Liam Lawson caught in disqualification confusion after Miami F1 exit

Liam Lawson and Racing Bulls sparked confusion in the F1 pit lane during sprint qualifying at the Miami Grand Prix, with the Faenza-based squad unsure whether he had progressed to SQ2.

The New Zealander qualified P16 for the one-third distance race at the Miami International Autodrome, and thus did not progress to the second section of the grid-setting session.

However, he quickly returned from the weight bridge, put his helmet on and got back into his VCARB 03 as the clock ticked down — but he did not return to the circuit.

The reason for doing so was Alex Albon being looked into for a potential track limits infringement in SQ1, which would have knocked out the Williams driver, with Lawson handed a reprieve.

However, the Thai driver was already on track, and the stewards initially decided not to take any further action or delete the lap in question.

But the FIA has now confirmed the stewards will investigate the alleged infraction, which could create a difficult scenario.

Racing Bulls explained the situation, saying: "We were waiting to hear about whether another car would be disqualified, so was prepped in case he could go back out."

Albon eventually qualified P14 for the sprint, just in front of team-mate Carlos Sainz and Arvid Lindblad in the leading Racing Bulls car.