Miami GP penalties hit Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen after separate post-race FIA investigations. Leclerc received a 20-second penalty that dropped him from sixth to eighth. Verstappen received a five-second penalty for crossing the pit exit white line but kept fifth place. The final podium remained unchanged, with Kimi Antonelli winning ahead of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Leclerc’s penalty came after a messy final lap. The Ferrari driver spun at Turn 3, hit the wall, and continued with damage. He then cut multiple chicanes before reaching the chequered flag. The stewards ruled that he left the track several times and gained a lasting advantage without a justifiable reason.
The stewards said Leclerc told them the car would not turn right properly after the wall contact. However, they decided that mechanical trouble did not give him permission to cut the track. Because the race had already ended, the normal drive-through penalty became a 20-second time penalty. That dropped him behind Hamilton and Colapinto.
Leclerc also faced two other investigations. Officials looked at whether he drove an unsafe car after the crash. They decided there was not enough evidence of an obvious mechanical issue. They also reviewed his contact with George Russell at Turn 17. Both drivers called it a minor racing incident, so the stewards took no further action.
Verstappen’s penalty came from his Safety Car pit exit. The Red Bull driver crossed the solid white line when rejoining the track. The stewards said live video angles were not clear enough during the race. After reviewing extra camera footage, they confirmed the front left tire crossed the line and issued the standard five-second penalty.
The Miami GP penalties changed Ferrari’s final result more than Red Bull’s. Hamilton moved up to sixth, while Leclerc dropped to eighth. Verstappen stayed fifth because his gap to the cars behind was large enough. Ferrari also paid a 200 euro fine after Leclerc exceeded the pit lane speed limit during Friday practice.
The revised result leaves Antonelli as race winner, Norris second, Piastri third, Russell fourth, Verstappen fifth, Hamilton sixth, Colapinto seventh, and Leclerc eighth. The penalties added more frustration to Ferrari’s Miami weekend after Leclerc had already lost ground through a late spin, strategy problems, and final-lap damage.
