Charles Leclerc’s Miami Grand Prix weekend took a disastrous turn on Saturday as the Ferrari driver crashed out before the Sprint race even began. In treacherous, rain-soaked conditions, Leclerc lost control of his car on the way to the grid and slammed into the barriers, ending his participation in the Sprint before the lights could go out.
The downpour had already forced teams onto intermediate tyres, but the conditions proved far too slippery. Leclerc aquaplaned in a high-speed section and suffered major damage to the right side of his car. Unable to make it back to the garage under his own power, the Monegasque driver was instructed to shut down the car trackside. Ferrari mechanics were left scrambling to repair the SF-24 in time for the later qualifying session.
Miami GP sprint race result
the Sprint itself delivered drama of its own. After a delayed start due to poor visibility, 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli led the field to green as the youngest pole-sitter in Formula 1 history. But his lead didn’t last—McLaren’s Oscar Piastri jumped him off the line, and Antonelli ran wide at Turn 1, dropping down to fourth.
Max Verstappen’s Sprint woes continued when a botched Red Bull pit stop led to an unsafe release into Antonelli’s path, earning the Dutchman a 10-second penalty. Verstappen tumbled down the order and finished a lowly 17th, scoring no points.
Up front, it was Lando Norris who capitalized on the chaos, overtaking Piastri and holding the lead until the race ended under yellow. A late collision between Liam Lawson and Fernando Alonso brought out the safety car with three laps remaining, freezing the order and denying Piastri a final shot at the win.
Norris, who also won last year’s Miami GP, now looks to defend his title in Sunday’s main race, while Ferrari hopes to get Leclerc back on track after a day to forget.
