MEXICO CITY -- The controversy over the penalty which cost Max Verstappen pole position at the Mexican Grand Prix continued after the race had concluded at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriquez.
Verstappen started from fourth after being demoted on Saturday evening for ignoring yellow flags at the end of his final qualifying lap in Q3. The Dutchman had followed Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel past the wrecked Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas, which eventually triggered yellow flags to be waved at the final corner.
Under the yellow flag regulations, drivers must "reduce their speed and be prepared to change direction," and "it must be clear that a driver has reduced speed and, in order for this to be clear, a driver would be expected to have braked earlier and/or discernibly reduced speed in the relevant marshalling sector".