F1 LIVE: Miami Grand Prix result and updates as Max Verstappen holds off Charles Leclerc after late safety car
Follow live reaction as Max Verstappen held off a late charge from Charles Leclerc to win the inaugural Miami Grand Prix and close the gap to the Ferrari driver at the top of the championship standings.
Verstappen looked to be closing on a dominant win after passing both Leclerc and Carlos Sainz from third place but a late safety car, triggered after Pierre Gasly collided with Lando Norris, set up a thrilling finish.
The safety car led to the tightening of the field with 14 laps remaining. It worked out well George Russell - who was able to pit for mediums - and the Mercedes driver passed team-mate Lewis Hamilton to finish fifth.
But Verstappen was able to retain his lead over Leclerc, just as Sainz protected his place on the podium from Sergio Perez as the Spaniard recovered from consecutive DNFs.
Follow live reaction from the F1 Miami Grand Prix below:
F1 Miami Grand Prix
Norris out after being clipped by Gasly; safety car deployed
Verstappen passes Leclerc to take race lead
Hamilton drops to P8 after touch from Alonso
Leclerc leads as Verstappen passes Sainz on opening lap
Both Aston Martins to start the race from the pit lane due to fuel issue
Leclerc started on pole after Sainz ensures Ferrari lock out front row
Sports stars and celebrities including David Beckham and Michael Jordan in attendance
Verstappen celebrates Miami win
22:11 , Dan Austin
Max Verstappen is on the in-lap after taking the chequered flag and celebrating his victory in front of an adoring crowd.
“Yes! What a f****** race... That was nice!,” he exclaims over the team radio. “Tough one, but really good. Awesome job guys, we recoeverd from the start of the weekend so we can be really proud of that.”
Max Verstappen wins the Miami Grand Prix!
22:08 , Dan Austin
LAP 57/57
Max Verstappen has held off the challenge of Charles Leclerc and wins the inaugural Miami Grand Prix!
it’s a fully deserved victory for the world champion who chose his moment to overtake expertly in the early stages before controlling the race from there, despite a late safety car.
It’s Leclerc in second for Ferrari ahead of team-mate Carlos Sainz, with Sergio Perez in fourth, George Russell fifth and Lewis Hamilton sixth.
Schumacher and Vettel make contact
22:06 , Dan Austin
LAP 55/57
Mick Schumacher was on the verge of scoring his first ever Formula 1 points but a costly crash means his wait will go one.
He and Sebastian Vettel share a very clsoe relationship, but they came too close to one another on track here and Schumacher dives down the inside and slams into the side of Vettel’s Aston Martin.
The latetr is forced to retire from the race, while Schumacher limps back to the pits for a new front wing.
Russell lets Hamilton pass before overtaking again
22:05 , Dan Austin
LAP 54/57
George Russell has allowed Lewis Hamilton to re-pass him after originally making his own overtake by going off track.
Mercedes have been on the radio and told the younger man to cede the position for gaining an unfair advantage, and he does so before once more passing Hamilton again.
Perez goes too deep overtaking Sainz
22:01 , Dan Austin
LAP 53/57
Sergio perez has been loitering behind Carlos Sainz on his fresh medium tyres and finally goes for a move into Turn 1, but it doesn’t quite work out for him.
the Mexican makes a deep, deep lunge down the inside but locks up as he tries to rotate the car and he can’t slow down in time, overshooting the corner and allowing Sainz back through.
What a finale this is.
Leclerc hunting down Verstappen
21:59 , Dan Austin
LAP 51/57
Charles Leclerc is hunting down Max Verstappen now and is hovering just over half a second behind the Red Bull.
With DRS enabled, the Monegasque is coming very clsoe to an overtake at the end of the two straights but hasn;t quite been able to manage the pass due to the straight line speed advantage the Red Bull has.
This is going to be thrilling until the line.
Bottas error allows Hamilton and Russell through
21:57 , Dan Austin
LAP 50/57
Valtteri Bottas runs wide at one of the final slow corners of the lap and that allows both Mercedes drivers to slip through into fifth and sixth place!
Just moments later George Russell passes Lewis Hamilton for fifth place.
It’s all hotting up out in Miami.
