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Stewards Take Action as FIA Fines Haas Over Risky Miami GP Practice Incident
The Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix weekend began with controversy as race stewards intervened following a potentially dangerous incident during Friday’s sole practice session. The first and only Free Practice (FP1), crucial due to the sprint weekend format, ended early after a crash involving rookie Haas driver Ollie Bearman. While Bearman, only 19, emerged from the wreck unscathed, it wasn’t the crash that drew the stewards’ strongest attention — it was a separate, serious incident involving his teammate, Esteban Ocon.
During FP1, Ocon was caught obstructing McLaren’s Lando Norris in a manner deemed dangerous by officials. Norris had to take evasive action to avoid a collision as he came up quickly behind the slow-moving Haas on the racing line. The incident disrupted valuable track time for many teams who were running qualifying simulations in the limited session before the Sprint Shootout and Sprint Race.
Following the session, the FIA launched an investigation and summoned both Ocon and Norris, along with team representatives from Haas and McLaren. After reviewing on-board footage, team radio communication, and video replays, the stewards determined that the blame for the near-miss lay primarily with the Haas team.
According to an official statement from the FIA, Ocon was receiving technical feedback from his engineers and had just cleared the path for another car when he was told about Norris’s rapid approach. The warning, however, came too late, leaving Ocon little time to react appropriately. The team admitted they had failed to notify him promptly.
While the stewards acknowledged the delay in communication from the Haas pit wall, they also noted that Ocon made a very late move off the racing line. Instead of staying in place, which might have minimized the risk, his last-second deviation increased the danger for both himself and Norris. Because of this, Ocon was given a formal warning.
Still, the primary fault was placed on Haas for their delayed warning, and as a result, the FIA issued a financial penalty. The American team was fined €7,500 for the incident, a figure aligned with similar past infractions.
The decision adds pressure to Haas, especially at their home Grand Prix, where expectations are always higher. The incident also highlights the challenges of the sprint weekend format, where limited practice time increases the urgency — and sometimes, the risk — for teams and drivers alike.
As the Miami GP continues, teams will be looking to tighten communication and avoid further penalties in a weekend that is already proving tense and incident-filled.
