Miami – Serial winner Max Verstappen also won the second Formula 1 sprint race of the season. The Red Bull driver relegated his Ferrari rival Charles Leclerc to second place in Miami despite some problems with his car. Verstappen’s stablemate Sergio Pérez came third.
Verstappen thus further expanded his lead in the World Cup standings. He is already clearly in the lead there after four victories in five Grand Prix, and the 26-year-old also recently won the first sprint of the year in Shanghai.
The safety car had to go onto the track shortly after the start. A hard maneuver by Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes triggered a chain reaction, with Fernando Alonso sliding his Aston Martin into the car of his teammate Lance Stroll. The Canadian, in turn, cleared Lando Norris from the track and the Briton’s McLaren could no longer continue. The race management viewed the event as a normal accident and waived penalties.
Verstappen again confidently won the restart. At first Leclerc was able to follow the Dutchman, but towards the middle of the race Verstappen gained a small cushion. Nevertheless, the defending champion complained about his car, as he did the day before: “It’s just terrible, I have no grip at the back.”
Hülkenberg collects two more points
Behind third-placed Pérez, the surprisingly strong Daniel Ricciardo drove a remarkable race in the Visa RB racing car. The Australian kept Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari behind him until the end of the race, which was shortened to 100 kilometers, and thus maintained fourth place.
Nico Hülkenberg collected two more points for the overall standings. The Haas driver benefited from the turbulence at the start, improving by three places and maintaining seventh place until the finish. His teammate Kevin Magnussen, on the other hand, stood out unpleasantly. In a tough duel with record champion Hamilton, the Dane committed several rule violations, received time penalties and was close to being disqualified.