Max Verstappen criticizes FIA penalty as title race shifts at Qatar Grand Prix

Max Verstappen lost his pole position at the Qatar Grand Prix after receiving a one-place penalty for driving too slowly during qualifying. The stewards determined his actions were "unnecessarily slow given the circumstances." As a result, George Russell will start the race from pole position. Russell commented that Verstappen's tactics may have affected his own qualifying performance, leading to a less than ideal lap. The situation marks a significant change in the title battle, with Verstappen now needing to overcome the setback to compete effectively in the race.