George Russell is not going to be investigated by the FIA race stewards for setting his Formulation 1 Austrian Grand Prix pole lap beneath native yellow flags introduced out by Max Verstappen, because the Mercedes driver was deemed to have lifted off sufficient in Flip 9.
Purple Bull’s Verstappen crashed within the ultimate moments of qualifying as he made a last-ditch try to battle the Mercedes drivers for pole, being simply over half a tenth down after the primary two sectors.
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However as Verstappen suffered a violent snap of oversteer within the quick Flip 9 right-hander, the four-time world champion ended up spinning into the limitations to finish his pole bid, bringing out an area yellow flag.
That yellow threatened to derail Russell’s pole lap, with the Mercedes driver passing a single yellow on the sunshine panel earlier than getting into Flip 9. Russell then continued on in the direction of the end to set the quickest lap time, informing his engineer – and race management – that he had heeded the yellow flag.
“I lifted on the entry into that nook, misplaced loads of time,” Russell mentioned on the workforce radio.
Russell’s potential yellow flag infringement was picked up by race management, however the race stewards swiftly determined to not examine the incident.
After evaluating Russell’s information along with his earlier greatest, the stewards gave the impression to be happy that Russell had decreased velocity within the related marshal sectors. That was sufficient for Russell to flee sanction, as a result of the sector was slightly below a single yellow fairly than a double waved yellow flag.
Article B1.8.4 of the 2026 sporting rules mentioned: “Any driver passing by means of a waved yellow flag marshalling sector should cut back their velocity and be ready to vary route. 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 decreased velocity within the related marshalling sector.”
If there had been a double waved yellow flag, Russell wouldn’t have been allowed to set an improved lap time and would have had his laptime deleted anyway.
Max Verstappen crashed out on his ultimate lap.
Picture by: Clive Rose / Formulation 1 through Getty Photos
“It is a single yellow and a 100-metre lift-off, George loses a tenth and a half. It is fully on,” Mercedes chief Toto Wolff informed Sky. “It was an unimaginable lap, and also you see it on the info. It is a large raise in comparison with all of the laps earlier than, so effectively finished him. I am actually glad for him, how he managed that.”
Russell’s motion sowed confusion as a result of team-mate Kimi Antonelli did abort his lap and ducked again into the pits. However based on Wolff, the Italian mistook the one yellow for a double, and subsequently needlessly deserted his flyer. “I believe he was beneath the impression it was a double yellow,” Wolff defined.
Russell’s 1m06.113s lap defeated the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton by over two tenths, taking his second consecutive pole of 2026 as he goals to claw again his 50-point championship deficit to chief Antonelli.
Photographs from Austrian GP – Saturday
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