Featured Image Credit: F1
Topics: Formula 1, Red Bull Racing, Max Verstappen
Chris Nee
Former F1 world champion Max Verstappen was involved in a crash in the pit lane during Saturday's sprint at the Miami Grand Prix.
Verstappen collided with Kimi Antonelli as he pulled out in the pits, sustaining wing damage in what could easily have been a much more serious incident.
The FIA inspected the collision which appeared to be the result of an unsafe release by the Red Bull crew, leading to contact with the 18-year-old Mercedes driver's near side and a ten-second penalty for Verstappen.
Antonelli started the drenched and chaotic sprint from pole position in Florida, his first pole in Formula 1.
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"In just his sixth F1 event, Antonelli snatched pole from the McLaren duo of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris and will have the opportunity to convert a maiden pole into sprint victory," reported Sky Sports earlier on Saturday.
The track was already under a yellow flag as Verstappen was released and Fernando Alonso crashed out of the sprint in the following minutes.
Rival driver Charles Leclerc had already taken some damage to his Ferrari after hitting the wall in heavy rain at the Miami circuit but drivers headed into the pits to switch to slick tyres as the weather eased towards the end of the sprint race.
After reviewing the incident, the FIA hit Verstappen with the time penalty that ultimately dropped him out of the points.
The Dutch driver had already narrowly escaped a penalty for a possible false start just a day after his team had been reprimanded for a slow outlap in SQ2 on Friday.
Norris emerged from the messy sprint in P1 ahead of McLaren teammate Piastri and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton.
Teenager Antonelli is Hamilton's replacement at Mercedes after the British driver departed for Ferrari and has won many admirers within the F1 fraternity.
"Mercedes saw him many years ago, they nurtured him, they cared for him, protected him when he smashed the car to bits in Monza in practice and here he is delivering for them," former F1 star Martin Brundle told Sky Sports. "That's sensational."
After Antonelli secured pole for Saturday's sprint, former world champion Jenson Button couldn't believe what he'd seen.
"He's been fast but just behind George [Russell]. I didn't expect that. That was unbelievable. To put it on pole position for the sprint is a special moment in his time," said the 45-year-old Brit.
"That's not what you do as a new driver. His consistency has blown my mind but he's gone 'boom' and given us the speed as well."
Qualifying for the Miami GP will follow on Saturday evening.