Sunday Debrief: “i call that simply ***** lovely”; Verstappen wins again in Miami

The Red Bulls continue to show their dominance on track with another 1-2 for the season. The drivers fighting up to the chequered flag, with Verstappen taking the victory.

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Sergio Perez lined up on pole for Sunday’s race accompanied by Alonso on the front row, Sainz and Magnussen taking P3 and 4 respectably. The other Red Bull starting from P9 after not being able to set a faster time, when Q3 was cut short after Leclerc landed his Ferrari into the barriers with just under 2 minutes left to go.

A disappointing qualifying for Lewis Hamilton meant he would start from P13, the Brit unable to make it into Q3, whereas his teammate George Russel qualified in P6.

A strong start for Perez as he gets away from the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso, nearly a second clear by the end of the first lap., his teammate Verstappen losing a place on the first lap, dropping to P10.

An incredible move on Lap 4 saw the reigning two-time world champion make up two positions, squeezing past Magnussen and Leclerc as the pair battled for P6, ultimately losing that battle to Verstappen.

An early pit stop for both McLarens, who came in on Lap 6, the softs tyres not holding on resulting both drivers coming in to go onto the hards. Norris coming in first followed by Piastri, who came out in P19 and P18 respectively.

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Verstappen making his way up the order, back into podium positions on Lap 14, as the Red Bull breezes past the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz for P3, not long before he overtook Alonso for P2 on Lap 15, with just over 3 seconds between himself and Perez in the lead Perez coming into the pits on Lap 21 giving the lead to his teammate, coming out of the pits on P4 ahead of Carlos Sainz.

Hamilton given team orders on Lap 32 to let Russell past behind him in P7, Hamilton responding on the team radio “he can get past but I’m not backing off”, his teammate shortly passing at the start of Lap 33, with Hamilton yet to make a pit stop in the race. Russel getting Past Ocon before passing Sainz for P4 on Lap 38, Hamilton holding on to P7.

Hamilton came into the pits on Lap 38, going on to a set of medium tyres, re-entering the track back in P13, making his way back into the points on Lap 40.

Up at the front of the grid, Max Verstappen held the lead in a lonely race yet to make a pit stop, his teammate in P2 with an 18 second gap between the Red Bulls. Verstappen coming in on Lap 46 for medium tyres, re-joining the track just over a second behind Perez. The Red Bulls going wheel to wheel into turn 1 on Lap 48, Verstappen getting the better exit taking back the lead.

As the drivers crossed the line to take the chequered flag, Verstappen crossed the line to finish in P1, leading his teammate to make it a 1-2 for the team, Alonso rounding off the podium in P3 for the third time this season Hamilton making a recovery from P13, finishing in P6 between the Ferrari’s, Sainz holding onto P5 with a 5 second penalty.