Leclerc crashes out on the way to Miami F1 Sprint grid

Charles Leclerc will miss the Miami Sprint after crashing on his way to the grid due to a sudden and intense downpour.

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Heavy rain caused big problems in Miami just before the F1 Sprint. It had already started raining during the F1 Academy qualifying, and by the time the Sprint was about to begin, the track was very wet and slippery.

Charles Leclerc had qualified sixth for the Sprint, but his race ended before it even started. Ferrari sent him out on Intermediate tyres, but the car had no grip. As he drove down to Turn 11, Leclerc lost control and slid off the track, crashing into the wall on the right side, leaving his SF-25 badly damaged at the back. The FIA quickly closed the pit lane because the rain had become too heavy for safe racing.

Charles Leclerc hits the wall!! 😱

With rain falling heavily, Leclerc sustains heavy damage on his way to the grid after contact with the wall#F1 #F1Sprint #MiamiGP pic.twitter.com/XGiaxPPuBq
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 3, 2025

Leclerc sounded upset on the team radio, saying: “No, no. Complete aquaplaning, I don’t think I can go back.” With his car too damaged to continue, Ferrari now has a lot of work to do to fix it before Saturday’s Grand Prix qualifying.

That leaves Lewis Hamilton as the only Ferrari driver in the Sprint. He will start from seventh place. Hamilton also wasn’t happy with the tyre choice, saying over the radio: “I don’t know how you put us out on inters here.” Now, he’ll be hoping to score a few points in tricky conditions.

Tickets to F1 Miami available HERE!

Tereza Hořínková

Tereza is a dedicated sports journalist and mass media student, who has been passionate about the motorsport world since young age. Her work focuses on the stories on and off the track, while making motorsport feel accessible and exciting for every kind of fan.