Red Bull’s Pit Incident: A Near Disaster Averted in the Miami F1 Sprint

The once-invincible Red Bull pit crew has seen its reputation take a hit in recent races, but it was human error rather than mechanical issues that caused a potentially dangerous incident during the Miami F1 sprint. If circumstances had been different, this could have resulted in serious injuries.

A Tight Quarters Mishap

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, starting from pole position in wet conditions, dropped to fourth place at Turn 1 on the opening lap, behind Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, and Max Verstappen. On lap 13, as the track began drying, both Verstappen and Antonelli decided to switch from intermediate to slick tyres. However, just as Antonelli was passing the Mercedes pit, which was ahead of Red Bull’s, Verstappen was signaled to leave his pit ‘box’.

Both drivers slowed and steered away from each other, but in the process, Antonelli’s Mercedes gave the Red Bull a glancing blow, removing its front-left wing endplate. Unable to enter his ‘box’, Antonelli had to drive out of the pits and complete another lap before returning.

Reactions Speak Volumes

Toto Wolff, Mercedes team principal, expressed his surprise at the lack of judgment in this incident. He noted that it wasn’t even close to being a potentially dangerous release, suggesting that someone panicked.

Antonelli finished 10th, while Verstappen was given a 10-second penalty, leaving him 17th in the final result. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner confirmed the incident as ‘human error’.

Stay tuned for the latest F1 Miami Grand Prix news, expert analysis, photos, and videos. Don’t miss our watch along on Race Center Live this Sunday by signing up here.

Photos from Miami GP – Sprint