Max Verstappen has retained his pole position for the Austrian Grand Prix after race stewards decided not to penalise him for impeding Kevin Magnussen during qualifying.
The incident occurred at the exit of Turn 1 in the first segment of qualifying when Verstappen’s Red Bull slowed on the racing line, causing Magnussen to make a sudden maneuver to avoid a collision.
Impeding has become a topic of concern in recent qualifying sessions, with drivers receiving penalties for similar incidents.
Pierre Gasly received two-three place penalties in Spain, and Carlos Sainz faced a three-place drop in Canada for impeding other drivers.
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After speaking with both Verstappen and Magnussen and reviewing video evidence and data, the stewards determined that no further action was necessary against Verstappen.
They found that Magnussen had clipped the curb at Turn 1, resulting in a slower time through the mini-sectors, but he did not have to take significant evasive action.
The stewards also clarified that the deletion of Magnussen’s time for track limits did not influence their decision, stating that each incident is evaluated independently.
As a result, the grid lineup for Sunday’s race remains unchanged, with Verstappen leading the pack, followed by Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, Lando Norris, and Lewis Hamilton in fifth position.
Magnussen, who qualified 19th fastest in the Haas, was eliminated in the first qualifying segment (Q1).
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Despite the incident, the Danish driver’s starting position for the race on Sunday remains unaffected.
The decision by the stewards not to penalise Verstappen ensures that the front row of the grid will be unchanged, allowing the highly anticipated battle between Verstappen and Leclerc to unfold.
As the race day approaches, the focus shifts to the performance on the track, with fans eagerly awaiting an exciting and closely contested Austrian Grand Prix.