Why was Leclerc handed a 20-second penalty after the Miami Grand Prix?

What had already been a bruising conclusion to Charles Leclerc’s Miami Grand Prix—a spin at Turn 3 on the final lap, a brush with the wall, and a frantic limp to the finish line—became even more costly once the stewards intervened. Following the race, the Ferrari driver faced three separate investigations regarding his final-lap conduct, ultimately resulting in a penalty that demoted him down the final classification.

After a thorough review of video footage, telemetry, and team radio, alongside hearings with Leclerc and a Ferrari representative, the stewards issued a detailed explanation of their findings.

The Cost of Cutting Corners

The primary issue centered on Leclerc’s route to the checkered flag. The stewards noted that "Car 16 spun on the last lap at Turn 3 and hit the wall but continued on track." Leclerc explained to the officials that his Ferrari "appeared fine save that the car would not negotiate the righthand corners properly."

Due to this handling deficit, Leclerc proceeded to cut multiple chicanes on his way to the finish. While the stewards acknowledged the mechanical difficulty he was facing, they made it unequivocally clear that a compromised car does not justify repeated shortcuts.

"Given this problem, he was forced to cut chicanes on the way to the chequered flag," the stewards' report stated. "We determined that the fact that he had to cut the chicanes (i.e. to leave the track) meant that he gained a lasting advantage by leaving the track in that manner."

They further clarified that "the fact that he had a mechanical issue of some sort did not amount to a justifiable reason."

As a result, Leclerc was handed a drive-through penalty, which is the standard sanction for repeated track-limits violations that yield a competitive benefit. Because the ruling was delivered post-race, it was converted into a 20-second time penalty, dropping the Monegasque driver from sixth to eighth place in the final standings.

Cleared of Unsafe Driving and Collision Charges

While the track-limits violations proved costly, Leclerc escaped further punishment regarding the condition of his car and his contact with Russell.

The stewards evaluated whether Leclerc should be penalized for continuing to drive what appeared to be a compromised Ferrari. However, after reviewing the available data and footage, they concluded there was no definitive evidence that the car was so damaged it required stopping.

"We also considered whether there was an additional breach in continuing to drive a car with an obvious and discernible mechanical issue," the stewards explained. "We determined that there was no evidence of there being an obvious or discernible mechanical issue. We therefore took no further action in relation to that potential infringement."

Finally, a separate hearing addressed Leclerc’s brush with George Russell at the final hairpin. Both drivers described the contact as minor and simply a part of normal racing. The stewards concurred with this assessment, stating that "both drivers considered the contact to be minor racing incidents and we agreed."

Despite avoiding additional sanctions, the 20-second penalty caps off a frustrating end to the Miami Grand Prix for Leclerc, following the late spin that triggered the chaotic sequence of events.