Charles Leclerc crashes on strategy to grid in Miami, misses dash race in moist chaos: VIDEO

It was a day to neglect for Charles Leclerc in Miami because the Ferrari driver crashed even earlier than the dash race might start. As heavy rain hit the monitor on Saturday, Leclerc misplaced management of his automobile whereas driving to the grid and crashed arduous into the limitations. He couldn’t participate within the dash, and Ferrari needed to rush to repair the automobile in time for the later qualifying session.

Talking after the incident, Leclerc admitted the crash was his mistake. “There might be many, many causes however on the finish of the day, I’m the one behind the wheel. It’s a mistake and a giant one as a result of clearly on the lap to the grid that’s by no means what you need. I used to be utterly uncontrolled within the again straight. I wasn’t even flat out. There was lots of aquaplaning and the automobile was not responding to something I used to be doing – but it surely doesn’t justify what I’ve executed.”

Charles Leclerc hits the wall!! 😱

With rain falling closely, Leclerc sustains heavy harm on his strategy to the grid after contact with the wall#F1 #F1Sprint #MiamiGP pic.twitter.com/XGiaxPPuBq

— Components 1 (@F1) Might 3, 2025

The Ferrari star additionally mentioned he wasn’t even driving at full pace and was shocked by how shortly he misplaced management. Whereas the harm seemed critical, Leclerc hoped to be match for qualifying later within the day.

“I’m fairly assured. I couldn’t actually see the quantity of injury there was. It was fairly a giant hit as a result of on this explicit place or the straight, it’s solely a tough wall, so the hit was fairly arduous. We’ll see,” Leclerc mentioned when requested if he would have the ability to compete within the qualifying spherical.

Miami Grand Prix dash race

Lando Norris beat McLaren Racing teammate Oscar Piastri to win the dash race held Saturday forward of qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix.

“My luck in Miami appears fairly good at this minute,” mentioned Norris, who will attempt to defend final 12 months’s Miami victory on Sunday.

The beginning of the race was then delayed as a result of drivers mentioned the rain made situations too harmful and visibility was a priority. And when it lastly went inexperienced, with 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli main the standing begin because the youngest pole-winner in F1 historical past, his day trip entrance was transient. Piastri beat the Mercedes driver into the primary flip and Antonelli drove off the monitor and slipped to fourth.

He was later hit within the pits by Max Verstappen, who acquired a 10-second penalty for an unsafe launch. Antonelli completed eleventh and Verstappen, who had been operating third, completed seventeenth and didn’t earn any factors for the occasion.

The race ended underneath yellow as a result of Liam Lawson bumped into Fernando Alonso, inflicting Alonso to crash with three laps remaining. The protection prevented Piastri from attempting to reclaim the lead from teammate Norris, who gained the Miami Grand Prix final 12 months for his first profession F1 victory.

“I don’t assume I’m going to be shopping for a lottery ticket round this place,” Piastri mentioned. “I really feel like I did every part proper so a bit upset to come back in second.”

Lewis Hamilton completed third for Ferrari. He moved forward of Verstappen earlier than Verstappen served his penalty.

“I’m so pleased with that, it’s been a troublesome 12 months to this point,” mentioned Hamilton, who’s in his first season driving for Ferrari. “I by no means thought it could rain in Miami, it’s the primary time we’ve all been within the moist right here, and what a race it offered us.”

Alex Albon completed fourth for Williams and was adopted by George Russell of Mercedes.

Alonso, Carlos Sainz Jr., and Leclerc didn’t full the race.

(With company inputs)