Why Verstappen keeps Singapore sprint pole despite yellow flag 'breach'

Max Verstappen has kept his pole position for Formula 1's Singapore sprint race despite breaching the yellow flag rules by overtaking Lewis Hamilton.

Verstappen passed Hamilton between Turns 7 and 8 in sprint qualifying when single waved yellow flags were deployed after Sergio Perez's Cadillac picked up front wing damage and shed debris.

That required Verstappen and Hamilton to visit the stewards after qualifying to explain the incident.

The stewards report said Verstappen "explained that he was on throttle exiting Turn 7 and then saw the yellow flag and lifted. This was confirmed by telemetry.

"Within approximately 40 metres of entering the yellow flag sector, the [Verstappen] had lifted fully off-throttle.

"[Hamilton] was braking and had reduced speed to less than 60km/h at the point [Verstappen] overtook.

"Because [Verstappen] was on a push lap and was on throttle out of Turn 7 and [Hamilton] had slowed, the speed differential at the point of the overlap was significant despite the fact that [Verstappen] had also started braking.

"The stewards were satisfied that [Hamilton] reacted appropriately to the yellow flag by lifting off throttle and reducing speed.

"The speed of [Verstappen] at the overtake point was some 70km/h less than [Verstappen's] speed on another push lap in the same session.

"[Verstappen] explained that to have avoided the overtake would have required him to have braked very heavily and he considered to have done so would have potentially created an unsafe situation."

The stewards therefore determined that while Verstappen had "breached the yellow flag regulation" by overtaking Hamilton, they were "satisfied that the overtake was an unfortunate consequence of the significant closing speed differential".

That means the stewards determined not to impose a penalty and Verstappen kept his sprint race pole.