After an investigation opened during the sprint qualifying in Shanghai, the stewards finally decided not to penalize Pierre Gasly.
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The Sprint Qualifying session of the Chinese Grand Prix led to an investigation involving Pierre Gasly and Max Verstappen. The incident occurred in the final minutes of SQ2 at the Shanghai circuit, when the two drivers found themselves close to each other at a delicate moment in the session.
At that moment, Verstappen was on a flying lap when he caught the Alpine car at the exit of the hairpin at Turn 14. Gasly was driving at a reduced speed, which caused immediate frustration for the Red Bull driver.
On the radio, the four-time world champion did not hide his annoyance at the situation: “The Alpine is on the line at the exit of the last hairpin, it’s ridiculous!”
The incident quickly caught the attention of race control, which decided to open an investigation after the session to determine if Gasly had indeed impeded Verstappen.
A tight qualifying despite the controversy
Despite this tense sequence, both drivers managed to finish their session in the top 10. Pierre Gasly eventually qualified seventh for the sprint, just ahead of Max Verstappen in eighth.
This hierarchy also reflects the difficulties encountered by Red Bull Racing during this session in Shanghai. The Austrian team never seemed able to play a leading role, while young Isack Hadjar completed a complicated day for the team by qualifying only in tenth position.
In this context, Verstappen hoped that the investigation could lead to a penalty for Gasly, which would have allowed him to gain a place on the sprint grid.
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Stewards decide not to penalize
After examining the footage and hearing the drivers’ explanations, the stewards of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) finally chose to take no action against Gasly.
In their analysis, they acknowledge that Verstappen was indeed on a flying lap and on what they describe as his ideal line. However, they also found that the Alpine car was not directly on the racing line used by the Red Bull driver.
The stewards notably noted that Gasly had chosen to stay on the left side of the track at the exit of the hairpin, considering that this position represented the safest option in this situation. According to their verdict, another option could have been considered, but it did not constitute a clear infraction.
“Although he could theoretically have adopted a different approach, the car did not unnecessarily impede the driver arriving behind.”
Gasly keeps his grid position
As a result, Pierre Gasly retains his seventh place on the starting grid for the Chinese Grand Prix sprint. This decision also means that no change is made to the starting order between him and Max Verstappen.
The episode illustrates once again the complexity of traffic situations in qualifying, particularly on a circuit like Shanghai where several fast sections can quickly lead to tricky encounters between drivers.
For both Gasly and Verstappen, attention now turns to the sprint race, where each will try to convert their grid position into precious championship points.
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