One question looms large over the Formula 1 paddock following Max Verstappen’s controversial penalty at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit on April 20: What exactly are the overtaking rules, ahead of the F1 2025 Miami GP?
A slightly poor start for the defending world champion at the Saudi Arabian GP allowed McLaren’s Oscar Piastri to pull alongside into Turn 1, sparking a drama that has continued from Lap 1 to the latest round of F1 action.
Taking a lot of speed on the inside line, the Australian ran the Dutchman to the edge of the track and the Red Bull chose to bail out and skip the corner thus retaining the lead of the race.
Piastri argued that as the car on the inside line and first to the apex, he had ‘claimed’ the corner and could choose whatever he wanted to do on the exit. Under that circumstance, his move was fair game and that his rival was wrong.
However, Verstappen and his team argued he could have made the corner but was left no room and was forced to take avoiding action to ensure both he and Piastri stayed in the Grand Prix, hence why he left the track and rejoined ahead at Turn 2.
He didn’t have much time to relinquish the lead before the safety car was deployed for a crash involving Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly, and couldn’t switch under the safety car as overtaking a car without an obvious problem is strictly forbidden.
More from the Singapore GP
Catch up with Total Motorsport's latest Singapore GP coverage, including Max Verstappen's victory at Marina Bay, Ferrari's costly strategy gamble, the full race classification, and the updated 2026 Formula 1 Drivers' and Constructors' Championship standings.
Eventually, the FIA stewards ruled the four-time champion had gained an illegal and lasting advantage and handed him a five-second time penalty, something that cost him the victory in Jeddah as McLaren went on to win by 2.8 seconds.
But the storm was just beginning to brew as F1’s overtaking grey area reared its head once again as Red Bull’s Christian Horner wasted no time producing onboard screenshots to ‘prove’ Verstappen was entitled to space.
It sparked the latest round of confusion about what the wheel-to-wheel protocols approved by the FIA are, as fans, drivers and experts are left wondering what the overtaking rules are ahead of the F1 2025 Miami GP.
What are the F1 overtaking rules at the 2025 Miami GP?
Since Verstappen first mounted a title championship charge at in the controversial 2021 Formula 1 season, the FIA has found itself struggling to find an outline of rules that suits all parties racing, as well as the fans watching in the grandstands and at home.
The general principle appeared to be that a car sufficiently along on the inside could run their rival off, provided that they made the corner themselves and were deemed ahead at the apex of the corner.
But this ideology took a twist at the 2024 Mexico GP when Verstappen was handed a 10-second penalty for forcing McLaren’s Lando Norris off the circuit at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, despite being alongside and on the inside at Turn 4.
This controversial moment led to dialogue with the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association and the publishing of new guidelines ahead of the 2024 Qatar GP, but they were not published to the public leaving many in the dark.
Nonetheless, F1Insider.com managed to look at the rules and broke them down, giving fans an idea of what to expect should two drivers go banging wheels at the Miami International Autodrome from May 2-4.
If a driver is trying to overtake from the outside, then they must have their front wheels level with the defending car at the apex of the corner to be merited space from their rival at the exit of the corner.
However, if the car is trying to overtake from the inside of the corner then they must have their front wheels alongside the defending car’s wing mirrors. If they have done so, then they can force the car on the outside off – provided they stay on track themselves.
Based on this outline, the notion of always leaving a car-width space on the outside is gone. However, Appendix L of the FIA Sports Regulations notes it is illegal to push a rival off the track. So, the potential for confusion still remains.