Leading pair dropping Sainz again
21:54 , Dan Austin
LAP 48/57
Carlos Sainz is trying to desperately defend from Sergio Perez behind and that means Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc are away into the distance.
The Monegasque is within a second of the Ducthman and will be hoping to stay there until DRS comes into effect on the next lap.
Safety car is in and racing re-starts with Verstappen holding the lead!
21:52 , Dan Austin
LAP 47/57
Bert Maylander has taken the saftey car back into the pits and the race is underaway again for the final few laps!
Max Verstappen holds onto the lead as they head down into Turn 1, with Sergio Perez all over the gearbox of Carlos Sainz in third but unable to make the pass.
Pierre Gasly has retired after making contact with Lando Norris.
Alonso given time penalty
21:43 , Dan Austin
LAP 43/57
Fernando Alonso is sitting in eighth place behind George Russell but has been given a five-second time penalty for the contact he caused with Pierre Gasly on entry to Turn 1.
With just fifteen laps remaining, that is likely going to cost the Alpine driver significantly come the end of the race.
Perez pits for new tyres
21:42 , Dan Austin
LAP 42/57
A few cars have come in for second pit stops now that the full sfatey car is out on track, and Sergio Perez is on fresh mediums in comparison with the worn hards the front three are using, which could bring him into play massively for the final stages of this race.
The Mexican has a wonderful opportunity to challenge for the win now.
Safety car after Norris crashes out!
21:39 , Dan Austin
LAP 41/57
The safety car is out as Lando Norris retires from the race!
The McLaren driver makes contact with the slow-moving Pierre Gasly and is out of the race. Gasly has damage, was running wide at every corner and collected Norris as he tried to re-enter the track.
George Russell takes the opportunity to pit and is back out behind team-mate Lewis Hamilton in seventh.
Alonso and Gasly make contact!
21:37 , Dan Austin
LAP 40/57
Fernando Alonso has gone for an overtake on Pierre Gasly into Turn 1 and the pair make contact!
The Spaniard goes for the inside line butm as the Frenchman turns in, Alonso locks up and the ront left of his car swiped the right of Gasly’s AlphaTauri.
Alonso takes the position and Gasly drops behind Stroll behind. The stewards have noted the incident, and Alonso may well receive a penalty for that.
Vettel warned that rain is coming
21:32 , Dan Austin
LAP 37/57
Sebastian Vettel’s race engineer has been on the radio to warn that German there “is a bit fo rain in the air, maybe eight minutes away.”
Some wet weather could be the one thing which livens this race up, as it has settled into a fairly dull rhythm which cars spread out and unable to battle one another well. The track facilities may lend themselves to a good aprty atmosphere but the layout itself has produced quite low quality racing so far.
Action on track is lower down field
21:26 , Dan Austin
LAP 33/57
There are now gaps of at least five seconds between all of the top four, including eight seconds between Verstappen and Leclerc, meaning there isn’t much in the way of excitement going on.
The battling which is happening is going on between 11th and 15th place, where Lance Stroll is heading a DRS train including Kevin Magnussen, Mick Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel and Lando Norris.
The Haas cars have seemingly had their race ruined a little by being stuck behind Stroll, who they are unable to overtake and has yet to stop.
Slow stop for Sainz allows Perez to catch up
21:18 , Dan Austin
LAP 28/57
Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez have both come into the pits on the same lap now and a sticky front right wheel nut costs the Ferrari man a valuable couple of seconds.
They come back out in third and fourth, as they were running before entering the pits, but the Mexocan is now just five seconds behind rather than the eight he was after suffering a temporary loss of engine power.
Verstappen into pits from the lead
21:16 , Dan Austin
LAP 27/57
Race leader Max Verstappen takes his own pit stop two laps after Charles Leclerc and the mechanics in the Red Bull garage have done an excellent job.
The Dutchman is back out on track in second place, seven seconds behind Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari who has yet to stop.
Leclerc into the pits for Ferrari
21:13 , Dan Austin
LAP 25/57
Charles Leclerc has just set the fastest lap of the race, but is complaining about the performance of his car and is into the pits for new hard tyres.
The Monegasque is the first of the leading two teams to pit and comes back out in fourth, behind Sergio Perez and ahead of Valtteri Bottas.
