Qualifying results for the Miami Grand Prix sprint race underwent significant changes overnight following decisions by Formula 1 stewards. Alex Albon received a post-session penalty for a track limits violation overlooked during the session, while Lando Norris avoided punishment after securing pole position.
Lando Norris Secures Pole Position
Lando Norris edged out championship leader Kimi Antonelli to claim the top spot on the timesheets during Friday’s sprint qualifying in Florida. Stewards investigated Norris for exceeding the race director’s maximum lap time limit of 1:48.000 during a cool-down lap in the second phase of sprint qualifying (SQ2).
After reviewing submissions from Norris and a McLaren representative, officials determined no further action was necessary. They accepted the driver’s account: Norris aimed to stay within the limit until another car overtook him late in the lap. He then slowed to create a gap ahead of his flying lap.
Alex Albon Faces Penalty for Track Limits Breach
Albon advanced to SQ2 initially, but stewards later identified a track limits violation at turn six on his fastest SQ1 lap. The breach went unreported until SQ2 had begun, preventing Liam Lawson—the quickest driver eliminated in SQ1—from progressing.
Stewards deleted Albon’s fastest SQ1 lap and all SQ2 times, demoting the Williams driver from 14th to 19th on the sprint grid. This mirrors a 2024 Bahrain incident where Nico Hulkenberg received identical treatment for a late-discovered violation.
Officials explained: “During SQ1, Car 23 [Albon] clearly exceeded track limits in turn six. However this was not reported to the stewards until SQ2 had commenced. At the time the stewards were informed that Car 23 had left the track and that its lap should have been potentially deleted, it was already on track in SQ2. As this was an unusual situation, the Stewards have decided to settle the matter by deleting the lap time of the lap in question in SQ1. As Car 23 should not have proceeded into SQ2, all lap times from SQ2 will consequently be deleted.”
Impact on Liam Lawson and Racing Bulls
The decision provides no relief for Lawson or his Racing Bulls team, who missed a chance at a stronger sprint starting position. The New Zealander stayed in his car past the SQ2 start as the team awaited news on a potential disqualification, indicating prior awareness of Albon’s infringement.
