Liam Lawson. Photo: photosport
New Zealand Formula 1 driver Liam Lawson has been stripped of the two championship points he thought he had secured on Sunday morning in the sprint race at the Miami Grand Prix.
Lawson finished seventh to pick up his first points of the Formula 1 season but was put under investigation for his role in a collision with Fernando Alonso, which triggered the safety car.
Stewards handed Racing Bulls driver Lawson a five-second penalty and an additional penalty point for the collision, dropping him to 13th.
The New Zealand driver then finished down the pack in the first qualifying session so will start 15th on the grid for Monday's main race. Lewis Hamilton also missed out on the second round of qualifying, after finishing 12th in the first qualifying session.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen took pole position, Lando Norris and Kimi Antonelli will be second and third on the grid.
Lawson said he had a battery issue in qualifying: "We were dropping power through the run. I have no idea why, but it's a shame [because] the car was really hooked up, to be honest, and I think we were in a good window, so it just sucks.
"Yeah, hopefully we can fix it for tomorrow, and we probably need some rain to be honest, that would be nice, but let's see."
Following his sprint race Lawson said he was trying to overtake Alonso and was confident he was going to be cleared.
"At that point honestly I was heading for the concrete wall and I was trying to get out but he just kind of left me no space, so obviously not my intention but I do feel like I had my wheels ahead," Lawson said.
Stewards handed out multiple penalties after the rain-affected sprint race, which saw Yuki Tsunoda promoted to the points following a penalty for Haas driver Oliver Bearman. Kimi Antonelli and Pierre Gasly were promoted to seventh and eighth, following five-second-time penalties for Alex Albon and Lawson.
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