Max Verstappen blasé on yellow flag controversy: I know what I'm doing

Max Verstappen

Verstappen blasé on yellow flag controversy: I know what I'm doing

Was he in the wrong?

Matthew Scott

Saturday 26 October 2019 22:37 Updated: 23:22

Max Verstappen cut a blasé figure when the potentially unsafe nature of his pole lap at the Mexican Grand Prix was put to him.

Verstappen improved his time in Q3, despite passing the stricken Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas at the final corner of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

The Dutchman did not go quicker than his previous time in the mini-sector where Bottas was stranded, and the FIA did not launch an immediate investigation into Verstappen's lap time.

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However, in the post-race press conference, Verstappen said he was "aware" that Bottas had crashed and said he did not lift off the accelerator as he passed the Finn.

The comments could prompt the FIA to delve deeper into the data of Verstappen's lap, and the Dutchman welcomed a punishment, of sorts, having set two lap times good enough for pole.

"Well then delete my lap. The other lap was fine," he said when asked if he thought a punishment might come his way.

"I think we know what we're doing otherwise we wouldn't be driving an F1 car.

"It's qualifying, you go for it and like I said before if they want to delete the lap then delete the lap."

Verstappen could be in deeper trouble, however, if the stewards do take a closer look at the incident.

The Dutchman was given a three-place grid penalty for a similar incident in Russia last year, while his nonchalant attitude to safety drew an immediate, and negative response from several F1 fans.