Hamilton comes into pits
21:10 , Dan Austin
LAP 23/57
Lewis Hamilton is the first of the top six drivers to enter the pits and at 2.7s the Mercedes team will be happy with their work.
The 37-year-old is back out on track and ahead of Daniel Ricciardo in seventh, just behind team-mate George Russell, who has yet to stop.
Perez loses power and lots of time
21:08 , Dan Austin
LAP 22/57
Sergio Perez has reported a loss of pwoer to Red Bull and dropped back significantly from the frontrunners.
The Mexican had two very slow laps indeed and had to plead with his race engineer to believe him that there was a mechnical issue.
“I am losing power... I am losing four seconds on each straight!”, the Mexican bellowed, before Red Bull engaged some sort of a fix and Perez reports that things are well again.
He is now over 7.5s behind Carlos Sainz, though, meanign he has lost around six seconds of valuable time.
Norris loses out at pitstop
21:05 , Dan Austin
LAP 20/57
Lando Norris has taken his first trip into the pits and has lost out big time.
The Brit had to sit and wait for a slow tyre change and was overtaken by both Sebastian Vettel and Kevin Magnussen on exit.
He is down in sixteenth.
Race settling into rhythm with Verstappen in control
21:01 , Dan Austin
LAP 17/57
The battling out front has settled down for now with Max Verstappen in full control of this race and leading Charles Leclerc by 3.2s.
Carlos Sainz is a further 2.5s back, just over a second ahead of Sergio Perez.
The most intense battle on track had been between Pierre Gasly and Fernando Alonso for seventh place, but a slow stop from Alpine means a gap of a few seconds now exists between the pair.
Leclerc struggling on tyres
20:54 , Dan Austin
LAP 13/57
Charles Leclerc is now over 2.5s behind Max Verstappen after a very shoddy lap including a couple of lock-ups which cost him over a second.
The Ferrari is struggling on its tyres and the Monegasque is slipping back towards his team-mate and Sergio Perez.
Perez, in the faster car and just oevr a second behind Carlos Sainz, is well positioned in this race.
Verstappen dropping Leclerc after securing lead
20:50 , Dan Austin
LAP 11/57
After being able to stick with Max Verstappen for one lap, Charles Leclerc is now losing ground to the Ducthman and is outside the crucial one-second window to engage DRS.
The straight line speed advantage that the Red Bull’s lower donwforce setup is allowing for seems to be making all the difference so far.
Verstappen takes the lead!
20:48 , Dan Austin
LAP 9/57
Max Verstappen has taken the lead! His race engineer is on the radio to tell him that Charles Leclerc’s front right tyre is showing signs of graining and the Dutchman steps up the heat, eventually making the move stick with the help of DRS into Turn 1 with Leclerc unsure which side of the track to defend.
These two are set for another scintillating battle it seems, with Leclerc in DRS range himself now.
Zhou retires from race
20:45 , Dan Austin
LAP 7/57
“I can’t believe it!” shouts Guanyu Zhou as he pulls into the pits on the onstruction of his race engineer to retire from the race.
The 22-year-old has some sort of issue with his Alfa Romeo and is out of the inaugural Miami Grand Prix.
Hamilton back up into sixth
20:44 , Dan Austin
LAP 6/57
Lewis Hamilton has been on the team radio to complain that he has damage on the left rear of the car after receicing a tap from fernando Alonso at the start of the race, but the seven-time world champion doesn’t seem to strugglign at all as he once again uses DRS to make an overtake.
The 37-year-old coasts up alongside the AlphaTauri of Pierre Gasly and makes the position his own again after losing out to the Frenchman at the start.
Sainz being dropped by leading pair
20:43 , Dan Austin
LAP 5/57
Charles Leclerc leads Max Verstappen by just over 1.2 seconds, which crucially is putting him out of DRS range of the Red Bull behind.
The leading pair have dropped Carlos Sainz, who is almost three seconds behind Verstappen and trying to hold off Sergio Perez, who is chasing and less than one second behind.
Hamilton back past Alonso
20:39 , Dan Austin
LAP 3/57
More encouraging signs for Hamilton now as he uses DRS on the main staright to sail past Fernando Alonso and back into seventh.
The Alpine had no defence whatsoever against the Mercedes and it seems that DRS may be very powerful indeed around this track.
