Verstappen demoted to 17th following penalty

The result of Max Verstappen's already truncated qualifying session has been worsened by a three-place grid penalty handed to him by the Japanese Grand Prix stewards.

At the start of Q2, the Dutchman's Toro Rosso suffered a sudden system blackout which forced the 17 year-old to stop his car across the track on the exit of the hairpin.

After reviewing video evidence and hearing Verstappen's own testimony, Suzuka officials stated the following:

'Car 33 experienced a sudden power loss at the exit of turn 11, the driver initially moved to the left side of the track towards a safe position and when it was about to stop, moved to the right on the racing line, where it eventually stopped. This caused double yellow flags to be shown and endangered oncoming drivers.'

Verstappen naturally deplored the incident which deprived him of any control over the impaired Toro Rosso.

"I was in the middle of the track and as the electricity is gone, you can't use the clutch pedals and the car was stuck in gear, " he said. "There was nothing I could do."

Renault have yet to pinpoint the exact reason for the electrical failure which will now force Verstappen to start from 18th position on tomorrow's grid.

The junior bull, while lamenting another qualifying session marked by a mechanical failure, remains undeterred however, and ready to fight his way back once more from the rear of the field, confident as he is in the STR-10's potential.

"Without the problem I would have made it for sure into Q3."

Also, Pirelli have imposed slightly higher tyre pressures in Suzuka for its mandatory harder compound, so managing temperatures will assuredly prove critical in tomorrow's race.

"This track, which improved a lot this morning from the beginning of P3, is quite aggressive on tyres so it will be tricky, especially as we didn't do much running in the dry. But given how the car felt in qualifying, if we can have kind of the same balance in the long runs tomorrow than we should be okay."

"I was one lap down in Singapore, so I don't see why we can't do it here. I think the car was very good in qualifying so I don't see any reason not to go for it."

REPORT: Rosberg takes pole after huge Kvyat crash

AS IT HAPPENED: Japanese Grand Prix Qualifying

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