Formula 1 confirmed a penalty for Max Verstappen after the 2026 Miami GP. Even penalized, the Red Bull driver maintained his final position in the race.
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The decision came after an investigation by the stewards into a possible infraction at the pit exit, analyzed only after the end of the race.
Verstappen was one of the first to stop during the race, taking advantage of a Safety Car period caused by incidents involving Isack Hadjar, Liam Lawson, and Pierre Gasly. After the pit stop, suspicion arose that he had crossed the pit exit line, an infraction that normally results in a penalty.
Initially, the officials chose not to act immediately due to the lack of conclusive footage. After the race, new cameras were reviewed and confirmed the irregularity.
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“When the incident occurred, there was limited video evidence to make a clear decision,” the stewards explained. “The new footage showed that the outer part of the left front tire crossed the solid white line at the pit exit.”
Based on this, Verstappen received a five-second penalty. Still, as he finished the race with a lead greater than that time over Lewis Hamilton, he managed to keep fifth place.
The decision closes the episode without impact on the driver’s final classification but reinforces the FIA’s attention to infractions at critical moments of the race.
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