F1 star handed bizarre penalty just hours before Miami Grand Prix sprint race

A Formula One driver has been a five-place penalty following a bizarre incident in qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix sprint race.

Following a five-week break caused by the cancellations of the Saudi Arabia and Bahrain Grands Prix, F1 is back at the Miami International Autodrome at the Hard Rock Stadium.

Ahead of the race on Sunday afternoon, the entire grid will take part in the second sprint race of the season, taking place at 17:00pm BST, with qualifying for the main race to follow.

Of course, before the sprint race can take place, all 22 drivers took part in qualifying for the session to determine the starting grid, with McLaren star Lando Norris clinching pole position.

An impressive performance in SQ3 saw the Brit beat championship leader Kimi Antonelli to P1, with Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc behind the pair.

However, the biggest story to come from the session wasn't at the front of the grid, as Williams driver Alex Albon, who ended the session in 14th, was later handed a strange five-place penalty.

Initially, the 30-year-old believed that he had only narrowly missed out on an SQ3 appearance, but it was later revealed that he shouldn't even have made it into the second session as the FIA found he had breached track limits during SQ1.

The infringement was missed in real time, meaning he had already started competing in SQ2 when race stewards were notified of the incident.

As a consequence, Albon was handed a five-place penalty and will now start the sprint race towards the back of the grid in 19th place.

The stewards' document read: "During SQ1, Car 23 clearly exceeded track limits in Turn 6. However this was not reported to the Stewards until SQ2 had commenced.

"Car 23’s time recorded on the lap that track limits were exceeded was sufficient to place it in SQ2. Hence at the time the Stewards were informed that Car 23 had left the track and that its lap should have been potentially deleted, it was already on track in SQ2.

"As this was an unusual situation, the Stewards have decided to settle the matter by exercising their authority under Article 11.7.1.a of the International Sporting Code by deleting the lap time of the lap in question in SQ1.

"As Car 23 should not have proceeded into SQ2, all lap times from SQ2 will consequently be deleted."

Miami Grand Prix sprint race starting grid in full:

1 - Lando Norris, McLaren

2 - Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

3 - Oscar Piastri, McLaren

4 - Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

5 - Max Verstappen, Red Bull

6 - George Russell, Mercedes

7 - Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

8 - Franco Colapinto, Alpine

9 - Isack Hadjar, Red Bull

10 - Pierre Gasly, Alpine

11 - Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi

12 - Nico Hulkenberg, Audi

13 - Oliver Bearman, Haas

14 - Carlos Sainz, Williams

15 - Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls

16 - Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls

17 - Esteban Ocon, Haas

18 - Sergio Perez, Cadillac

19 - Alex Albon, Williams

20 - Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac

21 - Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin

22 - Lance Stroll, Aston Martin