fourth on the grid. He had been on provisional pole after his first run, solely to be usurped by the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.
Verstappen’s crash introduced out yellow flags, however the resolution to ‘improve’ to double yellows can solely come from race management
Photograph by: Getty Photos
Most of his room for enchancment got here within the first two sectors, since on his provisional pole lap he had solely been quickest of all by means of the ultimate sector, with a 19.998s. This was nonetheless the quickest final-sector time as he began his ultimate lap, since new provisional polesitter Leclerc’s time by means of there had been 20.232s.
Antonelli’s first two sectors on his earlier lap had been 16.564s and 29.852s. On his ultimate push lap they have been 16.477s, 29.666s – so he was on for a faster lap had he not aborted.
Controversially, Antonelli’s team-mate George Russell, working simply behind on observe, tackled the realm with a elevate of the throttle and accomplished the lap to place his Mercedes on pole place. His lap was permitted to face as a result of the timing information – through which every sector is cut up into smaller segments – clearly indicated he had slowed down when passing the realm lined by the yellow flag.
Russell’s final-sector time was 20.069s, slower than the 19.968s he set by means of there on his earlier push lap. It was within the first two sectors the place he was properly sufficient up on his rivals, together with Antonelli, to set pole anyway: 16.424s and 29.620s.
Article B1.8.4 of the 2026 sporting laws states: “Any driver passing by means of a waved yellow flag marshalling sector should scale back their velocity and be ready to vary course. To ensure that the stewards to be happy that any such driver has complied with these necessities they’re anticipated to have braked earlier and/or discernibly lowered velocity within the related marshalling sector.”
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Scrutiny of the F1 TV footage confirms that the marshal submit started to show a single waved yellow flag as quickly as Verstappen’s automobile entered the gravel lure. However the resolution to show double waved yellows is made by race management, not the marshalling submit.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photograph by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Photos through Getty Photos
The decision to improve from single to double waved yellows did come, however not till after Russell arrived on the scene 15 seconds later. So whereas Antonelli was reconciled with the truth that he was unlikely to have certified on pole, he raised the purpose that it was cheap to count on double yellows to be declared extra promptly, given the character of that nook.
“I used to be one tenth behind him, so it might have been entrance row, however nonetheless not sufficient for pole,” he mentioned.
“There was a automobile within the wall in a quick nook, so I feel on this state of affairs I do not know why they did not go double yellow right away as a result of it is a tremendous fast nook and should you go off on the identical time it may find yourself very badly.
“So, yeah, it was a bit complicated, however it’s what it’s.”
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Photographs from Austrian GP – Saturday
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