Max Verstappen secured an impressive victory at the Miami Grand Prix, despite starting ninth on the grid on Sunday. With the fastest lap of the race, he extended his lead in the Formula One championship over his Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez.
The result also marked the fourth time in five races that Red Bull has achieved a one-two finish. This dealt a significant blow to Perez’s chances of overtaking Verstappen in the overall standings, particularly after the Mexican driver had secured pole position during Saturday’s qualifying session.
The race also saw Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin finish in third place, marking the fourth time this season that he has achieved a podium finish.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff had a more positive outlook on the performance of his team’s cars, after previously criticising them as “a nasty piece of work”. George Russell finished fourth and Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, climbed from 13th to take sixth place.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz secured fifth place, while Charles Leclerc finished seventh in the other Ferrari.
However, American driver Logan Sargeant had a difficult race, starting last and finishing in last place after an early pit stop for a new front wing.
Haas also had a disappointing day, with Kevin Magnussen finishing 10th and Nico Hulkenberg coming in 15th.
With Red Bull leading the constructors’ championship with 224 points, followed by Aston Martin with 102 and Mercedes with 96, Formula One is sure to face more criticism of boring racing, despite some exciting action on the temporary street circuit around Hard Rock Stadium.
The upcoming European grands prix in Imola, Monaco, and Spain will provide more opportunities for the teams to showcase their skills and compete for the championship title.
