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BREAKING: Verstappen loses pole position in Mexico after receiving penalty!
- Nicolás Quarles van Ufford
Max Verstappen has been stripped of his pole position in for the Mexican Grand Prix, as the Dutchman got penalised for not slowing down when passing the wreckage of Valtteri Bottas at the final corner of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
The 22-year-old was already on provisional pole when he entered the final sector of his second lap, but he kept his foot in it as he passed the final corner, where a marshall was waving the yellow flag to warn Verstappen of Bottas' crashed car.
Initially, the FIA didn't deem it necessary to investigate the situation even though Verstappen logged the quickest lap of the day when driving past Bottas' wrecked W10, with the telemetry showing the seven-time Grand Prix winner did slow down in the final bit of the lap.
However, in the post qualifying press conference, Verstappen remarked how he was fully aware of Bottas having crashed when he approached the scene as he also added he didn't lift at all when passing the Finn's car.
This turned the head of the FIA and its stewards and they summoned Verstappen wanting an explanation for his comments. While the telemetry indicates he did slow down in the last 'mini sector', his comments stated the complete opposite.
Verstappen got dealt a three-place penalty, as well as two penalty points on his racing license. This means he'll start from fourth place, moving Charles Leclerc up to pole position, Sebastian Vettel up to P2 and Lewis Hamilton up to P3.