FIA criticised after Verstappen penalty sparks backlash in Miami

Verstappen, Hamilton, socials — Photo: © IMAGO

Miami Grand Prix

FIA criticised after Verstappen penalty sparks backlash in Miami

Max Verstappen was struck by a post-race penalty after the Miami Grand Prix

Originally written by Kerry Violet. This version is a translation.

Monday 4 May 2026 21:00

Max Verstappen was handed a post-race penalty after the Miami Grand Prix, a decision that quickly triggered criticism from sections of the Formula 1 community.

The Red Bull Racing driver looked far more competitive in Miami following the team’s latest upgrades, with the car appearing to perform much better after Formula 1’s extended break.

After qualifying alongside polesitter Kimi Antonelli on the front row, Verstappen recovered impressively from an early moment off the line, somehow keeping the car under control in a save that commentator Martin Brundle described as “genius.”

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Clearly reeling from the early error, the Dutchman then stormed through the midfield, aggressively racing his rivals to make up places.

But after pitting, it was revealed Verstappen's pit stop may have seen him drive over the white line on his pit exit, something that would be a slam dunk penalty if he was found guilty.

F1 pundit criticises stewards' Miami penalty decision

The FIA stewards eventually slapped Verstappen with a five-second penalty after determining that his left-front tyre had crossed the white line while exiting the pit lane. This time penalty was added to his finishing time after the chequered flag had been waved.

Following the FIA's penalty decision announcement, Verstappen's compatriot and F1 pundit Olav Mol took to social media to lash out at the stewards over their decision.

The seasoned F1 commentator stated his belief that the penalty for the Red Bull driver was unjustified, implying that the stewards in Florida made a call that simply made no sense.

Mol scrutinised Verstappen’s onboard footage and didn't hold back his criticism of the race stewards.

"If you check the onboard video, you’ll see just how weak this decision is," he remarked on his official 'X' account.

He also shared the FIA’s official document in the post, suggesting the penalty was not warranted. "It seems like the stewards were just looking for something to do," he added.

The renowned Dutch commentator then summarised his thoughts on the FIA's penalty decision, concluding: "a five-second penalty after the fact for nothing at all."

Why did Verstappen's Miami penalty verdict take so long?

The FIA stewards explained in their penalty decision statement that though the incident that triggered the investigation for Verstappen during the 57-lap event, there wasn’t enough clear video evidence available to them during the Miami GP to come to a definitive judgment immediately.

As a result, they opted to postpone the penalty discussions, choosing to instead revisit the incident after the grand prix.

Having then reviewed footage from various angles and onboard cameras, Verstappen testified that he was exiting the pit lane and rejoining the track during a full course yellow.

The additional footage, however, confirmed that his tyre had indeed crossed the uninterrupted white line, with the stewards deciding that this justified the five-second penalty.

However, Ferrari F1 star Charles Leclerc faced an even harsher penalty of 20 seconds, meaning that even after Verstappen's penalty was applied, the Red Bull star's P5 result remained unchanged following the finishing order reshuffle.

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen FIA Miami Grand Prix