Ferrari F1 boss warns George Russell may have set 'disastrous' benchmark at Austrian Grand Prix

Vasseur, Mercedes, socials — Photo: © IMAGO

Austrian Grand Prix

Ferrari F1 boss warns George Russell may have set 'disastrous' benchmark at Austrian Grand Prix

Vasseur is worried the Austrian GP could set a bad example

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Monday 29 June 2026 20:30 Updated: 08:28

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Ferrari F1 team principal Fred Vasseur has raised concerns that the manner in which George Russell claimed pole for the Austrian Grand Prix could set a bad example for the rest of the grid.

Saturday's qualifying at the Red Bull Ring ended in dramatic fashion when four-time champion Max Verstappen crashed in Q3 at Turn 9, initially triggering a single yellow flag before double-waved yellows were issued 15 seconds later.

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Following the crash, it was Vasseur's driver Charles Leclerc who appeared to have pole, but Russell managed to go quickest shortly after, displacing the Monegasque star and preventing a front-row lockout for the Scuderia.

But during that grey area, confusion ensued, triggering a wider conversation about the precedent Russell may have set by securing pole position under yellow flag conditions.

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Vasseur warns 'everybody will push' after Russell claimed pole under yellow flag conditions

Speaking after qualifying on Saturday, Vasseur said: "First, I'm a bit surprised that they didn't put double yellow.

"When you deploy the medical car, you can imagine that you need to have the double yellow… but it's another story."

Lewis Hamilton's F1 boss then clarified it wasn't Russell he took issue with personally, but instead the poor example it could set that he was still able to go fastest whilst lifting under the yellow flag.

"George did a fantastic lap and nothing to do with the performance of George," he continued. "And then there is a rule that you have to slow down by five per cent in the mini sector and we don't have access to the data. I think that race control did it.

"I trust them. If you are not able to trust the race control, it's a disaster," Vasseur added.

Russell was initially investigated for a yellow flag infringement after claiming pole, but the FIA stewards announced no further action after clarifying the Brit had done no wrong, earning pole before the double-waved yellows.

"If they took the decision of no further action, it's because they checked," said the Ferrari team principal.

"The point is for me that I don't understand why we don't have a double yellow in this case."

Looking ahead to how once again, F1's governing body may have opened a can of worms for themself in Austria, Vasseur warned: "I think the negative side of this is that next quali, if you have a crash, everybody will push."

This was a sentiment Vasseur later echoed to DAZN, saying: "I hope the conclusion isn't that you have to push with yellows, that would be a disaster."