Ferrari's Charles Leclerc dropped from sixth to eighth place after receiving a 20-second post-race time penalty at the 2026 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix. The FIA stewards converted an uncompleted drive-through penalty for multiple off-track excursions following a final-lap spin at Turn 3 that damaged his car, ruling he gained a lasting advantage despite impaired handling.
Charles Leclerc spun at Turn 3 on the final lap of the Miami Grand Prix, clipping the wall and sustaining front-left damage to his SF-26's wheels, suspension, and steering arm, which made right-hand turns difficult. He lost third place to McLaren's Oscar Piastri, held a competitive position (around fourth) while fending off Mercedes' George Russell and Red Bull's Max Verstappen, but was overtaken by them late. Struggling with the damage, Leclerc cut several chicanes—including Turns 4, 8, 11, and 15, as shown in a Formula 1 social media compilation—and made slight contact with Russell at the hairpin (deemed a minor racing incident with no further action) while also pushing aside the lapped car of Arvid Lindblad.
He crossed the line in sixth but dropped behind teammate Lewis Hamilton and Alpine's Franco Colapinto (his best GP result) after the penalty, finalizing in eighth. The stewards issued a drive-through during the race (uncompleted), converted post-race to a 20-second addition, deeming it severe given the multiple excursions and time gains, especially at Turns 11 and 15 which kept him competitive against Russell and Verstappen. While Turn 4 was linked to the spin with no clear gain, others provided advantage.
In their statement, the stewards said: “Car 16 spun out on the final lap at Turn 3 and hit the wall but remained on track. The driver informed us that the car appeared to be in good condition, even though it was not handling right-hand turns correctly. Due to this issue, he was forced to cut the chicanes until the chequered flag. We determined that the fact he had to cut the chicanes (and thus leave the track) means he gained an advantage by leaving the track in this manner. The fact that he had a mechanical issue, of whatever nature, is not a justifiable reason.”
Stewards rejected the mechanical damage as justification, despite Leclerc's claims. No action was taken on the car's condition, Russell contact, or Lindblad incident. Debate has arisen over the penalty's severity for the infractions in modern F1. Leclerc took blame, telling media: 'I'm very disappointed with myself. It's all on me and it's a mistake... It's not acceptable.' This is part of ongoing steward investigations from the Miami GP.
