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Can Ferrari drivers challenge Verstappen for victory?
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It’s time for the sixth race of the season, as the F1 Miami Grand Prix will take place at the Miami International Autodrome. This is the third edition of the event, the first two having been won by Max Verstappen.
Still undefeated in qualifying this year, which does not include the Shootout, the Dutchman starts on pole ahead of Charles Leclerc. On the second row, we find their teammates, but Carlos Sainz placed his Ferrari in front of the Red Bull of Sergio Pérez.
The third row goes to McLaren F1 drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. The team stood out before the race by welcoming Donald Trump to its garage. The former President of the United States was refused by the promoter because he planned to raise funds as part of the Grand Prix, but he was finally invited by McLaren.
On the fourth row, we find the Mercedes of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, ahead of Nico Hülkenberg and Yuki Tsunoda, who qualified in the top 10. Lance Stroll and Pierre Gasly are on the sixth row ahead of Esteban Ocon and Alex Albon.
Fernando Alonso’s poor form surprised, and he started in 15th position, alongside Valtteri Bottas. Logan Sargeant follows in front of Kevin Magnussen, then Guanyu Zhou and Daniel Ricciardo. The latter, fourth in the Sprint, qualified 18th and started last because of a penalty received in China.
9:40 p.m.: At 20 minutes from the start, the air temperature is 29 degrees, and that of the track is 44 degrees.
9:51 p.m.: A few clouds are present above Miami Gardens, but rain does not threaten the race.
9:57 p.m.: Hamilton, Alonso, Magnussen and Ricciardo started on hard tires, Bottas had soft tires at the start, and the other 15 drivers put on medium tires.
Departure : Excellent start from Verstappen and Sainz, unlike Leclerc who is being overwhelmed! Pérez misses his first turn and returns to the track, hindering several drivers, including Sainz who is passed by Leclerc!
Round 1: Leclerc takes second place ahead of Piastri and Sainz, then Pérez and Norris. Hamilton, Hülkenberg and Tsunoda have overtaken Russell, and Alonso is already 12th ahead of the battling Alpine drivers.
Round 2: Verstappen has already put Leclerc more than a second behind to avoid suffering the DRS from the Ferrari, and the Monegasque sees Piastri and Sainz getting closer. Hülkenberg passed Hamilton for seventh, and Gasly passed Alonso, while Albon passed Ocon after the latter was sent wide by Alonso.
Round 3: Verstappen set the best lap in the race in 1’33″093, but he was beaten by Piastri in 1’32″827. The young Australian is still nestled in Leclerc’s Ferrari, which is 1.4″ behind Verstappen.
Round 4: Piastri was once again quickest and caught up with the Ferrari at the first corner, but remained cautiously behind. Sainz is still in his wake, while Pérez is 1″5 behind Sainz. Norris is 1″9 behind the Mexican and he has a 1″3 margin over Hülkenberg. And Piastri overtakes Leclerc at the end of the lap!
Round 5: Piastri is still the fastest on the track, and he is now 1.9″ behind Verstappen. Leclerc and Sainz remain in his wake.
Round 6: Verstappen accelerates and takes half a second from Piastri, while the two Ferraris are stuck to the McLaren. Pérez is still 1″4 behind. Behind, Russell has taken ninth place from Tsunoda and is trying to catch up with Hamilton. Pérez is under investigation for a possible stolen start.
Round 7: Pérez fails to get back on the group of Piastri, Leclerc and Sainz. The latter says he has “rhythm”, therefore implying that he could try to go after Piastri if Leclerc let him pass. Hamilton has overtaken Hülkenberg, but the latter comes back!
Round 8: The gap between Verstappen and Piastri is 2″8, and the Ferraris are 7 tenths behind the car in front of them. Pérez is still 1″4 and Norris is 1″8 behind the Red Bull. Hülkenberg is 5 “7 and retains the two Mercedes, as well as Tsunoda, Stroll and Gasly. Alonso is 1 second behind the Frenchman, ahead of Albon and Ocon.
Round 9: Piastri is still 2.7″ behind Verstappen, and Leclerc is close to leaving the McLaren driver’s DRS zone. Pérez did not steal the start, race management confirms.
