Alex Albon will commence the Miami Sprint from the 19th position following a decision by race stewards to penalize him for exceeding track limits during Sprint Qualifying. The Williams driver initially secured 14th place on Friday after advancing to SQ2. However, a review revealed that his fastest lap at Turn 6 did not adhere to track boundaries, leading to the removal of his times.
This ruling means Albon will start Saturday’s race from the back of the grid at the Miami International Autodrome. His final qualifying effort, clocked at 1 minute 30.988 seconds, had placed him 16th, narrowly ahead of Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson. The latter remained in his car until SQ2’s start, only to later learn of Albon’s track limit violation.
The stewards’ report stated, “During SQ1, Car 23 clearly exceeded track limits at Turn 6, which was not brought to our attention until SQ2 began. Consequently, Albon’s time that allowed him to enter SQ2 has been annulled, along with all subsequent laps in SQ2.” The decision, based on Article 11.7.1.a of the International Sporting Code, reflects the unusual circumstances of the situation.