Both Hamilton and Russell losing places for Mercedes
20:37 , Dan Austin
LAP 3/57
Lewis Hamilton has lost two places off the start and Mercedes team-mate George Russell has lost three of his own.
The latter at least is on the hard tyre and looking to go long on the first stint, but this is a very poor start for Mercedes overall.
Excellent starts from Gasly and Alonso
20:36 , Dan Austin
LAP 2/57
What a start from Pierre Gasly and Fernando Alonso!
Gasly is up to sixth after passing Lewis Hamiltona and Alonso is seventh after starting tenth! The Spaniard has passed Alonso, Norris, and Tsunoda.
Start of the Miami Grand Prix and Charles Leclerc holds the lead!
20:34 , Dan Austin
LAP 1/57
The Miami Grand Prix is underway and Charles Leclerc has held onto the lead at the start!
Max Verstappen has passed Carlos Sainz and is into second, with Sergio Perez still fourth.
Drivers on the formation lap
20:32 , Dan Austin
18 cars have set off on the formation lap, with the Aston Martin pair sitting in the pitlane and waiting to start from there.
The mechanics and celebrities are being cleared from the grid for the start of the race and the crowd is building up a really brilliant atmosphere now.
Just a few moments to go until we start the inaugural Miami Grand Prix.
Fuel temperature problem for Aston Martin
20:27 , Dan Austin
The Aston Martin team has revealed that the fault which ic causing both its cars to start from the ptilane is a reault of fuel temperature issues.
At tracks with hgih tempreatures F1 teams keep their fuel refigerated before loading it into the car, but Aston Martin seem to have been unable to bring theirs back up to temperature in time.
This is a very rare and unusual problem to have.
Miami will be intense physical challenge for drivers
20:22 , Dan Austin
This inaugural Miami Grand Prix is going to be an intense physical challenge for all 20 drivers this afternoon, with temperatures above 30 degrees and a weight loss of about 3-4 kilograms for each driver likely.
The temperature inside the car will be around 50 degrees, which on a normal circuit is challenging enough, but on a street circuit with concerete barriers a matter of yards away is a whole different level of difficulty.
Verstappen hoping for straight line speed advantage
20:18 , Dan Austin
Max Verstappen is hoping that the lower downforce he is running on his Red Bull in comparison with the Ferraris will allow him to pass Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz on the Miami circuit’s long straight.
“Hopefully on the straight [I can pass],” he told Sky Sports News. “A lot of things can happen today weather and staretgy wise. It’s gonna be nice and warm!”
Aston Martins starting from pitlane
20:13 , Dan Austin
In amongst his stupefyingly hilarious conversations with celebrities on the grid, Martin Brundle has managed to find out that both Aston Martins will be starting the race from the pitlane.
Lance Stroll had been due to start in tenth and Sebastian Vettel in 13th but both men will be at the back of the pack due to what Stroll calls “some sort of an issue with the fuel.”
Brundle’s grid walk gold again
20:09 , Dan Austin
Martin Brundle is currently engaging in his traditional pre-race grid walk and his interactions with celebrities have been absolute gold so far.
The former McLaren driver has enjoyed a spectacularly awakward walk-and-talk with tennis star Venus Williams, stood mouth agape during a monologue from DJ Khaled about the brilliance of Miami, and asked questions to a man he thought was Patrick Mahomes before finding out he wasn’t and asking, “What is your name, sir?”
Amazing.
Drivers making their way to the grid
20:01 , Dan Austin
The drivers’ parade is all done-and-dusted now and the twenty who will be taking the start in tonight’s race are all suited up and touring the track in their cars so they can park up on the grid.
This Miami street circuit is a fascinatingly unique layout which doesn’t really resemble any of the other city centre tracks on the calendar, and presents a significant challenge to the drivers.
With the tight concrete barriers around the edge we could be facing the prospect of multiple red flags.
Alonso, Russell and Ricciardo among drivers to watch at the start
19:55 , Dan Austin
All eyes will be on the front of the grid at the start of the race, of course, as the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz look to hold off the pressure from Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez in the Red Bulls behind.
But further down the order there is the potential for some intriguing battles that could set the tone for the rest of the race.
