The rules in Formula 1 are clear - if a crash occurs and yellow flags are raised, the drivers must slow down.
Russell whizzed through the final two corners of the track just seconds after Verstappen (Red Bull) spun off the track and crashed into a tyre barrier.
Russell said he had lifted off the throttle earlier than normal before the corner where Verstappen crashed. He was backed by race stewards, who deemed the incident "no further investigation" necessary, a decision that was seen as controversial.
Russell will start on pole position for Sunday's GP race. Charles Leclerc of Ferrari finished second in qualifying, and Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari finished third.
