Max Verstappen put a disappointing qualifying behind him to secure victory at the Miami Grand Prix, finishing ahead of teammate Sergio Perez.
Having started from pole position, Perez had to settle for second after Verstappen started on a different tyre compound, while Fernando Alonso secured the final spot on the podium.
Lando Norris and Nyck DeVries had an early coming together, with the AlphaTauri colliding with the back of the Brit’s McLaren, while Logan Sargeant had to make an early pitstop for a new front wing.
Having missed out because of a red flag in qualifying, Verstappen started down in ninth, but made quick progress through the field, climbing up to fourth in the opening 10 laps.
Charles Leclerc also started further back than he’d have hoped after a crash in qualifying, but he couldn’t match Verstappen’s progress, finding himself unable to get ahead of Kevin Magnussen’s Haas.
Verstappen continued to make easy overtakes, racing past Carlos Sainz before easing ahead of Alonso, leaving him less than four second behind his teammate.
Perez pitted before his teammate caught him, leaving the reigning champion in clean air at the front of the field.
Sainz’s hopes of a podium were dealt a blow when he picked up a five-second time penalty for speeding in the pitlane, while there was concern from George Russell after he ran wide while battling with Lance Stroll.
Verstappen continued at the front of the field, knowing his pitstop would drop him back behind Perez, but also hoping a later stop would leave him with fresher tyres for the end of the race.
Verstappen eventually came in just 12 laps from the end of the race, rejoining the track just 1.5 seconds adrift of Perez, and with much newer tyres it didn’t take the reigning champion long to find a way past the Mexican.
Provisional classification:
1 Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
3. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
4. George Russell (Mercedes)
5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
6. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
7. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
8. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
9. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
10. Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
11. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri)
12. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
13. Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo)
14. Alex Albon (Williams)
15. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
16. Guanyu Zhou (Alfa Romeo)
17. Lando Norris (McLaren)
18. Nyck DeVries (AlphaTauri)
19. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
20. Logan Sargeant (Williams)
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