Fernando Alonso could onyl qualify 11th yesterday and has been beset by horrendous luck so far this season, but has demonstrated excellent race pace in ever grand prix and could challenge the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll and AlphaTauri of Yuki Tsunoda ahead of him early doors.
George Russell in the Mercedes is in 12th and started brilliantly at Imola last time out, while Daniel Ricciardo gas a point to prove once again after qualifying a lowly 14th on Saturday.
Drivers on dirty side of grid could be vulnerable at the start
19:48 , Dan Austin
One of the main consequences that the slippery track surface has is that the side of the grid which is off the racing line will provide drivers with less grip at the very start of the race.
That means that drivers who have qualified in even-numbered grid slots will have a mroe difficult time finding traction and could potentially be slow off the line.
That means that Carlos Sainz, Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton ins econd, fourth, and sixth respectively have a job on their hands when the five lights go out.
Light rain beginning to fall in Miami
19:43 , Dan Austin
The Miami race weekend has been conducted beneath glorious sunshine so far, but things are taking a bit of a turn with under an hour to go until lights out.
Light rain has started to fall on the track around the Hard Rock Stadium, which could render an already slippery track even more treacherous for the drivers.
The portions off the track off the racing line have already caused spins, and rain could pretty much guarantee us one or two red flags...
Ferrari looking to extend lead in constructors’ championship
19:38 , Dan Austin
Resurgent Ferrari’s superb start to the season, combined with their impressive durability, means that they have a healthy lead in the constructors’ standings going into the fifth round of racing tonight.
Starting with Charles Leclerc on pole and team-mate Carlos Sainz in second means the Scuderia have an excellent opportunity to syrengthen their grip on the championship, which they have not won since 2007, going into the European portion of the season.
Here’s a remidner of the team standings prior to the Miami Grand Prix:
1. Ferrari - 124
2. Red Bull - 113
3. Mercedes - 77
4. McLaren - 46
5. Alfa Romeo - 25
6. Alpine -22
7. AlphaTauri - 16
8. Haas - 15
9. Aston Martin - 5
10. Williams - 1
Standings heading into Miami Grand Prix as Leclerc leads Verstappen
19:28 , Dan Austin
By securing pole in Florida on Saturday night, Charles Leclerc has given himself a great opportunity to extend his lead at the top of the drivers’ standings.
The Monegasque leads due to a combination of his own excellent start to the season and relibaility issues for Red Bull which have caused Max Verstappen to retire twice.
Here’s a reminder of the standings going into tonight’s race:
1. Leclerc - 86
2. Verstappen - 59
3. Perez - 54
4. Russell - 49
5. Sainz - 38
6. Norris - 35
7. Hamilton - 28
8. Bottas - 24
9. Ocon - 20
10. Magnussen - 15
Miami Grand Prix
19:24 , Jamie Braidwood
Lewis Hamilton, Michael Jordan, David Beckham and Tom Brady - the stars are truly out in Miami today.
#LFG @LewisHamilton @Jumpman23 #DB pic.twitter.com/BcLHYNviSI
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) May 8, 2022
Drivers heading on parade in style
19:18 , Dan Austin
The traditional pre-race drivers’ parade is being riffed on a little in Miami this weekend, with all twenty drivers touring the circuit individually in a series on luxury vehicles rather than the standard pick-up truck.
Track surface causing consternation and could harm race quality
19:07 , Dan Austin
So far this weekend the Miami facility have earned rave reviews from drivers, team principals, and media alike as it hosts its inaugural Formula 1 Grand Prix.
The staging of the event is undoubtedly spectaular and the track layout has been praised by drivers for its unique qualities, which provided a different kind of challenge to some of the more standard street circuits on the calendar. The track surface, however, has come in for some criticism and the quality of racing this evenign could be diminished.
The tarmac which has been put down is very slippery and a plethora of drivers suffered spins during practice and qualiifyign at various different corners on the track, with the grip off the racing oine compared to wet conditions by Max Verstappen.
That means that going off line to overtake will be risky indeed and could cause drivers to be more cautious than they would like to be.
McLaren complete filming with James Corden
18:57 , Dan Austin
Late Late Show host James Corden has spent the weekend loitering around the McLaren garage and the team has apparently wrapped up filming with him for a feature which will be broadcast on his late night US talk show at some point in the near future.
