Red Bull Reprimanded by FIA Over Verstappen’s Slow Running in Miami Qualifying

The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) has issued its verdict regarding an incident involving Max Verstappen and the Red Bull Racing team during the sprint qualifying session of the Miami Grand Prix. While Verstappen himself has escaped a penalty, the Red Bull team has been handed an official reprimand for a breach of regulations concerning the minimum time required between the safety car lines.

 

The investigation was triggered by Verstappen’s lap in SQ2, where telemetry data revealed that his car was approximately six seconds slower than the mandated minimum time between Safety Car Lines 1 and 2. This immediately raised concerns with the race stewards, prompting a summons for both the driver and a Red Bull representative to explain the anomaly.

During the subsequent hearing, the Red Bull team presented an explanation for the discrepancy. They stated that a false programming error within the car’s system led to an incorrect delta time being displayed to Verstappen on his dashboard. Consequently, while the reigning world champion was diligently adhering to the information presented to him, he was unknowingly driving significantly slower than the actual minimum time required by the regulations.

The team further clarified that the issue was identified towards the end of Verstappen’s first cool-down lap. Upon realizing the error, the team immediately instructed the Dutch driver to adjust his speed, aiming to be at least six seconds below the incorrect delta time displayed. Telemetry data confirmed that Verstappen complied with these instructions for all subsequent laps in the session.

Acknowledging the team’s explanation and the fact that Verstappen was acting on erroneous information provided by his car, the FIA stewards concluded that the driver did not drive “unnecessarily slowly” in a manner that could be deemed dangerous or impede other competitors. As a result, they deemed a penalty for Verstappen himself unwarranted.

However, the stewards emphasized that the responsibility for ensuring the accuracy of the data displayed to the driver ultimately lies with the team. Consequently, Red Bull Racing was issued an official reprimand for the breach of sporting regulations. The FIA statement explicitly noted that “in different circumstances, a more severe penalty might be applied for a similar infringement,” highlighting the importance of teams providing correct information to their drivers.

This verdict allows Max Verstappen to maintain his starting position for both the sprint race and the main Grand Prix. However, the reprimand serves as a clear warning to Red Bull Racing to ensure the accuracy of their car’s systems to avoid potential penalties in future events. The incident underscores the intricate technological demands of modern Formula 1 and the critical role of accurate data in adhering to the sport’s regulations.