Round 10: The times are stable, and Piastri, Leclerc and Sainz are running at the same times as Verstappen. The gap between the two leaders reaches 3 seconds, and Leclerc is very close. Pérez loses time since he is 2 seconds behind Sainz. Hamilton passes Hülkenberg.
Round 11: Albon is the first to enter the pits and he comes out last on hard tires. Piastri makes up time from Verstappen and comes back to 2″7. The Hülkenberg group is compact between eighth and 11th place. Alonso is slightly behind, while Stroll and Sargeant return to the pits.
Round 12: The two men set off again on hard tires. In the lead, Piastri manages to stay 2″6 or even 2″7 behind Verstappen, but he does not win the Ferraris. Pérez, on the other hand, loses time and sees Norris come back to a second. Russell overtakes Hülkenberg, who returns at the end of the lap, like Gasly.
Round 13: The gaps are stable in the top 4, while Norris is now in the tailpipe of Pérez’s Red Bull, all more than 3 seconds behind Sainz. Albon attacks Stroll but the latter counterattacks and knocks him off the track.
Round 14: Sainz asks if Ferrari “is going to try something up front”, since he still hopes to have his chance to go for Piastri. Norris attacks Pérez but fails to overtake him.
Round 15: The gap is again 3 seconds between Verstappen and Piastri, while Sainz is more than a second behind Leclerc, probably to save his tires. Pérez is 4 seconds behind Sainz and loses almost a second per lap.
Round 16: Verstappen sets the best lap in the race in 1’32″807, Piastri beats him in 1’32″767, and Leclerc does better in 1’32″689! The pit stop window has opened, and the three men give as much as possible before going in to change tires.
Round 17: Verstappen and Piastri run in the same times, and the gap remains 3 seconds. Leclerc loses three tenths but remains in second of the McLaren. Sainz is 1″8 behind, while Norris attacks Pérez again but does not succeed. The Mexican returns to the pits.
Round 18: Pérez starts tenth again on hard tires after stopping in 1″9! He signs the absolute best 3rd sector.
Round 19: The gap does not change at the top, but Leclerc has closed in on Piastri. Sainz is 2 seconds behind, and Norris is unable to come back despite the absence of Pérez in front of him. Pérez gets rid of Ocon, and Piastri loses time, while Norris signed the absolute best first sector.
Round 20: Verstappen sets the best lap in the race in 1’32″668, beaten by Norris in 1’32″476! Piastri lost half a second on Verstappen, and Leclerc stopped to attempt an undercut on the McLaren! Ferrari stopped in 1.9 seconds and the Monegaque came out sixth.
Round 21: Norris did better in 1’32″421, and he is eating up a little time on the drivers ahead of him. But Verstappen drove in 1’32″5 and Piastri and Sainz in 1’32″6. The gaps are therefore stable , and it is Leclerc who could benefit from it. The Ferrari driver takes fifth place in Hamilton.
Round 22: Norris improves the best lap in the race to 1’32″329, and Leclerc does better in 1’32″113. The most important thing for the Monegasque is that he takes 8 tenths from Verstappen and Piastri, and six tenths from Sainz. Verstappen hit a cone on track and is concerned about the condition of his wing.
Round 23: The first five drivers slow down, and the virtual safety car is deployed to pick up the cone that Verstappen sent onto the track, and which exploded on the straight. Ocon and Alonso took the opportunity to stop, as did Magnussen. Verstappen returns at the end of the lap.
Round 24: Piastri is therefore leader with 2″7 ahead of Sainz, and 5″5 over Norris. Verstappen comes out 3″3 ahead of Leclerc, ten seconds behind Norris. Behind, Ocon and Alonso did the right thing since they overtook Gasly, and Ocon even overtook Hülkenberg. The Frenchman was 12th.
Round 25: Norris beats the track record again in 1’31″982, and he drives faster than Verstappen in the last two sectors of the lap, which the Dutchman nevertheless completed on his new tires. Russell stops and comes out behind Ocon.
Round 26: Norris is still the fastest on track in 1’32″1, while Verstappen and Leclerc are running in 1’32″2. Piastri and Sainz lap in 1’32″4.
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