Verstappen takes the long road to Miami's top step
Monday, 8 May 2023
Max Verstappen comes from ninth on the grid to deny Red Bull teammate and pole-sitter Sergio Perez in Florida, with Fernando Alonso snaring a fourth podium in five races for Aston Martin.
Red Bull Racing made it a high-five for 2023 in Miami, with Max Verstappen winning the team's fifth race in a row this season, heading teammate Sergio Perez in Red Bull's fourth 1-2 so far this year.
While the result was little surprise given the pace of the RB19 this season, how Verstappen achieved it – after starting ninth, he made the race-winning pass of his teammate with 10 laps left – made for a tricky afternoon, the Dutchman's pace on worn hard tyres after Perez pitted from the lead on lap 20 the decisive factor.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was once again best of the rest in third – the Spanish veteran's fourth third-place finish this season in five races – while Miami's second F1® race was one of caution and circumspection – there were no yellow flags, safety cars or retirements in the 57-lap race, Florida-born Logan Sargeant (Williams) finishing 20th and last.
Oscar Piastri's race started superbly but quickly faded in Miami, the Melburnian gaining five places from his lowly qualifying position of 19th after a barnstorming first lap, but eventually finishing back in 19th after his McLaren battled braking issues from early in the race.
Soon after his lap five pit stop to discard his soft-compound Pirelli tyres, Piastri started to slip backwards as his team confirmed a "long" brake pedal, with Piastri having to carefully pick his braking markers around the 19-turn Miami International Autodrome street course for the remainder of the race, his optimum pace compromised.
Piastri's travails were part of a difficult weekend for McLaren, with teammate Lando Norris also knocked out in Q1 on Saturday and struggling to 17th place in the race.
Unsung hero
Kevin Magnussen was one of the big beneficiaries of Charles Leclerc's crash towards the end of Q3 that prevented the majority of the frontrunners from setting a final flying lap, the Haas driver qualifying fourth after banking a lap early in the 12-minute session. Sunday's 57-lap race was always going to be a tall order for the combative Magnussen given the speed of his rivals behind him in better machinery, but the Dane fought his corner and was rewarded with a 10th-place finish at Haas' home Grand Prix.
Number to know
1984: Verstappen's win from ninth on the grid was just the fifth time in F1® history that a driver has won from that starting slot – and, remarkably, the first victor from ninth on the grid since Niki Lauda won the 1984 French Grand Prix for McLaren.
I stayed out of trouble at the beginning, and then just had a clean race, picked the cars off one by one. We kept it calm, kept it clean … winning a race from P9 is always very satisfying.
Miami Grand Prix: top 10
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) 1hr 27mins 38.241secs
2. Sergio Perez (Red Bull Racing) + 5.384secs
3. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +26.305secs
4. George Russell (Mercedes) +33.229secs
5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) +42.511secs
6. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +51.249secs
7. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +52.988secs
8. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +55.670secs
9. Esteban Ocon (Alpine) +58.123secs
10. Kevin Magnussen (Haas) +62.945secs
Standings (top 5)
Drivers' championship
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) 119 points
2. Sergio Perez (Red Bull Racing) 105 points
3. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) 75 points
4. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 56 points
5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) 44 points
Constructors' championship
1. Red Bull Racing (224 points)
2. Aston Martin (102 points)
3. Mercedes (96 points)
4. Ferrari (78 points)
5. McLaren (14 points)
Next race
Round 6: Emilia Romagna (Imola, Italy), May 19-21
