MIAMI — It was another victory for Red Bull’s Max Verstappen at the inaugural Miami Grand Prix on Sunday.
The reigning world champion narrowly beat Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc after overtaking him on lap nine of 57, and maintained the lead despite pressure following a late safety car.
“It was an incredible atmosphere, I had a lot of fun driving around,” Verstappen said after Formula 1’s first race in South Florida.
“There are a few areas of the track that could be improved,” he continued — a sentiment which was echoed by several other drivers.
Leclerc, who now holds a 19-point lead in the 2022 championship, said he was surprised the Red Bulls of Verstappen and Sergio Perez were not only “quick on the straights”, but also faster through the low-speed corners.
However, it certainly wasn’t a bad day in the office for the Italian outfit, as Carlos Sainz rounded out the podium positions in third — his first points finish in the past three races.
“I wasn’t feeling 100 percent,” the Spanish driver told reporters after a spectacular podium celebration.
Sainz attributed his condition, in part, to “coming back from a pretty heavy crash” in Friday’s free practice session.
He suggested during the drivers’ briefing that a Tecpro barrier be erected at turn 14 to soften the blow of the impact against the concrete, however the sport’s governing body opted against making any changes.
In the midfield, it was a relatively processional race around the Miami International Autodrome until a clash between McLaren’s Lando Norris and AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly on lap 41 triggered a virtual safety car (VSC).
Norris was sent spinning and his right-rear tyre ripped off, turning the VSC into a full safety car, benefiting Mercedes’ George Russell who took the opportunity to pit.
He ended the race in fifth, behind Red Bull’s Perez, and ahead of his teammate Lewis Hamilton.
“This strategy’s not been kind to me,” Hamilton was heard telling his engineers during the final laps of the race.
Although the seven-time world champion has been fighting for positions in the middle of the pack this season, he told reporters it was “still racing,” and little has changed about his mentality.
Alfa Romeo’s Valterri Bottas finished seventh, after a mistake in the final stages of the race, allowed both Mercedes’ to overtake him.
Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso finished eight and ninth respectivley, while Williams’ Alex Albon beat McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo to the final point.
Off-track, the South Florida circuit proved a mecca for A-list guests, including David Beckham, Tom Brady, and Michael Jordan.
Verstappen, who wore a football helmet during the podium celebrations, joked that he needed the protective headgear while out-and-about at the exceptionally busy track.
Also seen hugging and chatting in McLaren’s garage was Brady and Dwyane Wade, who was joined by Gabrielle Union and DJ Khaled.
Venus and Serena Williams were also in attendane, along with James Marsden, Pharrell, Will.i.am, Hailee Steinfeld, and Ashton Kutcher, to name a few.