Max Verstappen blasts 'ridiculous' Pierre Gasly that sparks stewards investigation

Pierre Gasly is under investigation for an incident that left Max Verstappen fuming during sprint qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix.

Verstappen was on a hot lap in the second qualifying session at the Shanghai International Circuit when he encountered a slow-moving Gasly in his Alpine out of the final chicane.

The four-time F1 champion was forced into a sharp evasive manoeuvre in his Red Bull, which threw him out of kilter approaching the final corner as Verstappen ran wide and across the gravel before crossing the line as Gasly flashed past from behind.

Verstappen, who just scraped through into SQ3 as ninth quickest ahead of team-mate Isack Hadjar, voiced his frustration with Gasly over the radio.

"That Alpine is on the racing line out of the last hairpin," said Verstappen. "It's ridiculous!"

The stewards soon confirmed they would be investigating the incident after the session. If found guilty, Gasly, who also reached SQ3, would be handed a three-place grid penalty.