Ferrari F1 star Charles Leclerc crashes BEFORE race at Miami Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc — Photo: © IMAGO

Miami Grand Prix Sprint

Ferrari F1 star crashes BEFORE race at Miami Grand Prix

Charles Leclerc crashed out of the sprint race before it had even begun

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Saturday 3 May 2025 17:42 Updated: 01:29

Ferrari F1 star Charles Leclerc has been ruled out of the Miami Grand Prix sprint race after he crashed into the barriers on his lap to the grid, before the race had even begun.

The Monegasque driver was sent out on intermediate tyres, but aquaplaned straight into the barriers despite going slowly on the lap that all drivers complete before the start of every race.

It meant that his participation in the race had ended before the race had even begun, not being able to take to his sixth-place grid spot.

Article continues under video

Leclerc's team-mate Lewis Hamilton took to his team radio asking why the team had sent both drivers out on the intermediate tyres rather than full wets just to eliminate any kind of risk.

Leclerc's car suffered some serious damage to its rear wing, and the team will be hoping they can get the SF-25 fixed before qualifying takes place later on Saturday.

Ferrari woes continue

This weekend has been highlighted as being crucial for Ferrari, with more points available due to it being a sprint race weekend at the Miami International Autodrome.

The team sit down in fourth in the constructors' championship after a disappointing start to the season, and don't seem to have an answer for McLaren and Mercedes' early season pace.

Leclerc's incident was noted by stewards, due to an 'unsafe' element, as debris seemed to fly up and over the bridge above the circuit during the crash. Whether that 'unsafe' element is against the circuit or against Ferrari is unknown at this moment.

"No, no! Complete aquaplaning - I was not even pushing hard," Leclerc told his team over the radio after the crash.

F1 HEADLINES: Verstappen handed official verdict as FIA announce punishment over 'dangerous' incident

Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Mercedes McLaren Charles Leclerc Miami Grand Prix