Valtteri Bottas hit with grid penalty for the Miami Sprint

The FIA have communicated that Kick Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas has been hit with a three-place grid drop for Saturday’s sprint race for impeding Oscar Piastri.

The Finn driver drove slowly on the Racing line to Turn 1 in the first segment of the sprint qualifying when McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was approaching on his flying lap. The Australian driver needed to take evasive action to avoid a collision, and was forced to abort his lap which could have been costly for him given the short nature of the sprint qualifying segments.

After the incident, the FIA stewards heard from the two drivers and the team representatives, and came to the conclusion that Kick Sauber made a mistake by not warning Bottas about the fast-approaching Piastri. As a result, the Finn driver has been hit with a three-place grid penalty.

The penalty sees Bottas start today’s 100km sprint race from the back of the grid. Williams’ Logan Sargeant and Alex Albon both move forwards one place, as a result.

The full statement read: “The Stewards heard from the driver of Car 81 (Oscar Piastri), the driver of Car 77 (Valtteri Bottas), team representatives and reviewed positioning/marshalling system data, video, timing, telemetry, team radio and in-car video evidence and determined that the driver of Car 77 unnecessarily impeded Car 81 during the Sprint Qualifying.

“On the straight before Turn 1, Car 77 was being driven slowly on the Racing line after finishing a fast lap, while Car 81 was approaching on a fast lap. Car 81 and Car 77 needed to take evasive action to avoid a collision.

“The primary responsibility rests with the driver to ensure that he does not place himself in a position whereby he unnecessarily impedes another driver. Here Car 77 was driving slowly on the Racing line and caused to the situation that ensued.

“However, during the hearing both team and driver of Car 77 admitted that the team had not warned the driver of Car 77 that Car 81 was approaching on a fast lap. That was obviously an error on the team’s part and contributed significantly to the incident”