Charles Leclerc Receives 20-Second Penalty After Controversial Miami GP Finish

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc faced a challenging day at the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, but the difficulties extended well beyond the checkered flag. Leclerc battled multiple drivers, including Max Verstappen and George Russell, and was running in a podium position late in the race.

On the final lap, Leclerc spun at Turn 3 and tapped the wall. Despite the incident, he managed to finish in P6, just behind Verstappen. However, race officials scrutinized his actions during the final lap, citing two potential infractions: an incident with Russell and leaving the track to gain an advantage after hitting the wall.

Following a hearing, Leclerc was issued a drive-through penalty, which was converted to a 20-second time penalty since the race had concluded. This penalty dropped him from P6 to P8 in the final classification.

Stewards’ Ruling and Key Findings

The stewards’ decision, outlined in Document 97, was based on video evidence, telemetry data, radio messages, and testimony from Leclerc and a Ferrari team representative. The key points of their ruling include:

• Spin and Wall Contact: “Car 16 spun on the last lap at Turn 3 and hit the wall but continued on track.”
• Mechanical Issue Claim: “The driver informed us that the car appeared fine save that the car would not negotiate the righthand corners properly.”
• Track Cutting Advantage: “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.”
• No Justifiable Reason: “The fact that he had a mechanical issue of some sort did not amount to a justifiable reason.”
• Penalty Imposed: “We accordingly impose a Drive Through penalty on Car 16, given the number of times the car left the track and gained an advantage.”
• No Further Action: “We also considered whether there was an additional breach in continuing to drive a car with an obvious and discernible mechanical issue. 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.”

Reaction and Aftermath

The stewards’ decision has sparked debate among fans and analysts, particularly regarding the interpretation of leaving the track and whether Leclerc’s mechanical issue justified his actions. The incident has also raised questions about the consistency of penalty applications in Formula 1.

You can watch Leclerc’s final lap, including the Turn 3 spin, in the video below:

“A final lap Charles Leclerc will not want to relive in a hurry! 😱💨 #F1 #MiamiGP” — Formula 1