The FIA has confirmed it originally missed Alex Albon's track limits violation during SQ1 at the Miami Grand Prix - and has now handed him a grid drop.
The Williams driver's track limits violation during the first part of sprint qualifying was not picked up at the time, with Liam Lawson the unlucky driver to miss out, with the New Zealander getting back into his car during SQ2 despite being eliminated.
Racing Bulls alerted the FIA to the mistake, with Lawson sat waiting in his VCARB 03 as the clock ticked down and his team awaited news.
He cut a frustrated figure when speaking to media after the session, questioning how such an occurrence was even possible.
Albon had qualified P14, ahead of team-mate Carlos Sainz and Arvid Lindblad in the Faenza-based squad's leading car.
However, he will now have his fastest SQ1 time deleted and his grid position determined by his previous best time, which sees the Williams driver drop to P19 on the Sprint grid.
Read the FIA's decision in full below.
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 where 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.
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