Skip to main content

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Live text
Formula 1 Miami GP

F1 Miami GP Live Commentary and Updates – FP3 & Qualifying

Saturday's action from the fifth round of the 2023 Formula 1 season

Live Standings

Stopped

Summary

  • Summary
    • Perez secures third career F1 pole ahead of Alonso and Sainz
    • Verstappen will start ninth after failing to set a time in Q3, having to abort his first run with an error before red flags curtailed his second run
    • Leclerc's Turn 6 crash with 1m36s to go meant the session was not resumed and locked in a top six made up from six different teams
    • Eliminated in Q2: Albon, Hulkenberg, Hamilton, Zhou, de Vries
    • Eliminated in Q1: Norris, Tsunoda, Stroll, Piastri, Sargeant
  • Leaderboard
    1. Perez, Red Bull
    2. Alonso, Aston Martin
    3. Sainz, Ferrari
    4. Magnussen, Haas
    5. Gasly, Alpine
    6. Russell, Mercedes
    7. Leclerc, Ferrari 
    8. Ocon, Alpine
    9. Verstappen, Red Bull
    10. Bottas, Alfa Romeo

Live Text

Sort by
Thank you ever so much as always for joining us. We'll be back tomorrow to bring you build up to the race and all the action from what promises to be a barnstormer. See you around 8pm BST!
Perez on pole, Verstappen ninth, Alonso vying for a first win with Aston Martin from the front row and a plethora of teams mixed up at the sharp end. Tomorrow's Miami Grand Prix looks like it will be essential watching. Where will you be taking it in from?
Breaking news
In case you missed any of that frantic and eventful qualifying session, here's the recap from Jake Boxall-Legge: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-miami-gp-perez-secures-pole-as-leclerc-crash-prompts-red-flag/10466138/
As with at Aston, the Ferrari and Red Bull camps will be equally split tonight between delighted and frustrated as errors cost Leclerc and Verstappen. Who had that prediction on their bingo card for qualifying?
A huge roar from the crowd as Perez takes his turn to chat to Patrick, the Mexican admitting that this has been his "worst weekend up to qualifying". No doubt that this is a popular outcome with the Miami fans.
Very much a qualifying of two halves for Aston Martin, with Stroll starting from P18 and Alonso on the front row. Could Alonso launch a bid for victory from there?
It's a third career pole then for Perez, and his first that's not in Jeddah. A dream scenario for the Mexican as he bids to capitalise on the momentum of his Baku win.
Former IndyCar and NASCAR racer Danica Patrick is currently chatting to the top three drivers in qualifying. Carlos Sainz calls P3 a "decent outcome".
Is this the first time we've ever had six different constructors in the top six positions on the grid?
Replays show the back end just stepped out on Leclerc as he took the Turn 6 left-hander, the Ferrari spinning wildly into the run-off before lightly impacting the wall square on with the rear section.
Perhaps the only man in the place as excited as Perez is Kevin Magnussen, who sounds overjoyed with fourth on his radio.
It's a front-row start too for Alonso, while Verstappen after his error on that first run will have to settle for starting from ninth.
Checkered flag
Q3 will not be resumed, and Perez has pole!
Red flag
We have a red flag as the Ferrari driver spins out and ends up in the barriers. He's out and unscathed, but a bad end to qualifying for Leclerc who also crashed out in FP2 yesterday.
Crash
Leclerc has crashed!
Here we go then. Time for the decisive final runs of Q3 as all 10 including Bottas (yet to set a time) head out.
A light touch of the wall in Turn 16 for Leclerc hampered his first effort. Can he move closer to the fight, having surrendered 1.020s to Perez first time around?
So as things stand Perez has pole by 0.361s from Alonso, with Sainz 0.508s back. But will those positions remain unchanged after the second runs? Remarkably, we have six different cars in the top six at the moment.
Replays show Verstappen had a big wobble through Turn 4, then ran wide at the double-apex Turns 7 and 8 complex. That's what caused him to abort his lap, rather than any repeat of his Jeddah mechanical dramas.
Sainz goes third with his first effort, a 1m27.349s. That puts him ahead of high-flying Magnussen, Gasly, Russell and Leclerc in a lowly seventh. Ocon is the slowest of the eight to run so far.
Verstappen has come straight into the box. A problem for the Dutchman?
Stopwatch
Perez sets the initial benchmark at 1m26.841s. Nearest challenger Alonso logs a 1m27.202s.
Verstappen has scotched his first flyer. So what can Perez muster?
Bottas stays home for the start of the session, but we've got nine others currently warming up for their hot laps. We anticipate the top guns will go for two flyer attempts.
Lights green
We're green for the final part of qualifying. Who are your bets on?
Perez once again had the fastest third sector in Q2, as this time Leclerc was fastest through the twisty middle section. Verstappen paced the opening stanza.
Verstappen, Leclerc and Alonso are joined in Q3 by Sainz, Perez, Ocon and Bottas, as Gasly, Magnussen and Russell complete the top 10. That's seven different cars in the top 10. Can't say fairer than that!
At the sharp end there was just 0.283s between Verstappen and Alonso in third, the Red Bull and Aston split by Leclerc's on-song Ferrari 0.150s down. Could we really have a three-team fight for pole on our hands?
It's P13 for Hamilton, as Russell just makes the cut in tenth spot. Albon is left to rue leaving 0.052s on the table in 11th as Hulkenberg is just over a tenth shy in 12th. Behind the seven-time world champion, Zhou and De Vries complete the Q2 runners.
Checkered flag
Magnussen and Russell scrape through, but Hamilton misses out!
Quote
Verstappen meanwhile lowers the benchmark again to a 1m26.814s. Leclerc is tracking him, getting down to 1m26.964s, while Alonso springs up to third.
Hulkenberg has been noted for an unsafe release that had Alonso jamming on his brakes prior to these final runs.
Mercedes are looking for another Houdini here with both cars facing the drop as things stand. They pulled it off in Q1, but can lightning strike twice for Russell and Hamilton?
Drivers are shaping up for their final runs now. Who can muscle their way into the decisive Q3 session?

By: Autosport Staff

Published: