The penalty and the crash
Charles Leclerc was handed a 20-second penalty after the Miami Grand Prix. That punishment replaces a mandatory trip through the pits. Race stewards took action after several track cuts. The incidents happened on the final lap of the race.
Leclerc lost control of his car at Turn 3. The Ferrari hit the wall on the left side. The impact caused damage. The left wheels and suspension were affected. The car then struggled badly as it limped back to the right.
The track offences
Leclerc chose to stay in the race. He cut across several parts of the circuit. Race control logged offences at Turns 4, 8, 11 and 15. Charles Leclerc was trying to protect fourth place.
George Russell passed him under braking at the end of the lap. Max Verstappen then grabbed the advantage in the final corner. The Ferrari’s route off-line helped Leclerc stay in touch with both drivers. The time gain was especially clear at Turns 11 and 15.
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The stewards’ decision
Officials issued a document explaining their call. They reviewed the driver’s comments. The rules state that a mechanical problem does not excuse track cuts. Drivers are not allowed to save time by skipping corners.
The stewards judged the actions of car number 16. Those repeated shortcuts gave the driver a clear advantage while trying to defend position. The time penalty was therefore added to the final race result.
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