Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Max Verstappen played his part in a Canada qualifying thriller and was later cleared by the stewards over a potential pit-lane infringement.
With sprinklings of rain passing through the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve but not deterring the dry-tyre running, the stage was set for a thrilling qualifying crescendo, which saw George Russell and Verstappen set an identical time of 1:12.000, with Russell taking pole by virtue of clocking that lap first.
Max Verstappen cleared by Canada stewards
Verstappen, however, had to await the stewards’ decision as he was called in for allegedly not obeying the race director’s instructions while in the pit lane during Q2.
Nevertheless, following a conversation with the current leader of the Drivers’ Championship and a careful evaluation of the circumstances, the stewards concluded that Verstappen had not violated any rules. As a result, he was given the green light to start from the front row in the Canadian Grand Prix.
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“The report commenced with the stewards listening to the driver of Car 1 (Max Verstappen), a team representative, and carefully assessing video footage and in-car video evidence,” stated their report.
During the hearing, the team mentioned that they presumed Car 1 had crossed the solid white line, which separates the fast lane from the working lane, upon being released from the garage. Consequently, they adhered to the guidelines specified in Article 34.8 to ensure that the cars departed the pit lane in the same sequence they arrived.
The stewards have concluded that the assumption made about Car 1 crossing the solid white line separating the fast lane from the working lane was incorrect. It should be clarified that the fast lane, indicated by two solid white lines, is the lane closest to the pit wall. Any other white lines or painted areas are not significant in this particular situation.
Considering that Car 1 was not initially in the fast lane, according to the regulations and the Race Director’s Event Notes (item 11, document 29), the driver was only obligated to merge into the fast lane when it was safe to do so. This means they should have found a suitable gap in the line of cars in the fast lane without needlessly obstructing the cars already present.
The stewards argue that all the requirements were met and therefore will not proceed with any additional measures.
Red Bull had a mixed day in Canada on Saturday. Verstappen came extremely close to securing pole position, but Perez had a tough time as he faced back-to-back eliminations in Q1 and now has significant work ahead.
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