Verstappen hit with penalty points, grid drop in Sochi

Max Verstappen has been hit with two penalty points on his FIA Super License and a three-place grid penalty after failing to slow for yellow flags during Formula 1 qualifying for the Russian Grand Prix on Saturday.

Verstappen was called before the stewards following Saturday's qualifying session in Sochi after he was adjudged to have not slowed sufficiently for yellow flags put out for Sergey Sirotkin's spin at the end of Q1.

Verstappen set a personal best time despite the yellow flags, and was found in his telemetry to have maintained full throttle.

While Verstappen felt he acted safely, the stewards nevertheless hit him with a three-place grid drop, and two penalty points on his Super License, taking him up to seven points for the 12-month period. Any driver who accrues 12 points in 12 months will receive a race ban.

"The driver admitted seeing the yellow flag and stated that he steered to the left to avoid the stationary car (number 35)," the stewards' report reads.

"However, the regulation is very clear and states ‘It must be evident that a driver has reduced speed’. The telemetry showed that the driver maintained full throttle and did not apply any braking. In his defense the driver expressed the view that he felt he had acted safely.

"The Stewards noted that the driver understood the error in not slowing and acknowledged that in future he will comply with the regulations. However in view of the emphasis now placed on compliance with yellow flag regulations, in the interests of safety, the Stewards have applied the usual penalty for this offense."

The grid penalty will have no bearing on Verstappen's starting position, given he was due to start from the back of the grid after already receiving penalties for power unit and gearbox changes earlier in the weekend.