Max Verstappen took the F1 Miami GP sprint win from Charles Leclerc, as Sergio Perez came back to third after losing on Lap 1.
Already before the start of the F1 Miami GP sprint, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon was handed a 10s time penalty for hitting Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in the pitlane while they left their garage to take the grid. The Frenchman hit the right-rear of the Monegasque.
There was no damage to Leclerc’s car, while Ocon was forced to change his front wing. Williams’ Alexander Albon started from the pitlane after the team elected for set-up change. He was due to start from last place anyways.
It was a slow start but clean one from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to lead the F1 Miami GP sprint from Ferrari’s Leclerc, as Red Bull’s Sergio Perez tried the outside move but lost ground which allowed Visa Cash App RB’s Daniel Ricciardo to be third.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was fifth from McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Haas pair of Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen in the Top 8 points places, with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Visa Cash App RB’s Yuki Tsunoda rounding out the Top 10.
There was safety car period after a collision at Turn 1. Hamilton tried a move on the inside with space given, but touched Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso who in turn hit his teammate Lance Stroll, with the Canadian then collecting McLaren’s Lando Norris on the outside.
Norris was spun around to be out of the sprint, with Stroll returning to the pits to retire. Alonso, meanwhile, had puncture but could manage to rejoin the race at the back of the field, as the FIA quickly termed it as a racing incident.
Verstappen stretched a good enough lead over Leclerc, as Perez pounced on Ricciardo to take third. But the Australian stayed on his tail while defending from Sainz and Piastri. There was a gap to Hulkenberg and Magnussen being chased by Hamilton.
The Brit chased the Dane where he took the run-off at one moment. It was investigated and Magnussen was handed a 10s time penalty, right at the time when he and Hamilton went wheel-to-wheel for couple of corners, with the Haas staying ahead.
There was small touch after Magnussen ran wide and came back on him. There was an investigation for speeding in pitlane for Hamilton too. Ahead of them, Sainz tried a move on Ricciardo at Turn 1, but couldn’t make it stick which allowed Piastri in.
But Sainz managed to retain his place allowing Ricciardo to stretch a gap. The battle between Magnussen and Hamilton continued, with the Brit getting past but the Dane taking the inside line where both went off track on the run-off.
It allowed Tsunoda to pass Hamilton and also Magnussen for eighth. The Brit finally managed to clear him not before the Dane getting another 10s time penalty and being put under investigation for a third offence along with the Mercedes driver.
At the front, Verstappen managed to bring it home to win the F1 Miami GP sprint ahead of Leclerc, with Perez rounding the Top 3. Ricciardo managed to hold on to fourth from Sainz and Piastri, who were at close proximity of the Australian.
Hulkenberg was a lonely seventh from Hamilton, who cleared Tsunoda for the last point. But the Brit was handed a drive-through penalty for speeding in pitlane, which dropped him to 16th, thereby allowing the Japanese driver to collect the last point in eighth.
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly made up several places to be ninth but outside the points, with Williams’ Logan Sargeant in 10th. A pre-race penalty to Ocon dropped him to 15th, while Magnussen was handed a third penalty which dropped him to 18th and last.
Results: https://x.com/MsportXtra/status/1786802842709143913
UPDATE: The FIA explained the reasoning behind terming the Turn 1 incident between Hamilton, Stroll, Alonso and Norris as a racing incident. Here: https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/decision-document/2024%20Miami%20Grand%20Prix%20-%20Decision%20-%20Car%2014%20-%20Turn%201%20incident%20with%20cars%2018%204%20and%2044.pdf
Much like how Hamilton was penalised after Qatar, Norris has been reprimanded for walking on the circuit after his crash. “The driver is fined €50,000, €25,000 of which is suspended for the remainder of the 2024 season on condition that there is no further breach of similar nature,” it said.
Magnussen had a tough sprint race with a total of 35s time penalty with three 10s time penalties for gaining an advantage and an additional 5s time penalty for track limits. He also earned three penalty points to take his total to eight in the 12 months.
UPDATE 2: The FIA expanded on investigating Magnussen for unsportsmanlike behaviour during the sprint event. The stewards heard the Dane’s comments in the media session about his driving tactics against Hamilton, where he talked about his intentions to safeguard Hulkenberg.
The stewards went at length with Magnussen about it and agreed that the Dane didn’t drive in the right manner, but it wasn’t to the extent where it was unsportsmanlike, which is why there was no further action taken against him.
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