Max Verstappen will leave from third place in the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday. The Limburger set the third fastest time in qualifying. Charles Leclerc starts from pole position.
The front row of the grid will be red, as next to Leclerc is Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz.
Ocon
During the first two qualifying rounds on the new Formula 1 circuit, it quickly became clear that the battle for the first starting position would be between Ferrari and Red Bull. In the first two qualifying rounds, Leclerc was faster than Verstappen. Only 19 drivers took part in the first qualifying round because Esteban Ocon had too much damage to his car after his crash in the third free practice.
Surprise
The biggest surprise came in the second qualifying round. George Russell, the number four in the World Cup standings, did not get further than the twelfth time. The Briton will therefore start on Sunday from twelfth place. Daniel Ricciardo also failed to reach the third qualifying round. He starts in Miami from 14th place.
Good time
In the third qualifying round, Verstappen immediately set a good time on his first attempt. The Limburger was the only one to drive under 1 minute and 29 seconds: 1.28.991. He was 0.064 seconds faster than Leclerc. Leading up to the second and final run, the Ferraris of Leclerc and Carlos Sainz decided to go out first, followed by the Red Bulls of Verstappen and Sergio Pérez. In the last run, Leclerc and Sainz took all the risks. Leclerc managed to set a new fastest time: 1.28.796.
mistake
In his wake Sainz managed to set the second fastest time. Verstappen made a mistake during his run, which prevented him from improving his time. Verstappen will therefore start on the second row, with teammate Sergio Pérez next to him. Leclerc will start on pole position for the third time this season. The previous two times, the Monegask turned his first starting position into a win.
Max takes P in Miami
After a tricky weekend so far, it’s a P3 start for tomorrow’s race. +0.195 behind P1.
Full send tomorrow Prepare for an exciting race, Orange Army #MiamiGP pic.twitter.com/tsLrRMtzYG
— Max Verstappen (@VerstappenCOM) May 7, 2022
Satisfied
Verstappen was satisfied after qualifying: “I am a bit surprised that we were still so competitive, because after Friday I still had to get to know the track”, the Limburger refers to the second free practice on Friday. Verstappen was unable to drive laps in it due to problems with his car. “I think we have a good chance in the race.”
Live
The Miami Grand Prix starts on Sunday at 9:30 PM and can be followed in a live blog on 1Limburg.
Watch the L1 motorsport program Pitlane with a preview of Sunday’s race: