SPIELBERG, Austria (AP) — Just when it seemed Mercedes’ Formula 1 pole position streak was surely at an end, George Russell had other ideas. Russell came through the second-to-last corner seconds after Max Verstappen went spinning off the track toward the barrier, causing a yellow flag which means drivers must slow down.Russell was warned of the yellow flag ahead of time by Mercedes over the radio and argued he lifted off the accelerator earlier than usual for the corner and that the rest of his lap was still enough for first place.It was still “an amazing lap,” he said.The stewards agreed and deemed the incident needed “no further investigation”, keeping Russell on pole ahead of the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton for Sunday’s “heat hazard” race.
Why Russell’s lap stoodThe key factor keeping Russell’s lap on the board was that it was a single, not double, yellow flag at the corner.A single yellow means drivers need to be able to show they slowed down noticeably. A double signifies more immediate danger, and in qualifying means drivers should abandon any attempt at setting a competitive lap time.Russell argued it was the right call because Verstappen’s car was on the other side of a gravel runoff area and slowing down meant he didn’t risk losing control and potentially hitting the wreckage.
