Charles Leclerc's Miami Grand Prix was a day of highs and lows. The Ferrari driver seemed set for a podium position but ended up in eighth place after a spin on the last lap and a hefty post-race penalty. So, what led to Leclerc's penalty?
A Race of Twists and Turns
Leclerc had a promising start, overtaking front-row starters Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen to lead the early laps. However, as the race wound down, he found himself in third place. On the penultimate lap, Oscar Piastri's McLaren slipped past him, and in his chase to reclaim the podium, Leclerc spun at Turn 3 on the final lap. Despite hitting the wall, he managed to finish the race, though his journey to the chequered flag saw him lose ground to both George Russell and Max Verstappen. "Very disappointed with myself," Leclerc admitted, acknowledging the error cost him a top-four finish.
Stewards' Scrutiny
Post-race, Leclerc was under investigation for several potential rule violations. These included driving a damaged car in an unsafe state, leaving the track repeatedly, and a minor clash with Russell at the final hairpin. The stewards decided against action for the incident with Russell but had questions about Leclerc cutting corners on the final lap. Leclerc explained that his car wouldn't handle right-hand turns properly, forcing him to cut chicanes. The stewards noted this gained him a lasting advantage.
The Verdict
The stewards concluded that Leclerc had breached Article B1.8.6 of the FIA F1 Regulations for repeatedly cutting the track. "The fact that he had a mechanical issue did not amount to a justifiable reason," they stated. Leclerc received a drive-through penalty, which translated to a 20-second time addition, dropping him from sixth to eighth in the final results. While the stewards found no evident mechanical failure, they chose not to impose further penalties for driving in an unsafe condition.
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