Max Verstappen under investigation as FIA haul six in after Miami GP | F1 | Sport

However, that’s not the reason the Flying Dutchman is under investigation by the FIA. Stewards hauled him into their office for crossing the white line on pit exit having pulled in for a stop shortly after his team-mate Isack Hadjar crashed. He is not the only one who was in trouble, as Leclerc’s final lap in particular is being scrutinised, with the Ferrari ace being accused of leaving the track too many times to try and gain an advantage. In addition, Verstappen’s former Red Bull colleague Liam Lawson is being investigated for his role in Pierre Gasly’s crash, which saw the Frenchman’s car tip over.

Alex Albon, Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon were pulled up for yellow flag infringements, but the FIA decided they would face no further action after looking at the incidents. For Verstappen, Lawson and Leclerc, the picture is not as rosy.

The four-time world champion’s chances of getting off without a time penalty look slim, as crossing the white line on pit exit is often referred as a slam-dunk case for the FIA. The Red Bull ace finished fifth, behind George Russell, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, while eventual winner Kimi Antonelli ended the race +43.949s ahead of him.

Verstappen’s contribution to the race will certainly be remembered for a long time to come. After the race, he explained what caused him to suddenly spin out of control.

He said: “It was quite hectic, I lost the rear into Turn 2, and then of course I tried to minimise the time loss by doing the 360. I thought I was going to crash, so I floored it, and I managed to do a good 360, so yeah, if Formula 1 doesn’t work out, I can always go rallying.

“I pushed into the corner, and just lost something, the rear just started to slide, and once it goes with the heavy fuel, it is hard to catch. After that, the pace was not too bad on the medium, but as soon as I swapped to the hard compound, it was just a lot more difficult, and now, after the race, it is easy to say, of course, but I think that stint was just a bit too long.”

Leclerc also found himself spinning at one stage and struggled to finish the lap while holding off the likes of Verstappen and Russell. Speaking about his brief battle with the Scuderia ace, Verstappen added: “I mean, I think Charles’ car was broken.

“He was just bringing it to the end, and he was using all the battery, as we all did. But for whatever reason, I just got him before the line.”