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Lawson penalised for Alonso crash in chaotic Miami sprint
Ian Chadband, AAP • May 4th, 2025 9:30 am
Photo: Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
New Zealand's Liam Lawson had provisionally scored his first points of the 2025 Formula 1 season - but instead comes away with one penalty point, plus a five-second penalty for his involvement in a collision with Fernando Alonso that saw the Aston Martin car spin out on lap 15 of the Miami sprint race.
Speaking post-race and holding 7th place at the time, Lawson believed he was not at fault for the incident.
“Made sure to get my wheels ahead at the apex when trying to overtake, and I feel I did that and then I got squeezed off,” Lawson said.
“Honestly, I was heading for the concrete wall and I was just trying to get out, but he left me no space.
"Obviously not my intention but I do feel like I had my wheels ahead."
The FIA's ruling has seen Lawson drop down to P13.
The frustrations continued for Lawson in qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix. Struggling with battery issues, the best he could achieve in the Racing Bulls car was 1:27.363 in Q2 to start 15th on the grid. The main race of the weekend gets underway Monday 8am (NZST).
Meanwhile, Australia's F1 world championship leader Oscar Piastri has been left frustrated by a "cruel" finish to the sprint race which he'd been controlling until a late safety car gifted his victory instead to McLaren teammate Lando Norris.
Piastri had looked set to increase his championship advantage on the wet circuit surrounding the Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday as he sped into the lead on the first corner and was still clear with four laps remaining, only to pit at the most inopportune moment for slick tyres on a rapidly drying track.
Norris was called in immediately afterwards but the safety car was then deployed while he was in the pits after Fernando Alonso had crashed his Aston Martin into the wall.
That meant Piastri had to slow and couldn't regain his lead, with Norris returning to the track in the lead.
And with the safety car staying out until the chequered flag because of all the debris still littering the track, there was no chance for the McLaren duo to duel.
Piastri had been leading Norris until a timely late safety car release helped the Briton | Photo: AP
It gifted Norris a badly-needed victory and reduced his deficit behind Piastri in the championship by one point to nine.
"I don't think I'm going to be buying a lottery ticket around this place," Piastri sighed afterwards.
"I feel like I did everything right so a bit disappointed to come in second."
"But that's that's how it goes sometimes. Unfortunately, racing's a pretty cruel business so, hopefully, that means I get the luck for this afternoon and tomorrow. But another great start and I'm happy with what I did."
Piastri had another superb start, just as he did in beating Max Verstappen to the first corner in his Saudi Arabian Grand Prix win, this time outpacing the youngest ever F1 pole-sitter, 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli.
The young Italian Mercedes driver complained that Piastri had pushed him off the track unfairly with his surge up the inside, but stewards disagreed, simply noting the duel and taking no further action.
Piastri went on to show the sort of command he has done in his last two wins in Jeddah and Shanghai until Norris began to close after a dozen laps and then the unfortunate safety car denouement. In all, only 14 of the original 19 laps were raced.
Verstappen, who had originally finished fourth behind Lewis Hamilton, was demoted to 17th and last after Red Bull got a 10-second penalty for an unsafe pit-lane release which saw the world champ's car collide with the unfortunate Antonelli, who ended up 10th.
Yuki Tsunoda was promoted to 8th place after Ollie Bearman received a five-second penalty post-race for an unsafe release in pit lane, dropping to 14th.
Hamilton was rewarded as Ferrari were the first of the leading pack to switch to the slicks, but Piastri suffered once Alonso hit the wall in his Aston Martin, leading to the decisive safety car release.
"My luck in Miami seems pretty good," smiled Norris, who enjoyed similar good fortune last year during his maiden F1 win.
"It has worked for me two years in a row now. I would have preferred if that happened tomorrow rather than today -- but I will take it."
Earlier, Charles Leclerc's race ended before it began as he crashed into the wall on the way to the grid as the rain careered down.
He apologised to his team after his Ferrari suffered extensive damage.
There was plenty of work for all the teams before the quick turnaround before Saturday's (Sunday NZST) later qualifying session for Sunday's (Monday NZST) main race.
- additional reporting by Sport Nation
