F1 News: FIA Speaks Out After Miami Grand Prix Safety Car Blunder

The FIA has addressed the procedural error during the Miami Grand Prix safety car deployment that led to Lando Norris' unexpected victory.

May 4, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (1) leads the start / Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Following a contentious safety car incident at the Miami Grand Prix, FIA officials have addressed the sequence of events that led to confusion during the race. The incident significantly impacted the race outcome, with Lando Norris taking his maiden win.

The Miami Grand Prix delivered a surprising shakeup in its race standings due to a pivotal safety car deployment error, sparking a flurry of questions regarding race management and vehicle recovery protocols. At the heart of the incident was an organizational misstep wherein the safety car picked up Max Verstappen, who was running second, instead of race leader Lando Norris.

During the initial stages of the race, Lando Norris of McLaren excelled, capitalizing on the timing of other drivers' pit stops to take the lead. However, the turning point came when a crash between Kevin Magnussen and Logan Sargeant necessitated the deployment of the safety car. Due to what FIA officials described as a "late call," the safety car entered the track just behind Norris, mistakenly leading Verstappen instead and allowing Norris an almost free pit stop. This error provided Norris with an unexpected but substantial advantage, fortifying his position at the front.

"It was a late call to send the safety car out, so they missed [Lando] Norris by about 20 meters," reported by RacingNews365, quoting an FIA official.

In response, race control initiated corrective measures which saw a realignment of the field behind Norris after a delayed lap tailored to facilitate the marshals in clearing the crashed Williams. This slow procession not only ensured the safety of the track clear-up efforts but also corrected the leader alignment error, albeit temporarily setting back the drivers who had pitted before the deployment.

"And then at that point race control decided to go for a slow lap to gather all the cars and to allow the marshals to start the recovery of the vehicle, which wouldn’t have been possible if they’d let all cars pass the SC [safety car] directly. So they waited until all cars were gathered together before allowing them to pass," further explained by the FIA.

The race resumed under normal conditions, but the early advantage gained by Norris proved insurmountable, even as Verstappen faced additional complications from floor damage incurred in an earlier off-track incident. Despite the Red Bull racer's attempts to close the gap, Norris sailed to a triumphant victory with more than a seven-second lead over his nearest competitor.