Verstappen<\/a> crashed at Turn 9 in qualifying, with marshals initially waving a single yellow flag that was upgraded 22 seconds later to a double-waved yellow.<\/p>\n Russell passed the scene of the accident when it was still a single yellow.<\/p>\n He briefly lifted, losing 0.08 seconds, but it was enough to satisfy the stewards that there would be no further action.<\/p>\n Russell retained pole position and went on to win the Grand Prix.<\/p>\n It has, however, shone a spotlight on the subject of yellow flags and how much of a lift is enough of a lift.<\/p>\n Carlos Sainz called it dangerous<\/a>, saying: \u201cThe way George handled it, I think, was perfect for what the rule book allows you to do, and he deserved that pole position because he played the rules to perfection.<\/p>\n \u201cBut he should have never been, I think, allowed to finish that lap or to close a lap in that kind of dangerous situation.\u201d<\/p>\n But he didn\u2019t stop there. The Williams driver would also like to see any driver who causes a yellow during qualifying receive a grid penalty as it unfairly penalises other drivers.<\/p>\n \u201cI think,\u201d he added, \u201cthat anyone who generates a yellow flag or a red flag in a qualifying should be three-place grid drop, so at least you get penalised and you get disincentivised.\u201d<\/p>\n That was put to Verstappen, and while he says a deliberate yellow should come with a \u201cbigger penalty\u201d, his main concern is that Russell was allowed to complete his lap.<\/p>\n F1 2026: The season\u2019s winners and losers<\/p>\n The results of the F1 2026 championship <\/a><\/p>\n The F1 2026 Drivers\u2019 and Constructors\u2019 Championship standings<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI think when someone does it deliberately, there should be an even bigger penalty,\u201d he told PlanetF1.com and other media.<\/p>\n \u201cBut from my side, of course, it was out of my control what happened there.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a topic that we have been talking about for a long time, and in other series, when you create a double, whatever yellow or red, you lose your lap.<\/p>\n \u201cBut that still doesn\u2019t solve what actually happened besides that.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople are still completing a lap, or others are backing out of it. <\/p>\n \u201cNow you, of course, can read the rules really well. You complete your lap and you\u2019re allowed to keep it.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I think, first of all, it should not have been a single yellow. That is at least a double yellow or a red, first of all.<\/p>\n \u201cThe driver then, of course, optimises around it. I think that\u2019s fair play. I probably would have tried to do the same. That\u2019s just how it goes.<\/p>\n \u201cBut it should not even be allowed or be possible to finish your lap like that.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s, for me, the main concern in all of it.\u201d<\/p>\n Russell\u2019s lift at the Red Bull Ring cost the driver all of 0.08s<\/a> according to PlanetF1.com\u2019s data analyst Uros Radovanovic.<\/p>\n Verstappen says drivers are gaming the system when it comes to the rules on yellow flags and how much of a lift is enough.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve had this discussion many times where I felt like drivers have been quite close to playing with that limit,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we\u2019re still not really on top of those things. With a single yellow, how much you have to slow down, or with a double yellow. <\/p>\n \u201cSome slow down more than others. One is good, one is bad. It\u2019s a very tough subject.\u201d<\/p>\n Additional reporting by Thomas Maher<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image4.png\")
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