F1 News: Esteban Ocon Handed Penalty Before Miami Sprint Race Begins

Esteban Ocon faced a 10-second penalty following a pit lane collision with Charles Leclerc before the Miami Sprint Race.

May 3, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Alpine driver Esteban Ocon (31) talks with the media after / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Following a pit lane incident involving Alpine's Esteban Ocon and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, the former has been penalized with a 10-second penalty. The incident occurred as Ocon was exiting his garage and collided with Leclerc as the cars were heading to the grid for the Sprint Race.

Alpine driver Esteban Ocon, in a rush to exit his team's garage, collided with Charles Leclerc, who was navigating the pit lane in his Ferrari. The collision necessitated immediate repairs to Ocon's car, including the installation of a new front wing. In contrast, Leclerc was able to continue, with his team confirming that his vehicle sustained no significant damage.

Race stewards launched a review of the mishap, which subsequently led to a 10-second penalty for Ocon on the grounds of an unsafe release from the garage. This decision places additional hurdles in Ocon's race strategy, especially since he was already slated to start from the thirteenth position and there are unlikely to be any pitstops.

Sky F1 commentator David Croft weighed in on the incident, pinpointing the fault on Ocon's side. “Looks like a slam-dunk to me,” commented Croft, expressing a clear stance on the misdemeanor.

Adding to Croft’s observation, Sky Sports F1 analyst Anthony Davidson provided an analysis on the driver's oversight.

"Ocon should have seen the Ferrari coming his way, ultimately. You've got to say, driver error. Nothing Charles couldn't have done in that moment. He moved all the way to the left."

Leclerc also commented to his team:

"The guy was completely sleeping. I don't know who that was but... even the mechanics were telling him to stop I think."