Yuki Tsunoda was the first driver to head for the pits, and not without reason: the track in Miami had dried enough for slicks. This quickly led to considerable chaos. Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso were forced to retire, while Max Verstappen was handed a ten-second time penalty.
Due to an unsafe release, the Dutch driver was given a ten-second time penalty. He was sent out of the pit box too early and even lost a piece of his front wing due to contact with another car. Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso pushed too hard over the kerbstones, lost control, and backed his Aston Martin into the wall. A punctured tire prematurely ended Carlos Sainz’s race.