Williams driver Alex Albon will start Saturday’s Miami Grand Prix sprint race from 19th position after stewards handed him a post-session penalty for exceeding track limits during sprint qualifying. The Thai driver originally qualified 14th for the shortened race but saw his qualifying times deleted following a stewards investigation that unfolded in unusual circumstances.
The controversy began when Albon appeared to secure safe passage into the second segment of sprint qualifying (SQ2), having posted the 14th-fastest time in SQ1. However, Racing Bulls alerted race officials that the Williams driver may have exceeded track limits at Turn 6 during his final flying lap, prompting Liam Lawson to remain in his car awaiting a potential grid position change.
Race stewards confirmed they would investigate Albon’s alleged transgression only after SQ2 had concluded, creating an unprecedented situation. The officials ultimately determined that Albon had indeed breached track limits on his crucial qualifying lap, which had allowed him to progress to the second qualifying segment when he should have been eliminated.
As a result of the infringement, stewards deleted not only Albon’s offending lap time from SQ1 but also all subsequent times he recorded in SQ2. The penalty cited Article 11.7.1.a of the International Sporting Code, with officials noting the unusual timing of the track limits report as justification for their comprehensive ruling.
The grid reshuffle promotes Lawson to 16th position, while Carlos Sainz, Arvid Lindblad, Esteban Ocon, and Sergio Perez all gain one position. The stewards acknowledged the irregular nature of the situation, explaining that the track limits violation was not reported until after SQ2 had already begun, forcing them to take the extraordinary step of deleting all of Albon’s subsequent qualifying times.