Charles Leclerc Drops To Eighth After Miami Grand Prix Penalty

Charles Leclerc was demoted from sixth to eighth in the 2026 Miami Grand Prix classification after FIA stewards issued a 20-second time penalty for repeatedly leaving the track and gaining an advantage, according to Motorsport.com and RacingNews365. Formula1.com reported that the Ferrari driver had spun at Turn 3 on the final lap, hit the wall and continued with front-left damage before cutting several chicanes on the way to the chequered flag.

The Details

Formula1.com reported that Leclerc's race changed on the final lap at the Miami International Autodrome, where he suffered a high-speed spin at Turn 3 and made contact with the wall. The incident left the Ferrari with front-left car damage, according to Formula1.com, and Leclerc later told the stewards that the car would not negotiate right-hand corners properly after the hit.

The stewards reviewed three post-race matters involving Charles Leclerc, according to Formula1.com: whether he drove the damaged car in an unsafe condition, whether he left the track multiple times and gained an advantage, and whether his contact with George Russell at the final hairpin required further action. Motorsport.com reported that Leclerc also cut multiple chicanes and pushed the lapped car of Arvid Lindblad out of the way while trying to bring the car to the finish.

Motorsport.com reported that the penalty was a drive-through sanction converted into 20 seconds after the race. The stewards found that Leclerc breached Article B1.8.6 of the FIA F1 Regulations by repeatedly cutting the circuit and gaining a lasting advantage, according to Motorsport.com.

In their verdict, the FIA stewards said, "Car 16 spun on the last lap at Turn 3 and hit the wall but continued on track... We determined that the fact that he had to cut the chicanes (i.e. to leave the track) meant that he gained a lasting advantage by leaving the track in that manner," according to Motorsport.com. The stewards also determined that Leclerc's claimed mechanical issue did not justify the repeated departures from the track, according to Formula1.com.

The brief records a dispute over the extent of Leclerc's mechanical problem. Motorsport.com reported that Leclerc suffered front-left car and steering arm damage that prevented the car from turning right, while the FIA stewards' verdict, as cited by Motorsport.com, said there was "no evidence of there being an obvious or discernible mechanical issue." Formula1.com reported that the stewards concluded the mechanical issue "did not amount to a justifiable reason" for leaving the track multiple times and gaining an advantage.

The stewards took no further action on the alleged unsafe condition of the car, according to Formula1.com. Formula1.com also reported that the contact with George Russell, a Mercedes Formula 1 driver, was treated as a "minor racing incident."

RacingNews365 reported that the final classification changed after the penalty, with Leclerc dropping from sixth on the road to eighth. Motorsport.com reported that Lewis Hamilton, Leclerc's Ferrari teammate, moved up to sixth and Franco Colapinto, an Alpine Formula 1 driver, moved up to seventh, giving Colapinto the best grand prix result of his career.

Context

Formula1.com reported that Leclerc had led early laps of the Miami Grand Prix after getting the jump on the front-row starters. Formula1.com also reported that he lost position to Oscar Piastri on the penultimate lap, dropping to third before the final-lap spin.

Leclerc said after the race, before the stewards' verdict was announced, "Very disappointed with myself. The last lap mistake is all on me and it cost us P3 or P4, more likely it would have been a P4 but the P3 was still right there," according to Formula1.com. That statement placed the error before the later stewarding decision that changed his classified result.

The legal status recorded in the brief is penalty issued by the FIA Formula 1 Stewards Panel for the Miami Grand Prix, with a 20-second time penalty converted from a drive-through penalty. Formula1.com identified the underlying issue as a breach of Article B1.8.6 of the FIA F1 Regulations, covering repeated track departures and a lasting advantage.

The brief identifies the unresolved question as whether Leclerc actually had steering damage severe enough to explain the way he completed the lap. Motorsport.com reported damage that affected right-hand turns, while the FIA stewards' verdict did not accept the mechanical issue as a justification for the repeated chicane cuts.

What's Next

The adjusted Miami Grand Prix result now lists Leclerc eighth rather than sixth, according to RacingNews365. The same classification moved Lewis Hamilton to sixth and Franco Colapinto to seventh, according to RacingNews365 and Motorsport.com.

No further stewarding action was taken over the alleged unsafe condition or the contact with George Russell, according to Formula1.com. The remaining record from the brief is the issued 20-second penalty for the Article B1.8.6 breach and the classification changes that followed it.