P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Red Bull boss Christian Horner is adamant Mercedes “made a big meal” out of the incident that demoted Max Verstappen on the grid at F1’s Qatar Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen initially claimed pole position at the Lusail International Circuit, only to receive a one-place grid drop later that pushed him to second due to an incident on the out lap where George Russell had to take evasive action. Despite protests, Verstappen was penalized, leading to Russell inheriting the pole. Verstappen expressed frustration over the penalty but was even more upset with Russell’s behavior during the ordeal. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner defended Verstappen’s actions and criticized Russell’s conduct, suggesting the penalty was somewhat influenced by Russell’s reaction. Verstappen, motivated to win, converted the penalty into a strong start and eventually emerged victorious in the race, while maintaining his dissatisfaction towards certain decisions and suggesting bias against him in past events.
