The FIA has issued its official conclusion regarding Max Verstappen’s controversial pit lane collision during the Miami sprint race – and it comes with a fresh penalty for the reigning world champion.
Verstappen, who had secured pole position for Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix, was left furious on Saturday after a chaotic sprint. Despite delivering a stunning qualifying lap ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, the Dutchman’s sprint race unraveled following a 10-second penalty and a collision in the pit lane.
The incident occurred when Verstappen exited his pit box on slick tyres as the track dried, just as Antonelli’s Mercedes W15 approached. Verstappen’s front-left wheel clipped the right-rear of Antonelli’s car, shattering the Mercedes’ wheel cover and forcing Antonelli to abort his stop. Antonelli, who had started on pole, ultimately lost his chance at a points finish, crossing the line behind Verstappen.
After reviewing the incident, the FIA released a statement on Sunday: “Following a thorough review, the stewards have determined that Car 1 [Verstappen] was released in an unsafe manner, directly causing a collision. As per regulations, we have applied an additional three-place grid penalty for Sunday’s race.”
An FIA spokesperson elaborated further: “While the initial penalty during the sprint addressed immediate consequences, we are obligated to ensure consistency in enforcing safety standards in the pit lane. This decision is based on evidence from team radio, onboard footage, and marshal reports.”
Verstappen had already voiced his frustration with Red Bull after the race, urging his team to investigate the miscommunication: “They’ve all been different. You can’t really compare these things. We all don’t want that to happen, but it happened,” he said.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner acknowledged the issue but framed it as a learning moment: “It was a human error. We’ll learn from it.”
The grid penalty means Verstappen will now start Sunday’s Grand Prix behind Norris, further complicating his title defense. Heading into the race, Verstappen trails overall leader Oscar Piastri by 19 points and Norris by 10 in the drivers’ standings.
Will this penalty shake up the Miami Grand Prix outcome?
