“This sport is the biggest joke”: F1 fans furious at the FIA for only reprimanding Max Verstappen in the Singapore GP qualifying

Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing faced a shocking double elimination during the second part of the qualifying session at the F1 Singapore Grand Prix.

Reigning world champion Verstappen, under scrutiny for two potential impeding incidents, was outpaced by AlphaTauri’s rising star, Liam Lawson.

Meanwhile, Verstappen's teammate, Sergio Perez, faced a disappointing spin on his final lap, leaving him in the 13th position. Verstappen will commence no higher than 11th on the grid.

Max Verstappen's day took an unexpected turn when he was summoned by the FIA stewards on three separate counts. The first incident involved a possible impeding of the Williams rookie, Logan Sargeant, between Turn 17 and 18 in Q1.

The second investigation centred around Verstappen's alleged impeding of cars at the pit exit after his RB19 encountered an issue while waiting at a green light. Lastly, Verstappen was called to account for a potential impeding of AlphaTauri's Yuki Tsunoda between Turns 3 and 4.

Despite the intense scrutiny, Verstappen was handed a reprimand for the pitlane and Tsunoda incidents, with no further action taken regarding the Sargeant incident.

The stewards justified their decision for the Sargeant case, citing Verstappen's limited options due to overtaking traffic, deeming a straight-line continuation the safest choice.

The verdict on the Tsunoda case, widely regarded as the most likely to lead to a penalty for Max Verstappen, was surprising. It was cleared based on a precedent set earlier in the season, raising questions among fans and pundits alike.

Additionally, despite an extraordinary 14-second delay at the pit exit, Verstappen was excused for the incident.

However, this lenient ruling by the FIA stewards did not sit well with a significant portion of the F1 fanbase. On social media platform X (formerly Twitter), discontent and frustration were palpable. Here are some of the top reactions from X.

One fan expressed their discontent, stating:

"This sport is the biggest joke going, f**** hell"

Another user commented:

“If it was anyone else it would’ve been a grid penalty, let’s be real”

Another fan remarked:

"Another reprimand? Anything but a grid drop for your golden boy"

Is Max Verstappen's unbeaten streak in danger?

With a disastrous qualifying session, the Singapore GP marks the first time in the season when neither of the Red Bull Racing drivers would be starting inside the top 10.

With that in view, Max Verstappen, who has been riding a wave of confidence after bagging 10 victories in a row, might find his record-breaking streak finally come to an end.

The Dutchman reflected on the upcoming race on Sunday for Red Bull during the media session following the race.

"It will be a very tough long afternoon."

Verstappen clarified his stance ahead of the main race on Sunday when asked about the chances of the Red Bull ace extending his record-breaking streak to 11 wins.

"You can forget about that.”