News
Max Verstappen fastest in Miami GP practice, Leclerc crashes
Mercedes’ George Russell was fastest in FP1, with Verstappen overtaking FP2 with the fastest time of the day.
Miami GP FP1 results: Russell fastest from Hamilton
What happened to Miami GP Free Practice 1?
Verstappen led by 1m31.054s when second-fastest Nico Hulkenberg crashed his Haas at Turn 3 halfway through the race. His front right corner of his car hit a wall and required a red flag to clear his machine.
On recovery, Verstappen dropped the top time to 1m30.549s. But heading into the final moments of the race, Lewis Hamilton leapt to the top of the Mercedes with a time of 1m 30.337s before Russell went faster, clocking a 1m 30.125s to beat him by 0.212s teammates.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc jumped into third, ahead of Verstappen, with his 1m 30.449 seconds clear of the Dutchman by a tenth.
Miami GP FP2 results: Verstappen fastest from Sainz
What Happened at Miami GP Free Practice 2?
With just 10 minutes into the race, Leclerc and Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) were leading 1-2, with the new medium tyre’s time faster than the fastest FP1 time on the soft tyres – Leclerc leading by 1m29.497s.
Verstappen beat it in 1m 29.380s before the start of the soft tyre race. McLaren was briefly 1-2 with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri before Verstappen was half a second ahead of Norris at 1m 28.255s.
Leclerc finished second with a time of 1:28.398 after his first attempt at a soft ball at the hairpin. But then was defeated by teammate Sainz in 1 minute 28 seconds 315 seconds, who was only 0.06 seconds behind the fastest time.
But Verstappen improved with a time of 1m 27.930s, the fastest time of the day, which put him almost four-tenths ahead of his rival. Ferrari followed closely behind, with Sainz ahead of Leclerc and ahead of second-placed Red Bull Racing Sergio Perez.
Fernando Alonso was fifth at Aston Martin, ahead of Norris and Hamilton.
Leclerc ended his race on the turn 7 hurdles, sending out a red flag with 10 minutes to go.
Esteban Ocon had a great Sunday afternoon. Across the streets of Monaco, the Frenchman appeared to be at one with his Alps, which eventually even earned him a podium finish. Ocon told a news conference that he looked back on the weekend with a very good feeling.
The Red Bull driver was last in Sunday’s race and was out in Q1 qualifying.
He went on to make five pit stops in a dismal race that saw him twice passed by team-mate and race winner Max Verstappen, who now leads the championship by 39 points.
Although it marked Perez’s first game of the season without scoring, the Mexican said his error was “costly” and “unacceptable”.
He said: “We paid for my mistake and it was very costly. I just have to apologize to my whole team because it was unacceptable for this kind of mistake to be made.
“I have to move on and learn from it, I can’t afford another zero in the tournament.”
Despite the poor finish, Perez had a “very good” start to the race, finishing 15th on lap 30, but dropped back into the standings after a couple of incidents and a period of rain.
He also collided with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen in the corner on lap 34, breaking his front wing.
Perez said he “didn’t know what happened” but was “considerably hurt” by the incident.
He added: “It went well. Unfortunately I hit traffic early on and that put us back where we were. Then it rained and we were one of the last to pit.
Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB19, Zhou Guanyu, Alfa Romeo C43
Photography: Simon Galloway/ motorsport pictures
“Then I cut the wall and it all became a mess. Me and Magnussen broke my front wing and he just came out of the chicane (deeply) and it went bad.
“When you’re in those positions, you’re always taking a lot of risks.”
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said it had been a “bad weekend” for Perez, blaming the poor result on a crash in qualifying that “put you at a disadvantage”.
He also said Perez was inside Ocon’s maintenance window before getting stuck behind slow-moving traffic.
Horner said: “We took a very aggressive strategy. Stopped on the first lap and you could see how fast he was in the free space and how much the others were saving.
“He actually came back inside the pit window on Esteban Ocon, and then (Logan) Sargeant and the slow car started to struggle and, of course, you couldn’t overtake.
“Then he got involved in a melee with (George) Russell and damaged the front wing. It was just one of those weekends where he got nothing done.
“He saved a lot of money in the pool, so he might need a new pair of underwear after that.
“For him, it’s just one of those weekends where[he should]turn the page and I think for him, the sooner he gets to Barcelona the better.”
Max Verstappen gave a masterclass in the narrow streets of Monte Carlo. The Dutchman once again showed his raw talent, whether in the rain or on dry tarmac. If the Dutchman fails to win, there are still two contenders for the title. Teammate Sergio Perez and his friend Fernando Alonso. Will the Spaniard get another chance at victory soon? Verstappen responded at a press conference.
Ocon: 'I have much respect for Aston Martin'
Perez “cannot afford another zero” in F1 2023 season
Verstappen: 'We always have to be perfect'
Alonso wants to fight for title: 'I don't get obsessed with it'
Alpine must ‘keep feet on the ground’ after Monaco F1 podium
Horner thankful for Aston Martin mistake: 'Reduced pressure on pit stop'
Verstappen enjoyed unpredictable Monaco GP: "Clipped the wall a few times"
Marko saw sublime Verstappen: 'Then Max was always immediately faster again'
Marko saw sublime Verstappen: "When Alonso accelerated, Max countered"
F1 constructors' standings after Monaco GP | Red Bull widens margin again
-
News1 month agoSainz Australian GP penalty review had sufficient new evidence
-
Videos1 month agoPiastri opens up on F1 home race debut in Australia
-
News1 month agoFIA dismisses Sainz’s F1 Australian GP penalty review
-
News1 month agoHorner criticises FIA choice: 'Absolutely ludicrous'
-
News1 month agoMinardi: ‘Moving AlphaTauri from Faenza would be very difficult’
-
News1 month agoFull FIA stewards’ verdict on Sainz’s Australian GP penalty
-
News1 month agoCompetition for Verstappen in Baku? 'He is extra motivated now'
-
News1 month agoMcLaren hopeful because of Red Bull: 'This is what gives them big advantage'