F1: Verstappen Clinches Sprint Victory Ahead of Leclerc At Miami
At the 2024 Miami Sprint Race, Max Verstappen secured a hard-fought victory from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc whilst Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton struggled to get past the rolling roadblock of Kevin Magnussen’s Haas.
Verstappen faced stiff competition from Leclerc off the line, the pair going wheel to wheel before the Dutchman cemented his lead. However, the Monegasque managed to keep him within two seconds till the chequered flag. Verstappen’s skilful driving ultimately secured him the win, despite complaining about his Red Bull’s handling and lack of grip throughout the race.
Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo’s impressive performance in the sprint qualifying showcased his resilience and return to the form he was once famous for. Despite driving a car not naturally suited for top-tier contention, Ricciardo held his ground in fourth place, fending off attacks from Carlos Sainz in the latter stages of the race.
However, the race wasn’t without its share of challenges for Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton. After causing and surviving a collision at the start involving Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, Hamilton struggled to make significant progress.
His attempts to pass Kevin Magnussen’s Haas for the final points paying position were thwarted by some over-the-top defensive driving resulting in multiple penalties for track limit violations for the Danish driver trying to protect his teammate Hulkenberg up ahead.
After a long battle Hamilton finally got past the Haas but it was all for nought as the Briton himself caught a time penalty for speeding in the pitlane, promoting Yuki Tsunoda up securing a double points finish for the RB team.
Finishing Order:
M. Verstappen (RBR)C. Leclerc (Ferrari)S. Perez (RBR)D. Ricciardo (VCARB)C. Sainz (Ferrari)O. Piastri (McLaren)N. Hulkenberg (Haas)Y. Tsunoda (VCARB)P. Gasly (Alpine)L. Sargeant (Williams)G. Zhou (Stake)G. Russell (Mercedes)A. Albon (Williams)V. Bottas (Stake)E. Ocon (Alpine)L. Hamilton (Mercedes)F. Alonso (Aston Martin)K. Magnussen (Haas)
DNF:
L. Stroll (Aston Martin), L. Norris (McLaren)
