Verstappen Avoids Penalty Ahead of Miami Grand Prix Sprint
Miami, FL – Max Verstappen has narrowly escaped a grid penalty for Saturday’s sprint race at the Miami Grand Prix, following an investigation by FIA officials regarding his outlap during SQ2. Red Bull Racing received a reprimand instead of a penalty for the reigning champion.
During qualifying, Verstappen completed his lap time in fourth place, trailing polesitter Andrea Kimi Antonelli and both McLaren drivers. He was summoned to the stewards for allegedly driving unnecessarily slowly, a violation outlined in the FIA sporting regulations, which state that cars must not be driven in a manner that could endanger others.
The investigation revealed that Verstappen was approximately six seconds over the allowed delta time during SQ2. Red Bull attributed this discrepancy to a programming error in Verstappen’s dashboard, which displayed inaccurate timing data.
The stewards concluded that while Verstappen did breach the minimum time requirement, he maintained a consistent speed throughout the lap and did not create a dangerous scenario for other competitors. "The team stated that due to a false programming in the car, the delta time displayed had an offset," the stewards noted. They highlighted that Red Bull must ensure accurate timing information is provided to the driver.
In their detailed verdict, FIA officials remarked, "Although there has been a breach, the driver did not drive ‘unnecessarily slowly’ based on the information displayed and did not impede any other cars." As a result, only the team received a reprimand, with the possibility of more severe consequences noted for similar future infractions.
This incident is distinct from Verstappen’s earlier encounter with Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll during SQ1, where Stroll criticized Verstappen’s position on the track as "dangerous," believing it cost him a chance to progress to SQ2.
As the Miami Grand Prix weekend progresses, Red Bull will need to ensure that their data systems are accurate to avoid further complications for their lead driver.
