FIA Issues Red Bull Penalty Verdict Over Verstappen Incident at Miami G… read more
Max Verstappen found himself at the center of controversy once again during the 2025 Miami Grand Prix weekend after a contentious incident in sprint qualifying. The reigning world champion was summoned to the stewards following a clash with McLaren’s Lando Norris during SQ1. Norris, clearly frustrated, accused Verstappen of blocking him during a flying lap. However, the FIA later confirmed that Verstappen’s summons pertained to a separate issue during SQ2.
According to an official FIA document, Verstappen and a Red Bull representative were called in for an alleged breach of Article 33.4 of the FIA Sporting Regulations, which states that a car should not drive “unnecessarily slowly in a manner that could be deemed potentially dangerous to other drivers.” Additionally, the FIA cited a potential violation of Article 12.2.1 i) of the International Sporting Code.
This situation is not unfamiliar territory for Verstappen. During the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix, he faced a similar investigation and was handed a one-place grid drop for slowing down excessively in front of George Russell. That penalty, however, was relatively minor since neither driver was on a push lap at the time. If push laps had been involved, the stewards could have issued a harsher three-place grid drop.
In Miami, the stewards closely examined the evidence, including video footage, telemetry, in-car camera recordings, and timing data. They discovered that Verstappen had completed one of his SQ2 laps approximately six seconds above the required minimum time between Safety Car Lines 1 and 2. Importantly, all other laps were within regulation.
Telemetry data indicated that Verstappen maintained a constant speed throughout the lap in question and did not encounter or impede any other cars. Red Bull later clarified that the cause of the discrepancy was due to a programming error within the car. The delta time displayed to Verstappen in the cockpit was incorrectly offset by six seconds. Unaware of the glitch, Verstappen managed his pace according to this incorrect information.
Red Bull quickly identified the error following Verstappen’s first cool-down lap and instructed him to adapt by ensuring his pace remained at least six seconds below the displayed delta. This correction was implemented immediately and verified through telemetry, with all subsequent laps falling within the required time limits.
In their official ruling, the stewards concluded that while there had been a breach of regulations, Verstappen had not driven “unnecessarily slowly” based on the erroneous information he was provided. Crucially, his actions did not endanger or impede any other drivers during the session. Therefore, the stewards determined that no penalty would be applied to Verstappen.
However, accountability was still enforced. A formal reprimand was issued to the Red Bull Racing team for failing to ensure accurate timing information was displayed in the car. The stewards emphasized that it is ultimately the team’s responsibility to provide drivers with correct and safe operational data.
The FIA also issued a cautionary note in their statement, underlining that different circumstances—particularly where safety or competitive fairness might have been compromised—could warrant a more severe penalty for a similar infraction in the future.
This verdict ensures Verstappen retains his starting position for the sprint race, with no personal penalties levied against him. However, it serves as a reminder to all teams of the importance of technical precision and the potential consequences of errors, even those arising unintentionally.
As the Miami Grand Prix continues, all eyes will remain on Verstappen—not only for his performance but also for how Red Bull handles operational accuracy under the spotlight. With the championship stakes as high as ever, even the smallest errors can have significant ramifications in the ever-competitive world of Formula 1.
