Max Verstappen received a five-second penalty for crossing the pit exit line at the Miami Grand Prix. The penalty didn't affect his position due to Charles Leclerc's own post-race penalty.
Max Verstappen found himself on the wrong side of the stewards at the Miami Grand Prix, receiving a five-second penalty for infringing the pit exit rules. The Dutch driver, who made an early pit stop during a Safety Car period, was observed crossing the white line that separates the pit exit from the track — a detail not missed by the ever-vigilant stewards.
In the aftermath of the race, the stewards confirmed Verstappen's breach, citing Appendix L, Chapter IV Article 6 c) of the International Sporting Code. Their decision was based on enhanced video evidence reviewed after the race, which showed that the outside of Verstappen's front left tire did indeed cross the solid white line.
Ordinarily, this would have demoted Verstappen from fifth to sixth place, placing him behind Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. However, the Monegasque driver was also slapped with a post-race 20-second penalty, effectively nullifying any impact on Verstappen's final position.
The stewards' report noted the initial lack of clear video evidence, which necessitated a post-race investigation to garner better footage from different angles. Once they had the necessary views, the infringement was confirmed, leading to the standard penalty for such infractions.
Verstappen's race, though marked by this minor hiccup, still earned him the 'Driver of the Day' accolade from fans, suggesting that his performance on the track didn't go unnoticed, even if the stewards had to take notice of his pit exit.