Verstappen hit with post race penalty following Miami GP investigation

The Red Bull Racing driver was among the numerous drivers summoned by the stewards following the largely chaotic Florida race. Verstappen, who spun on the opening lap as he attempted a move on Charles Leclerc, ended that lap in eighth place.

The Dutch driver would, however, dive into the pits following a safety car prompted by an incident on the sixth lap involving his teammate Isack Hadjar. The incident, which was compounded by another involving Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly, brought out the safety car and served as an opportunity for Verstappen to change tyres.

While the tyre change was indeed successful, his exit from the pit lane was what caught the eyes of the stewards, who noted that the four-time world champion would be investigated after the race. Specifically, Verstappen was adjudged to have crossed the white line on the pit exit, which would naturally result in a penalty whenever a driver is found in breach of that rule.

The stewards heard from the driver of Verstappen, alongside a team representative, and reviewed video and in-car video evidence. The stewards further noted that when the incident occurred, there was limited video evidence to make a clear decision on whether an infringement had occurred.

However, upon further review, the stewards determined that the outside of the front left-hand tyre did cross the outside of the solid white pit exit line and opted to hand Verstappen a five-second penalty.

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