Corden recently announced he will be leaving the show in 2023. Hopefully he stays in America, though...
He came, he saw, he conquered. 🙌
Thanks to @JKCorden for getting us race ready!
Catch us on the @LateLateShow soon. 👀#MiamiGP 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/rbs9qLZHlh— McLaren (@McLarenF1) May 8, 2022
Miami vying to become F1’s most glamorous event
18:46 , Dan Austin
With Monaco’s star fading a little in Formula 1 thanks to the lack of exiciting racing at the narrow track over the past couple of decades, Miami is makign a clear attempt to become the sport’s glamour hotspot.
Plenty of the world’s richest and most famous are littering the paddock as guests of teams and drivers with access to the event which regular fans could only dream of.
Celebrities out in force at Miami Grand Prix
18:37 , Dan Austin
The Miami race weekend has attracted a plethora of stars already, and plenty more are joining for tonight’s main event around the edges of the Hard Rock Stadium.
David Beckham, who owns local MLS football team Inter Miami, and rapper Bad Bunny have been in the Red Bull garage this evening.
Ralf Schumacher criticises ‘childish’ Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel’s protests
18:25 , Jack Rathborn
Ralf Schumacher has hit out at Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel for their “childish” protests at the FIA’s ban on drivers racing with jewellery and ensuring drivers wear fire-retardant underwear.
Both drivers turned up to their press conferences in Miami this week with the Briton wearing three watches and the German wearing his underpants on the outside of his race suit.
“I find it all a bit childish, to be honest,” Schumacher told Sky Deutschland. “[They] should actually be in favour because it’s about safety.
“The drivers who drive Formula 3 and Formula 4 should know the big ones stick to it,” he said.
“And above all it’s about their own safety and that it’s actually a ridiculous thing that such experienced people who have seen so many accidents make fun of it in that way.”
You got the time, Lewis? 😉✨✨ pic.twitter.com/7EazbIXfdk
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) May 6, 2022
Miami Grand Prix: Max Verstappen criticises Red Bull reliability issues
18:15 , Jack Rathborn
“I have only done four or five laps yesterday and you cannot afford that on a new track, and a street circuit in general,” Verstappen said, “because it is very critical to do laps and understand the car.
“On a normal track, it is quite easy to get in a rhythm but on a street circuit it is a lot more difficult and we basically failed on that side.
“You start today still learning the track, trying to find a set-up because yesterday you had no clue what worked because we had not a lot of data to look at.
“Of course we are experienced (enough) to catch up a lot of it, but to really fight against a strong team like that, we cannot afford it. We still got close but we could have done a much better job today if we had a cleaner Friday.
“Up until a certain point, it was fine, but to really go to the limit and try to find more time, in Q3 I was still figuring out a lot of things in terms of braking and brake shapes and all these kinds of things to try and be faster.”
Miami Grand Prix 2022
18:05 , Jack Rathborn
Lewis Hamilton arrives at Miami International Autodrome
17:55 , Jack Rathborn
Miami Grand Prix
17:45 , Jamie Braidwood
Lewis Hamilton has told Formula One’s rulers that he will not remove his nose piercing for the rest of the season.
The seven-time world champion appeared to adhere to the FIA’s jewellery cockpit clampdown by taking out his earrings for Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix – hours after wearing a plethora of jewellery during a pre-race press conference. He even suggested he could withdraw from the grand prix in protest.
Hamilton was talked out of that specific threat following a discussion with FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem and a meeting with the FIA’s president of the medical commission, Dr Sean Petherbridge, on Friday.
The 37-year-old said he would remove his earrings and was handed a two-race medical exemption for his nose stud which cannot be easily taken out.
However, after qualifying sixth on Saturday, Hamilton said he was not satisfied with the compromise and insisted he would not remove the nose piercing when his exemption expires at the Monaco Grand Prix on May 29.
It means Hamilton faces a sanction from the FIA – likely to be in the form of a fine, or points on his licence.
“No, [I am not going to do it], ” said Hamilton when asked if he was going to take out his nose stud.
“I got an exemption here and I will get exemptions for the rest of the year. Wedding rings are allowed. I will wear four watches next time.”
Miami Grand Prix
17:30 , Jamie Braidwood
Max Verstappen has ‘genuine respect’ for F1 title rival Charles Leclerc, says Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.
