Red Bull Slapped with Reprimand After Verstappen’s Car Error Causes Stir at Miami Grand Prix
The Miami Grand Prix saw drama unfold as Red Bull faced consequences for a programming error that led to Max Verstappen exceeding the maximum delta time during sprint qualifying. While Verstappen’s clash with Lance Stroll caught attention during SQ1, it was a separate incident in SQ2 that landed the team in hot water.
Formula 1 stewards summoned Verstappen for allegedly driving too slowly, breaching Article 33.4 of the sporting regulations. The rule states that cars must not be driven unnecessarily slowly or erratically, posing a danger to others. Verstappen was found to be six seconds above the required minimum time between safety car lines, despite complying with regulations on other laps.
Telemetry revealed that Verstappen maintained a constant speed throughout the lap, attributing the delay to a programming glitch in the car. Red Bull admitted to the error, citing a false offset in the delta time displayed on the steering wheel. This led Verstappen to drive six seconds above the actual figure until the issue was rectified after the first cooldown lap.
Although the stewards confirmed that Verstappen did not intentionally drive slowly, the blame fell on Red Bull for the programming mishap. Consequently, the team received a reprimand, with the stewards acknowledging that the penalty could have been harsher under different circumstances. Verstappen managed to navigate through SQ1 smoothly and secured a fourth-place qualification in SQ3.
The incident serves as a reminder of the precision and technical challenges faced by teams in the high-stakes world of Formula 1, where split-second errors can have significant repercussions on race outcomes.