Liam Lawson did not know if he was in or out of SQ1 at the Miami Grand Prix, triggering scenes of confusion in the pit lane.
During sprint qualifying at the Miami Grand Prix, confusion arose in the F1 pit lane when Liam Lawson and Racing Bulls were unsure if Lawson had advanced to SQ2. Lawson, a New Zealander, qualified P16 for the one-third distance race at the Miami International Autodrome, missing out on progressing to the second section of the session. Despite returning to his car as the clock wound down, Lawson did not return to the circuit. The confusion stemmed from a potential track limits infringement by Alex Albon in SQ1, which could have affected Lawson’s position. The stewards initially decided not to take action against Albon, but the FIA later announced an investigation into the incident, presenting a challenging situation. Racing Bulls clarified that they were prepared for Lawson to go back out pending the outcome of the investigation, which ultimately saw Albon qualify P14 ahead of team-mate Carlos Sainz and Arvid Lindblad in the leading Racing Bulls car.
