Lando Norris took a comfortable victory at the Miami Grand Prix Sprint, as Oscar Piastri completed a McLaren one-two.
Charles Leclerc rounded out the top three, while Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen engaged in a trademark elbows-out battle, ultimately won by Verstappen at the second attempt, after both drivers previously ended up in the run-off.
Lando Norris victorious in Miami GP Sprint
Disaster struck for Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg on his way to the grid, as smoke, and shortly after flames, began emerging from the back of the R26.
He was out before the Sprint had even gotten underway.
Arvid Lindblad, meanwhile, was to start from the pit lane, after a breach of the parc ferme regulations from Racing Bulls.
Alex Albon dropped from a provisional P14 to 19th on the grid, as the confusion over his track limits breach from Sprint qualifying was clarified.
The top 16 all opted for medium tyres, as Lando Norris launched from pole. McLaren and Ferrari impressed on Friday with their upgraded machines.
Norris got the perfect launch. Piastri was up one to establish a McLaren one-two. Championship leader Antonelli was swamped, dropping to fourth behind Leclerc.
Russell, and a wheel-to-wheel Hamilton and Verstappen followed. Hamilton emerged ahead, as Pierre Gasly got a clip on the outside of that duo. All three escaped without damage.
Lindblad had not taken the start. Racing Bulls had detected a technical issue.
Antonelli quickly went on the offensive, leaving Leclerc complaining about the Italian moving under braking.
Norris, meanwhile, had put a second and a half between himself and Piastri by Lap 4.
Verstappen was struggling to brake with a jumping rear axle.
Slowly, Antonelli was dropping more into the clutches of teammate George Russell, who also had Hamilton in close quarters.
Russell went for it into Turn 17, passing down the inside. Antonelli looked to retaliate down the main straight into Turn 1, but Russell held the inside line, and fifth place, for now.
As Antonelli struck back at T11, Verstappen and Hamilton were in the run-off, Verstappen returning to the circuit ahead. Hamilton complained of an off-track pass, as Verstappen returned the position.
Verstappen re-passed Hamilton at Turn 17, the Ferrari unable to respond into T1. Job done for Verstappen.
Up ahead, Norris continued to gap Piastri as he scored a comfortable win, at the head of a McLaren one-two. Leclerc completed the top three.
Full Miami GP Sprint timesheet to follow…
Originally published by Planet F1 —
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