Pierre Gasly’s Crash at Miami Grand Prix
Pierre Gasly found himself airborne after a collision with Liam Lawson during the Miami Grand Prix. The incident occurred when Lawson, a driver for Racing Bulls, experienced a sudden gearbox failure that left him unable to control his car. This mechanical issue caused him to lose power and momentum, ultimately leading to the crash.
Lawson later explained that the problem was unexpected, as the car dropped into neutral without warning. “I just went into the last corner, and when I braked, I lost the gearbox and it went to neutral,” he said. “I basically had no gears and couldn’t stop. It’s not something I’ve had before, and it’s a shame because it obviously took out Pierre as well.”
The Kiwi expressed his disappointment over the sudden retirement, especially after a strong start to the race. “First lap was really good, made up a lot of places and was well inside the top 10,” he noted. “It’s quite frustrating and obviously a mechanical issue to take us out is disappointing.”
F1 TV commentator Jolyon Palmer observed that Lawson appeared to be struggling with the car before the impact. “He’s got a problem,” Palmer said. “He’s in anti-stall as it comes in (to the corner). I think he’s had an issue with the power unit. He’s got no deceleration from the engine braking, and that’s why he’s washed into Gasly who’s not expecting it.”
Gasly, who drives for Alpine, was more upset about the missed opportunity than the crash itself. His team currently sits fifth in the constructors’ standings, and he had picked up a single point after finishing eighth in Sunday’s sprint race. However, he now has to look ahead to Canada in two weeks’ time.
“It shouldn’t have happened, but I’m more disappointed not to get the points for the team on a weekend where we clearly deserved some,” Gasly said. “It wasn’t pleasant inside the car, and I think it could have been avoided, so it’s just a bit annoying.”
While the stewards announced they would investigate the lap six collision, it was determined that no further action would be needed. “We accept the driver’s explanation that this is a failure of a mechanical part of the car and that there was nothing that he could do to avoid the collision,” the stewards wrote.
However, this incident was far from the only one under review. The stewards worked through a lengthy backlog of potential infractions following the race. Max Verstappen was eventually handed a five-second penalty for crossing the white line at the pit exit, but kept his fifth-place finish. Charles Leclerc, on the other hand, received a hefty 20-second penalty for leaving the track multiple times in the final lap without a “justifiable reason,” which led to him being demoted to eighth.
Alpine’s Franco Colapinto managed to keep his nose clean, securing vital points for the team with a solid eighth-place finish. In contrast, Racing Bulls departed Miami entirely empty-handed, as Arvid Lindblad crossed the line out of the points in 14th.
