FIA issue official verdict after Max Verstappen Chinese Grand Prix incident

Photo: © IMAGO

Chinese Grand Prix

FIA issue official verdict after Max Verstappen Chinese GP incident

Pierre Gasly and Max Verstappen were called to the stewards' room in Shanghai

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Friday 13 March 2026 14:16

F1 star Pierre Gasly has been handed an official FIA ruling following an incident involving four-time world champion Max Verstappen at the Chinese Grand Prix.

F1 is in China this weekend for round two of the 2026 season, and Verstappen in particular is hoping for a much-improved performance compared to the season-opening Australian GP.

Verstappen crashed out of qualifying in Australia and started the race down in 20th position. Although he recovered well to take sixth in the race, he only took eight points from the opening weekend of the season.

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The Chinese GP has not started too well for the Dutchman and Red Bull either, with Verstappen qualifying in eighth for Saturday's Shanghai sprint race, and his team-mate Isack Hadjar only managing 10th.

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Verstappen 'blocked' by Gasly

Verstappen was involved in an incident during SQ2 in which it appeared as though Alpine's Pierre Gasly - who qualified ahead of Verstappen in seventh - had blocked his path.

However, after both drivers were called to the stewards' room following the conclusion of sprint qualifying in China, an official statement from the race stewards confirmed that Gasly would face no further action.

"The Stewards heard from the driver of Car 10 (Gasly), the driver of Car 3 (Verstappen) and the team representatives and reviewed telemetry, team radio, video and in-car video evidence," a statement released by the FIA read.

"Car 3 was on a push lap and came across Car 10 on what the driver of Car 3 described as his optimal racing line at the exit of turn 14. Car 3 had to drive around Car 10 but did not lift. The driver of Car 10 explained that he was aware of Car 3's approach and considered that the safest option was to stay to the left edge of the track.

"The driver of Car 3 said that the position of Car 10 affected his preferred line but he said that he was not impeded.

"Although the Stewards considered that the driver of Car 10 could theoretically have taken a different approach to the turn and stayed to the right at the exit, given the concession by the driver of Car 3 that he was not unnecessarily impeded by Car 10 in this case, we determined to take no further action."

It means that Gasly keeps his qualifying position of seventh for the Chinese GP sprint race, and the starting grid is unaffected.

Who will win the Chinese GP Sprint?

While Verstappen, Gasly and Hadjar will just be focused on trying to secure some points for their respective teams - with only the top eight finishers receiving points in a sprint race - the battle at the front is set to be a tantalising one.

George Russell and Kimi Antonelli secured a front row lockout for Mercedes, but they have 2025 champion Lando Norris and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton directly behind them heading into turn one.

Hamilton and Ferrari seemingly have the ability to start better than most of their rivals on the grid, as evidence by Charles Leclerc's phenomenal start at the Australian GP, and that makes Hamilton a real contender for the sprint race victory, a race that he won for Ferrari in 2025.

Max Verstappen FIA Chinese Grand Prix Pierre Gasly