F1 Miami GP Live Commentary and Updates - Race day | Live text

By: Jake Boxall-Legge, Haydn Cobb, Tom Howard

Summary

Verstappen wins the F1 Miami Grand Prix from Leclerc and Sainz
Perez in fourth with Russell and Hamilton in fifth and sixth for Mercedes
Vettel retires after contact with Schumacher
Safety car deployed after contact between Norris and Gasly, ending both their races
Zhou retires on lap 7

Leaderboard

Verstappen, Red Bull
Leclerc, Ferrari
Sainz, Ferrari
Perez, Red Bull
Russell, Mercedes
Hamilton, Mercedes
Bottas, Alfa Romeo
Ocon, Alpine
Alonso, Alpine
Albon, Williams

Status: Stopped

00:31 Thanks for joining us across this weirdly manic weekend - we'll see you in a couple of weeks' time with a return to your usual scheduling, with the Spanish GP coming up next. See you then!

00:30 Here's the report from Miami: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/miami-f1-gp-race-report/10301567/

00:26 And...a post-race black-and-white flag for Alonso with regards to his track limits. So I guess that's no penalty, meaning he keeps P9.

00:22 TONIGHT...Magnussen gets a five-second penalty for his contact with Stroll, Ricciardo gets a five-second penalty for leaving the track, and Sainz takes his shirt off.

00:21 The top three jump on buggies to get to the podium, plus police escort. What is this...

00:18 Magnussen gets a black and white flag after the race is over for weaving on the straight. Don't know how it's possible to have post-race flags, but there we are.

00:17 Alonso has a further investigation awaiting him, apparently leaving the track and gaining an advantage. Meanwhile, the Vettel/Schumacher incident will receive no further action.

00:13 "I think I need a drink, and I think you also need a drink," Verstappen says over the radio. It's been scorchio in Miami, so worth knocking back a few waters before opting for anything stronger.

00:12 Albon was just 0.2s off doubling his fun, but still, the lucky red hair continues to give him the rub of the green.

00:10 I say late Alpine switch, I mean "Alonso has a five-second penalty applied". Thanks to Haydn for reminding me!

00:09 Russell beats Hamilton to fifth, as Bottas takes seventh, Ocon eighth, Alonso ninth after a late Alpine switch and Albon taking his second point of the year.

00:08 Leclerc had a good go at the end - but settles for second, as Sainz holds third ahead of Perez.

00:08 That's a Miami Grand Prix win for Max Verstappen!

00:07 All that midfield carnage has promoted Ocon to ninth and Albon to 10th.

00:07 It's the final lap.

00:06 Elsewhere a Schumacher vs Ricciardo incident is also under investigation for one of them leaving the track and gaining an advantage.

00:05 Vettel has retired to the pits having suffered huge damage to his sidepod, while Schumacher pits for tyres and a front wing. That incident is under investigation by the race stewards.

00:04 It's a 1m31.361s for Verstappen, four tenths clear of Leclerc. That's probably it for now. Let's wrap it up so we can knock off early.

00:04 Oh no! The Schumacher and Vettel love in is over as the pair clash! Vettel had got ahead of him and Ocon at Turn 17 but the battle continued to Turn 1 and Schumacher and Vettel crash at the apex.

00:02 Leclerc's giving it his all here, but Verstappen might have seen the worst of a choppy restart and is just stretching out the gap now.

00:02 Stroll gets by Magnussen for 14th on lap 53.

00:00 Perez absolutely launches it down the inside of Sainz into Turn 1 at the start of lap 52, but just overcooked it, and the two were millimetres away from contact! Sainz holds third for now!

23:59 Schumacher is somehow hanging on to ninth place with Ocon, on his fresh softs, still all over his rear wing.

23:59 Stroll has now been shown the black and white flag for weaving on the straight.

23:58 Magnussen vs Stroll ends up with no further action from the race stewards. Case closed.

23:57 Leclerc had a look into Turn 11! He got DRS on Verstappen, probably went a bit deep but he gets another dose of DRS into Turn 17 to catch back up. Sainz holds off Perez, Russell passes Hamilton. Blimey.

23:57 Magnussen vs Stroll is now under investigation - the pair are still running nose to tail in 14th and 15th.

23:56 Meanwhile, Bottas goes too deep into Turn 17 and gets tag-teamed by both Mercedes! Hamilton's up to fifth, with Russell now sixth.

23:55 Sainz, meanwhile, goes wide into Turn 17 and will surely be vulnerable to Perez now that DRS is enabled.

23:54 Leclerc's not letting go of Verstappen for now, as the Monegasque seems to have fired up his tyres quickest, but Verstappen now gaps him ever so slightly.

23:54 Stroll vs Magnussen has been noted by FIA race control. Further ahead Schumacher in ninth on older hards is defending hard against Ocon on fresh softs.

23:53 Verstappen and Leclerc have legged it - Perez is trying to get closer to Sainz into Turn 17 but Sainz is hanging on for now.

23:52 Stroll has a disaster restart dropping from 12th to 15th after a clash with Magnussen.

23:51 Verstappen backs the pack up along the straight, guns it out of the hairpin and lets it fly. We're racing, and Perez already has Sainz in his sights.

23:50 Gasly has pitted having reported damage - which was a given due to his coming together with Alonso and then Norris. So he's the third retirement from this race.

23:49 The safety car is coming in at the end of lap 46. Which is this lap if you are counting.

23:47 That's all lapped cars, not any lapped cars - just for the record.

23:47 The lapped cars - Gasly, Tsunoda and Latifi - have been allowed to overtake the safety to unlap themselves. Insert Abu Dhabi GP hot take here.

23:45 Ocon (10th), Ricciardo (15th), Gasly (16th), Tsunoda (18th) have all pitted for soft tyres, while Stroll (12th), Magnussen (13th) and Vettel (14th) are on the mediums.

23:43 Bit of discussion between Hamilton and Mercedes about whether to pit. "Don't leave it to me man," Hamilton says, as Mercedes recommends staying out.