Verstappen and Bottas hit with F1 grid drops, Gasly promoted to front row

F1’s stewards have also given a three-place grid penalty to Valtteri Bottas, who ignored single waved yellow flags.

Yellow flags were waved during the final hot laps of Q3 when Pierre Gasly’s stricken AlphaTauri came to a stop after losing his front wing and picking up a puncture after running over the Turn 15 kerbs. 

Verstappen improved his time on his final lap, but Bottas and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz did not. 

As well as picking up a five-place grid penalty, Verstappen has also received two penalty points on his licence, moving him onto four for the 12-month period. 

Red Bull argued that as the light panel was not displayed and had been turned off that Verstappen should have avoided a penalty, but the team also failed to warn him about the situation. 

While the stewards’ noted they had “sympathy” for Verstappen, they concluded it is down to the driver to take action and believe they had “no option but to impose the standard penalty”. 

Bottas admitted he did not notice the yellow flag and that he failed to reduce speed as required. 

Unlike Verstappen and Bottas, Sainz has escaped a penalty after he “made a significant reduction in speed in the relevant mini-sector”. 

The penalties promote Gasly - who caused the yellow flags - onto the front row of the grid alongside Lewis Hamilton, who qualified on pole. 

Alpine’s Fernando Alonso will line up third, ahead of Lando Norris’ McLaren, with Bottas and Sainz starting fifth and sixth. 

Verstappen, who goes into the race holding a 14-point championship advantage over title rival Hamilton, will go from seventh.