Victorious Verstappen closes championship gap to Leclerc in first ever Miami Grand Prix.
Podium Finishers
It was the reigning world champion who crossed the finish line first on Sunday, after jumping Carlos Sainz at the start and overtaking Charles Leclerc on Lap 9 of 57.
It appeared as though Verstappen would have a smooth victory until the VSC turned Safety Car on Lap 41 thanks to the unfortunate crash between Lando Norris and Pierre Gasly.
Verstappen struggled to get away from Leclerc at the Lap 47 restart with Leclerc getting as close as 0.5 seconds behind, but the Dutch Lion claimed an important victory – he’s won every race he’s finished this season.
Current championship leader Charles Leclerc finished a respectable P2 with teammate Carlos Sainz finishing P3 – a double podium for Ferrari in Miami.
Best of the Rest
The Red Bull of Sergio Perez finished P4 for the day, who nearly got onto the podium but couldn’t manage to pass Carlos Sainz at the checkered flag.
Despite starting from P11, George Russell finished P5 for the day, his fifth Top 5 finish in the first five races. Mr. Saturday has become Mr. Consistency!
His teammate, Lewis Hamilton, finished P6 after being passed by George’s fresher tyres following the VSC. Hamilton made it clear on the radio he wasn’t pleased about the strategy from the team. Could trouble be brewing in the Mercedes garage?
Valtteri Bottas finished P7 for the day, an admirable albeit disappointing finish, as the Finn looked primed for P5 until a late mistake cost him two places.
The Alpines of Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso finished next, with Alonso incurring two separate five-second penalties (contact with Gasly and leaving the track / gaining an advantage) and losing out on points. Oof.
It was the red-haired wonder himself, Alex Albon who was promoted to ninth and Lance Stroll rounding out the points in P10.
Late Race Drama
Both Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris DNF after their eyebrow-raising contact on Lap 41.
The Haas of Kevin Magnussen retired late in the race after contact with Lance Stroll.
Arguably the worst contact of the day was between the beloved off-track duo of Sebastian Vettel and Mick Schumacher, both of whom were going to finish in the points. Vettel ultimately retired while Schumacher finished P14, surely an unlucky day for both of them.
Looking Ahead
Ferrari is set to bring updates to Barcelona – can Carlos Sainz claim his first F1 victory at his home race? We’ll find out in two weeks’ time.