The two drivers have shared victories in the first four races of this season - with Ferrari’s Leclerc winning in Bahrain and Melbourne, and Verstappen securing maximum points in Saudi Arabia and Italy.
Despite the same number of race wins in 2022, Leclerc leads Verstappen by 27 points in the drivers’ standings due to the reigning world champion failing to finish in Bahrain and Australia.
But while the pair look set to face off for victories throughout 2022, Horner insists Verstappen has a good relationship with Leclerc.
Speaking to GP Fans, he said: “I think they have grown up racing each other in karting and so on, they know each other very well.
“They come from the same generation and there is a genuine respect between the two of them.”
Max Verstappen has ‘genuine’ respect for Charles Leclerc, claims Christian Horner
Miami Grand Prix
17:15 , Jamie Braidwood
Daniel Ricciardo’s future beyond next year is undecided, with McLaren CEO Zak Brown adamant there is “no rush” to secure the Australian to a long-term deal.
Ricciardo, who is tied down until the end of the 2023, has managed to improve on what was a disappointing debut season after switching from Renault in 2021.
The 32-year-old is currently 11th in the drivers’ championship, with 11 points, including a best finish of sixth in Melbourne.
But after four races, Ricciardo is still well behind teammate Lando Norris, who is sixth on 35 points, having extended his contract to the end of 2025.
McLaren boss insists ‘no rush’ over new contract for Daniel Ricciardo
Max Verstappen tipped to have the edge on Charles Leclerc at Miami Grand Prix
17:00 , Jamie Braidwood
Max Verstappen has the edge over Charles Leclerc heading into the Miami Grand Prix this weekend, according to former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya.
Reigning world champion Verstappen claimed victory last time out in Italy as he cut the gap to Leclerc in the drivers’ standings to 27 points.
The Dutchman’s win was his second of the season - his first coming in Saudi Arabia. Leclerc has also won two races in Bahrain and Australia, but has been able to move clear of Verstappen due to the Red Bull driver failing to finish both of those races.
Yet despite Ferrari’s Leclerc leading the standings heading to Florida, Montoya feels Verstappen has the edge and believes Leclerc’s spin late on in the Emilia Romagna GP - which saw him drop from third to sixth - gives his rival the upper hand.
Speaking to VegasInsider, the seven-time Grand Prix winner said: “If I was a betting person, I would probably put my money on Max.
“I think Charles [Leclerc], with the crash, unless the team went to him and said ‘just keep pushing, don’t worry about it’.
“If they said that to him, he could still win the race. But my money would be on Max this week. Especially with the Miami weather.”
Max Verstappen tipped to have the edge on Charles Leclerc at Miami Grand Prix
Miami Grand Prix
16:45 , Jamie Braidwood
Charles Leclerc takes a very special car for a run on the 40th anniversary of the passing of F1 icon Gilles Villeneuve #SalutGilles @ScuderiaFerrari
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 8, 2022
Kevin Magnussen: ‘I used to think a world championship would be my key to happiness’
16:30 , Jamie Braidwood
Exclusive interview by Tom Kershaw
When Kevin Magnussen first entered Formula 1 back in 2014, realising a dream he’d held practically since birth, his overriding emotion wasn’t always elation but often fear. It wasn’t the inherent physical danger of driving at breakneck speeds but the sense of dread that seemed to shadow him at the wheel, that a single mistake might cost him everything he’d worked towards.
It is one of life’s great contradictions that sometimes the only way to liberate yourself of those fears is for them to come to fruition. At the end of 2020, after four consecutive seasons with Haas, the team’s principal, Guenther Steiner, told Magnussen that his contract wasn’t being renewed.
“I would put too much pressure on myself when I was young, I think,” Magnussen says. “F1 meant too much to me. Succeeding meant too much to me and it stopped me from being able to perform to the best of my ability. I’d say it held me back quite a few years. I was scared of losing my drive all the time and I would think about it a lot, like what would happen to me, it’s not like I had much to fall back on. The fear distracted me. I don’t carry that now.”
