F1: Verstappen Secures Miami Grand Prix Pole Ahead Ferrari’s Leclerc and Sainz

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen clinched his seventh consecutive pole position at the 2024 Miami Grand Prix. This achievement marked a significant milestone for Verstappen, as he secured his first pole in the vibrant city, joining a very quick stable of drivers to have secured seven pole positions in a row, alongside names like Schumacher, Senna and Hamilton.

Verstappen’s pole position didn’t come without a fight. Once again, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc emerged as his closest competitor, trailing the Dutchman by a mere 0.141 seconds. 

While Verstappen and Leclerc claimed the front row, ahead of their teammates, the other Ferrari of Carlos Sainz in third and RedBull’s Sergio Perez in fourth. McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri secured the third row on the grid. 

The McLaren duo outperformed Mercedes’ duo of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, who locked out the fourth row. Hamilton faced challenges in replicating his Q2 performance with Russell, beating his teammate in qualifying for the sixth time in seven races.

In the midfield, Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg continued his consistent performance, securing a ninth-place starting position. VCARB’s Yuki Tsunoda rounded out the top ten.

Aston Martin experienced mixed fortunes in qualifying, with Lance Stroll narrowly missing out on Q3 and starting from 11th place. Fernando Alonso, on the other hand, will start from 15th on the grid.

Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas narrowly missed out on advancing to Q2, securing 16th place on the grid. Meanwhile, Williams’ Logan Sargeant faced a disappointing Q1 exit, and will start from 19th place on a home grand prix weekend where his future in the sport is being called into question.

Haas driver Kevin Magnussen expressed frustration with traffic during qualifying, lamenting the challenges of navigating a crowded track. Despite his efforts, Magnussen could only secure 17th place on the grid.

Sauber driver Zhou Guanyu faced scrutiny from stewards following qualifying, with investigations initiated for alleged infractions during the session. 

Despite his heroic performance in the sprint race, Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo encountered disappointment in qualifying. The Australian driver finished 18th on the grid, facing the prospect of starting from the back due to a grid penalty incurred in the previous race.