Leclerc Handed 20-Second Penalty After Miami GP Last-Lap Incident

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc has been demoted from fourth to eighth place in the Miami Grand Prix results after receiving a 20-second post-race time penalty for multiple infractions on the final lap, including leaving the track and gaining an advantage while battling a damaged car.

Why it matters:

This penalty compounds a disastrous final lap for Leclerc, who was on course for a strong podium finish. The sanction erases valuable championship points for Ferrari in their tight battle with McLaren for second in the constructors' standings and highlights the fine margins and immediate consequences of in-race incidents, even on the very last corner.

The details:

• On the final lap, Leclerc suffered a high-speed spin at Turn 3, lightly hitting the wall and damaging his car's front-left steering arm.
• Despite the damage, he continued but lost third place to Oscar Piastri and then faced pressure from George Russell and Max Verstappen.
• Track Limits Violation: With a compromised car, Leclerc cut several corners to maintain speed. The stewards ruled he left the track and gained a lasting advantage, issuing a drive-through penalty. As the race had ended, this was converted into a 20-second time penalty.
• Other Incidents: During the chaotic final sequence, Leclerc also made slight contact with George Russell at the hairpin and was noted for pushing the lapped car of Arvid Lindblad out of the way.

The big picture:

The penalty reshuffles the lower end of the points-paying positions. Lewis Hamilton moves up to seventh, and Alpine's Franco Colapinto inherits a career-best ninth-place finish. For Leclerc and Ferrari, it's a costly error that turns a solid points haul into a minimal return, underscoring a weekend where car performance was promising but the final result fell short due to driver error and subsequent penalty.