In Miami Gardens, Florida, Lando Norris emerged victorious over his McLaren Racing teammate Oscar Piastri in the sprint race held on Saturday prior to the Miami Grand Prix qualifying session. Norris expressed his satisfaction with his current streak of luck in Miami, aiming to retain his triumph from the previous year in Sunday’s race. The 18-lap sprint race was marked by drama even before its commencement, with heavy rain soaking the track and causing Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc to crash on his way to the grid. This incident forced Leclerc out of the sprint race as Ferrari worked diligently to repair his car for qualifying.
The start of the race was postponed due to drivers deeming the rain conditions too risky and visibility concerns. When the race finally commenced, 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli briefly led after securing the pole position as the youngest pole-winner in Formula 1 history. However, Piastri swiftly overtook him at the first corner, causing Antonelli to veer off track and drop to fourth place. An incident in the pits involving Max Verstappen resulted in a penalty for an unsafe release, impacting Antonelli’s performance. Verstappen, who had been running in third place, ultimately finished 17th and did not earn any points.
The race concluded under caution as Liam Lawson collided with Fernando Alonso, resulting in Alonso’s crash with three laps remaining. The safety car intervention prevented Piastri from challenging Norris for the lead. Norris secured the victory, replicating his success from the previous Miami Grand Prix.
Piastri expressed disappointment at coming in second despite feeling that he had executed his race well. Lewis Hamilton clinched third place for Ferrari, advancing before Verstappen served his penalty. Hamilton, in his debut season with Ferrari, expressed his delight at the unexpected rain in Miami, which added an element of excitement to the race.
Alex Albon finished fourth for Williams, followed by George Russell of Mercedes. Alonso, Carlos Sainz Jr., and Leclerc did not complete the race.
