Loading
The dust had barely settled on Kimi Antonelli’s commanding victory at the Miami Grand Prix before the focus shifted from the podium to the stewards' room. While the Mercedes prodigy celebrated his third consecutive win—extending his championship lead over team-mate George Russell to 20 points—a chaotic final-lap battle for fourth place left Russell, Max Verstappen, and Charles Leclerc facing multiple post-race investigations.
Behind Antonelli, McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri completed the podium, but the real drama unfolded in their mirrors. A thrilling, no-holds-barred scrap between Russell, Verstappen, and Leclerc ultimately saw the Mercedes driver prevail to cross the line in fourth. However, a series of potential infractions could yet turn the final classification on its head.
For Max Verstappen, the threat to his finishing position stems from a procedural error rather than on-track combat. The Red Bull driver has been summoned for allegedly crossing the pit exit line following his sole pitstop of the race.
Should the stewards deem this a breach of the regulations, a five-second time penalty would be applied. Such a sanction would be costly, dropping the Red Bull driver from fifth down to sixth, promoting Leclerc in the process.
Charles Leclerc’s race concluded in a dramatic sequence of events that has drawn the ire of race control on multiple fronts. The Ferrari driver is under investigation for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, as well as continuing to drive a car in a potentially unsafe condition.
The scrutiny follows a heart-stopping moment on the final lap when Leclerc suffered a scary spin through Turn 3. While he avoided a huge accident, the Monegasque driver still tapped the wall on the exit, appearing to damage his front-left steering arm.
Limping towards the chequered flag, Leclerc cut several corners as he slumped down the order, ultimately finishing sixth behind Russell and Verstappen. Adding to his rap sheet, the stewards are also investigating Leclerc for tagging Russell at the Turn 17 hairpin during their frantic late-race duel.
George Russell’s hard-fought fourth place is also under threat, with the Mercedes driver being investigated for making contact with Verstappen during their intense final-lap battle.
As Verstappen desperately tried to survive on old hard tyres, the two came together. The Red Bull driver was quick to voice his displeasure over the team radio, reporting: "I think he hit my tyre."
With the stewards now reviewing the incidents, the final results of the Miami Grand Prix remain provisional. The outcome of these hearings will dictate the final points distribution behind the podium finishers.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.
Comments (0)
No comments yet
Be the first to share your thoughts!
Loading posts...