F1 Announces Punishment for Alex Albon After Miami GP Sprint Qualifying

The stewards reviewed positioning and marshalling system data, alongside video evidence, before reaching their decision. The ruling confirmed that Albon’s lap time of 1:30.988 recorded in SQ1 has been deleted. All lap times set by Car 23 in SQ2 have also been deleted as a consequence. As a result, Albon will start the Miami GP Sprint from position 19 on the grid.

The reason for the SQ2 deletions was explained in the stewards’ document. The track limits breach in SQ1 was not reported to the stewards until SQ2 had already begun. By that point, Albon’s SQ1 time had been sufficient to progress him into SQ2. Since Car 23 should not have advanced to SQ2, all times set in that session have been wiped as well.

Aston Martin Continues to Struggle

Albon was not the only driver facing stewards' attention after Sprint Qualifying. Aston Martin had another torrid evening, with both Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso requiring special permission from the stewards just to take their place on the Sprint starting grid.

Stroll failed to set a lap time in SQ1 altogether, prompting Aston Martin to submit a request to the stewards to allow Car 18 to start the Sprint. The stewards granted permission, ruling that the Canadian driver had set satisfactory times during practice at this competition. He will be placed on the grid in accordance with Article B2.3.4 of the FIA F1 Regulations.

Alonso faced a separate but related issue. Car 14 failed to set a qualifying time within 107% of the fastest time set in SQ1, triggering a similar request from the team. The stewards permitted Alonso to start on the same grounds as Stroll, citing his satisfactory practice times at the event.

Both Aston Martin drivers will therefore take their places on the Sprint starting grid. Alonso will line up in P21, while Stroll starts from the very back in P22, as the team looks to salvage something from a difficult Friday evening in Miami.

At the front of the field, Lando Norris claimed the Sprint pole position for McLaren with a time of 1:27.869, ahead of Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli in P2. Oscar Piastri lines up third for McLaren, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in P4 and Max Verstappen rounding out the top five for Red Bull, according to the FIA's provisional grid document following Albon's lap deletions.