The Miami Grand Prix didn’t end when the checkered flag fell. Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc were both handed post‑race penalties, adding another layer of drama to an already chaotic afternoon. Yankee Scores reports.
Verstappen’s Pit Exit Breach
Max Verstappen has been given a time penalty after he was found guilty of a pit exit breach at the Miami International Autodrome on Sunday.
Verstappen was penalized five seconds after stewards confirmed he crossed the white line at pit exit during an early stop under the Safety Car. Initially classified fifth, the Red Bull driver avoided losing a position only because Leclerc was hit with a heavier sanction.
“When the incident occurred, there was limited video evidence to make a clear decision on whether an infringement had occurred,” read the stewards’ report.
“We therefore decided to investigate the incident after the race, to see if we could get better video evidence of the incident in the meantime, perhaps from other angles. We were able to do so.”
The stewards determined that the outside of the front left-hand tyre did cross the outside of the solid white pit exit line in violation of Appendix L, Chapter IV Article 6 c) of the International Sporting Code.
Leclerc’s Costly Mistakes
Leclerc endured a rollercoaster finish. After spinning on the final lap while chasing Oscar Piastri, he limped home in sixth before being investigated for multiple infractions. The stewards ruled he repeatedly cut chicanes and gained an advantage, converting a drive‑through penalty into 20 seconds added to his time. That dropped him to eighth. “The last lap mistake is all on me,” Leclerc admitted.
However, the stewards also “determined that there was no evidence of there being an obvious of discernible mechanical issue” with the car, and so no further penalty was applied for driving a damaged car in an unsafe condition.
