Despite a yellow flag in the final sector, George Russell secured pole position at Spielberg
George Russell secured pole position despite a controversial incident at the Austrian Grand Prix. A yellow flag had been displayed in the final sector. Why did the Mercedes driver still avoid a penalty?
“It was a single yellow,” Toto Wolff explained on Sky. “He did a 100-meter lift, and I’m especially happy for him.”
The explanation for the decision can be found in Article B1.9.4 of the Formula 1 Sporting Regulations: When a single yellow flag is waved, drivers are required to reduce their speed and prepare for a change in direction.
If the race stewards determine that these requirements have been sufficiently met—as was the case with the Mercedes driver—then the lap stands.
Seconds after his pole lap, Russell immediately spoke with his team and emphasized how much speed he had lost in the final two turns. A look at GP-Tempo confirms this impression. Comparing the pole lap with his previous best time shows that Russell lifted off the throttle significantly earlier on the approach to Turn 9.
According to team principal Wolff, who spoke to Sky Sports F1, Russell likely lost about one-tenth of a second. Nevertheless, the third-place driver in the Drivers’ Championship secured pole position with a lead of over two-tenths of a second over Charles Leclerc.
“I feel incredible,” said the pole-sitter after the session. “I saw the yellow flag and lifted off the throttle on the way into the corner. I had a five-tenths lead before that, and it was still two-and-a-half-tenths after the last corner.”
“Besides,” Russell added, “it was a single-wave yellow flag, not a double-wave one.”
“It was a really tough day, but putting that lap together was truly special. Everything felt so good, and I’m really proud of the job we all did.
When asked why Kimi Antonelli didn’t continue his lap in Q3, Team Principal Wolff replied to Sky Sports F1: “I think he thought it was a double yellow.” The championship leader will start the Austrian Grand Prix from fourth on the grid.
Missed opportunity for Antonelli
“I don’t know why, but I thought it was a double yellow,” Antonelli confirmed on Sky Sports F1. “I completely aborted my lap and missed out on the front row.”
When asked whether the championship leader made the right call, he replied: “No, I shouldn’t have done that. That was my mistake.”
“I aborted the lap. I would have been very close to George. There were only a few tenths between us, so that would have meant the front row. It’s really a shame.”
The yellow flag was waved due to an accident involving Max Verstappen. The four-time world champion had lost control of his car in Turn 9 while battling for pole position and crashed into the tire barrier.
