Valtteri Bottas has been handed a 3-place grid penalty for the Miami Sprint for impeding Oscar Piastri in SQ1.

Having spoken to both drivers and reviewed positioning/marshalling system data, video, timing, telemetry, team radio and in-car video evidence, the stewards determined that Bottas unnecessarily impeded the McLaren driver on the straight before Turn 1.

Bottas was driving slowly on the racing line after finishing a fast lap, while Piastri was approaching on a fast lap. Both had to take evasive action to avoid a collision.

While Bottas was critical of his engineer for not warning him, the primary responsibility rests with the driver to ensure that he does not place himself in a position whereby he unnecessarily impedes another driver, and as far as the stewards were concerned the Finn was driving slowly on the racing line and caused the situation that ensued.

However, during the hearing both Bottas and his team admitted that he had not been warned that Piastri was approaching on a fast lap.

That was obviously an error on the team’s part and contributed significantly to the incident, nonetheless, the stewards imposed a penalty of a drop of 3 grid positions at the Sprint.

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