It’s the sixth race weekend of the season and details of the Sprint Qualifying at the F1 Miami GP session, including full report, and results, are below.
SQ1:
It’s lights out and cars are hitting the track, Gabriel Bortoleto is first to leave the pits.
With all drivers on the medium compound, we’ll see how the tyres progress throughout these 12 minutes.
Verstappen, already on a high this weekend with the arrival of his newborn daughter, sets the pace with a 1:27:953 on his first flying lap.
Shortly after, Norris improves on Verstappen’s time, whilst Piastri maintains a close pace, sliding into third.
This doesn’t last for long as Antonelli puts in a stellar lap, shooting to the top of the times.
Leclerc has a bounce against the wall at turn 16 on a flying lap, hopefully no immediate damage to the car!
With just over a minute to go, the track is busy with drivers attempting to put in one last flying lap. Norris notes on the radio that he feels he was held up by Vertsappen on his final lap, the issue has been referred to the stewards.
Out in SQ1: Stroll, Doohan, Tsunoda, Bortoleto, and Bearman. Doohan isn’t happy and takes to the radio to blame the team for holding him back, as they released him at the same time as his teammate.
This is the first time the Red Bull driver has been eliminated in SQ1 or Q1 this season as Sprint qualifying in Miami proved to be a killer.
SQ2:
A few minutes break and SQ2 is underway; it’s the medium tyre compound for all cars again.
Antonelli is on fire again and tops the timesheets, only to be topped by Norris, and then Piastri, who managed a 1:27:154.
The Ferraris of Leclerc and Hamilton are in sixth and eighth, respectively. It’ll be interesting to see if the two can pick up the pace and make it cleanly into SQ3.
One minute left and Verstappen has shot back up to the top of the timesheets. Norris manages to knock him off the top by around a tenth of a second.
Gasly hits the wall hard at turn 16 on his final flying lap and this majorly slows him down, it’s unlikely we’ll see him in SQ3.
Hamilton manages to push up into the top ten, with an impressive, and potentially unexpected, P6.
Sainz has a laptime deleted and has taken to the runoff area following a huge lockup at turn 11.
Out in SQ2: Hulkenberg, Ocon, Gasly, Lawson, and Sainz.
SQ3:
The final session is underway. In this session, all drivers need to use the soft tyre compound.
Verstappen and Russell are the first to hit the track. Norris, Piastri, Antonelli, Leclerc, Hamilton, Albon, Alonso, and Hadjar are the other drivers fighting for the best spot possible for tomorrow’s Sprint.
Russell beats Vertsappen to a provisional pole with a 1:26:791. As Verstappen only has one set of softs to use, is this the best time he can provide, or do his tyres have more to give.
Just over 3 minutes to go, and none of the other drivers have yet to hit the track. As just under 3 minutes hit, a flurry of drivers leave the pits.
Russell, still on provisional pole, takes to the pits and sits an additional lap out, whilst Verstappen remains on track, doing some cool down laps.
Verstappen grabs back provisional pole, but this is snatched from him by Antonelli who was faster by a quarter of a second!
Norris and Piastri beat Verstappen’s time also, finishing in P3 and P2 respectively.
Antonelli has claimed his maiden pole, a fantastic moment for the rookie driver, and for Mercedes. His teammate Russell, however, ended up in a lower P5.
Our top ten for the Sprint tomorrow: Antonelli, Piastri, Norris, Verstappen, Russell, Leclerc, Hamilton, Albon, Hadjar, and Alonso.
