Ferrari executives expressed concern over race control’s handling of a yellow flag incident during the Austrian Grand Prix qualifying session, where George Russell secured pole position despite passing through a single yellow zone following Max Verstappen’s crash. The decision not to deploy double yellow flags or halt the session has drawn criticism from team principal Fred Vasseur, who argued it could incentivize risky driving in future qualifying phases.
Leclerc and Hamilton finished second and third, respectively, while Russell completed his fastest lap after navigating the yellow flag area. According to Vasseur, the lack of double yellows removes a critical safety buffer, suggesting drivers might push harder in similar situations. “I trust the race control’s judgment,” Vasseur stated, “but the absence of double yellows sends a problematic message to the field.”
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing crash
Photo by: Clive Rose / Formula 1 via Getty Images
Vasseur emphasized that the issue lies not in Russell’s lap execution but in the regulatory response. “The rule requiring 5% speed reduction during yellow flags isn’t visibly enforced here,” he added. Meanwhile, McLaren’s Andrea Stella defended the current system, noting that the double-yellow lap deletion rule (introduced in 2022) effectively deters unsafe behavior when properly applied.
George Russell, Mercedes
Photo by: Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images
“Russell’s lap was executed cleanly,” Stella remarked, citing GPS data showing “sufficient deceleration before corner 9.” He acknowledged the subjective nature of stewards’ judgments in yellow flag scenarios but praised the overall regulatory framework for maintaining safety standards.”