Kevin Magnussen: ‘I used to think a world championship would be my key to happiness’
Miami Grand Prix
16:15 , Jamie Braidwood
IT'S RACE DAY IN MIAMI! 🌴😎🤙
Bring on our first-ever Grand Prix in the Sunshine State! 🤩 #MiamiGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/xvbdSbswNw— Formula 1 (@F1) May 8, 2022
Miami Grand Prix
16:00 , Jamie Braidwood
Lewis Hamilton has told Formula One’s rulers that he will not remove his nose piercing for the rest of the season.
The seven-time world champion appeared to adhere to the FIA’s jewellery cockpit clampdown by taking out his earrings for Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix – hours after wearing a plethora of jewellery during a pre-race press conference. He even suggested he could withdraw from the grand prix in protest.
Hamilton was talked out of that specific threat following a discussion with FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem and a meeting with the FIA’s president of the medical commission, Dr Sean Petherbridge, on Friday.
The 37-year-old said he would remove his earrings and was handed a two-race medical exemption for his nose stud which cannot be easily taken out.
Lewis Hamilton refuses to compromise over nose stud in jewellery row with FIA
Miami Grand Prix
15:45 , Jamie Braidwood
“It is incredible to be here in the US and to see how much the sport has grown,” said Leclerc after sealing pole position.
“The last race was not great because I made a mistake but we start on pole here and I need to finish the job tomorrow.”
Verstappen, who missed Friday’s second practice session with mechanical gremlins, added: “To be that competitive in qualifying was a bit of a surprise. Of course you want to be on pole but I think we did a good job and we need to make the weekends less difficult for ourselves.
“We have a good chance for tomorrow so I am looking forward to that.”
Mercedes car ‘bouncing like a kangaroo' as Toto Wolff admits drivers are unhappy
15:30 , Jack Rathborn
Toto Wolff has revealed yet more problems for Mercedes after detailing how Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are ‘unhappy’ with their car which is ‘bouncing like a kangaroo’.
“No, not at all,” Wolff said when asked if he is seeing improvements. “I think we have seen a performance car yesterday in FP2 that was real, we were able to put it in a sweet spot. Today in FP3 we were completely off with the experiments that we did.
“The car is still bouncing like a kangaroo and the drivers are not happy with it and you can see that is the reason we are off
“Yes, we definitely have a better handle [on what does and doesn’t work]. Also the slump that we had from yesterday and today helped. Yeah, it lifted me up that, it lifted me up.”
When is the Miami Grand Prix?
15:20 , Jamie Braidwood
The Miami Grand Prix is due to begin at 8.30pm BST on Sunday 8 May.
How can I watch it?
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the Miami Grand Prix live on Sky Sports. Race coverage begins on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event at 8.25pm BST, with build-up from 7pm . Subscribers can watch the action via the Sky Go app.
Miami Grand Prix starting grid
15:11 , Jamie Braidwood
1. Charles Leclerc - Ferrari
2. Carlos Sainz - Ferrari
3. Max Verstappen - Red Bull
4. Sergio Perez - Red Bull
5. Valtteri Bottas - Alfa Romeo
6. Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes
7. Pierre Gasly - AlphaTauri
8. Lando Norris - McLaren
9. Yuki Tsunoda - AlphaTauri
10. Lance Stroll - Aston Martin
11. Fernando Alonso - Alpine
12. George Russell - Mercedes
13. Sebastian Vettel - Aston Martin
14. Daniel Ricciardo - McLaren
15. Mick Schumacher - Haas
16. Kevin Magnussen - Haas
17. Guanyu Zhou - Alfa Romeo
18. Alexander Albon - Williams
19. Nicholas Latifi - Williams
20. Esteban Ocon - Alpine
F1 2022 Drivers’ Standings
13:52 , Jack Rathborn
Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 59 points
Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing | 54 points
George Russell | Mercedes | 49 points
Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 38 points
Lando Norris | McLaren | 35 points
Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 28 points
Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo | 24 points
Esteban Ocon | Alpine F1 | 20 points
Kevin Magnussen | Haas F1 Team | 15 points
Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren | 11 points
Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri | 10 points
Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri | 6 points
Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin | 4 points
Fernando Alonso | Alpine F1 | 2 points
Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo | 1 point
Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1 point
Alexander Albon | Williams Racing | 1 point
Mick Schumacher | Haas F1 Team | 0 points
Nicholas Latifi | Williams Racing | 0 points
