Miami F1 Grand Prix 2022 Results: Max Verstappen Holds Off Charles Leclerc for Win
May 8, 2022
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands, steers his car during the practice session for the Formula One Miami Grand Prix in Miami Gardens, Fla. Saturday, May 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Tyler Tate)
Max Verstappen cruised to his third checkered flag of 2022 after winning the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday.
Verstappen passed Charles Leclerc early in the race and then didn't look back from there. He held off a tough challenge from Leclerc inside the final 10 laps before steadily gaining more comfort at the front of the pack.
Leclerc ultimately finished nearly four seconds behind Verstappen in what proved to be a two-horse race. Carlos Sainz claimed a place on the podium in third.
Leclerc continued his strong start to the season by claiming the pole, narrowly edging out Ferrari teammate Sainz.
The Monte Carlo native only remained in that position for a little more than eight laps before Verstappen overtook him for the lead. The reigning F1 champion took advantage of being in the DRS range and catapulted into first on the inside.
With around 40 laps in the books, inclement weather appeared to be a possibility. Mother Nature was one of the few parties who could extend Leclerc a meaningful lifeline.
The virtual safety car was also brought out on the 41st lap because of a collision between Lando Norris and Pierre Gasly. The prolonged caution allowed Leclerc to make up a lot of ground on Verstappen.
Verstappen maintained his hold on first coming out of the restart but couldn't restore the massive gulf he previously enjoyed on Leclerc. Leclerc kept knocking on the door and waited for an opening.
Charles Leclerc hounding Max Verstappen for the lead with five laps remaining. Any mistake by Verstappen and Leclerc will have an excellent opportunity to move into P1.
That safety car really changed this race. Seems to be great battles now after what had been a pretty dry race. Leclerc vs. Verstappen, Perez vs. Sainz, Russell vs. Hamilton.
Verstappen simply wouldn't oblige, demonstrating why he's one of the best in the world.
The Spanish Grand Prix outside of Barcelona is on tap for F1 on May 22. Lewis Hamilton is the five-time reigning champion in the event, so it could be a great opportunity for the 37-year-old to earn his first victory in 2022.
Hamilton started in the sixth position Sunday and struggled to move up the leaderboard from there. He complained about his tires around the midway point, which summed up how he didn't have the car to compete with Verstappen, Leclerc, Sainz and Valtteri Bottas.
German F1 Grand Prix 2019 Qualifying: Lewis Hamilton Takes Pole Position
Jul 27, 2019
HOCKENHEIM, GERMANY - JULY 27: Mick Schumacher of Germany drives the Ferrari F2004 of his father Michael Schumacher on track after final practice for the F1 Grand Prix of Germany at Hockenheimring on July 27, 2019 in Hockenheim, Germany. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Lewis Hamilton will start the German Formula 1 Grand Prix from pole position on Sunday after a nightmare qualifying outing for rivals Ferrari.
Sebastian Vettel bowed out of the first session with mechanical issues, and Charles Leclerc was unable to set a time in the third session. Barring penalties, he'll start from 10th place, while Vettel will be last on the grid.
Max Verstappen posted the second-best time of qualifying, ahead of Valtteri Bottas. Pierre Gasly was fourth.
Qualifying Recap
Qualifying started with plenty of drama. Vettel lost power to his Ferrari and was instructed to return to the pit lane:
🗣"I lost power"
Sebastian Vettel reporting power issues in his @ScuderiaFerrari. It's a race against time to get the German back out on track for Q1.
While the mechanics worked on his car, team-mate Leclerc set the pace. Hamilton was more than 1.5 seconds off the pace after his first hot lap, illustrating Mercedes' struggles. The championship leader would improve with his second attempt, easily making it into Q2, but Vettel had no such luck.
The German would be the biggest casualty of Q1, while Lando Norris and Alex Albon also couldn't make it into the second session.
Lance Stroll did make it into Q2 for the first time since joining Racing Point.
On the medium tyres, Mercedes found much better pace early in the second session. Leclerc had his first time deleted for running wide, but he too was in the mix near the top once he put a time on the board.
Incredibly enough, another top contender had power issues, and Verstappen had to pit before he could post a time. He opted for the soft compound when he returned, but couldn't beat out team-mate Gasly.
The midfield gaps were tiny, with Nico Hulkenberg in eighth just 0.033 seconds ahead of team-mate Daniel Ricciardo, in 13th.
Ferrari's headaches continued at the start of Q3, as the mechanics and an FIA member gathered around Leclerc's car. While he waited, the Silver Arrows took off for their flying laps, with Hamilton taking the lead.
Leclerc would not set a time:
Leclerc is out of the car. Game over for him too #F1#GermanGP
Saturday practice took place in much cooler conditions than both sessions on Friday, but the lower temperatures only seemed to increase Ferrari's advantage over Mercedes:
Sat morning practice, even in the cooler conditions Hockenheim today Ferrari's advantage over Merc seems to have increased...
Leclerc, in particular, appeared to make up tons of time in the middle sector, where the Silver Arrows struggled for both grip and power.
Hamilton got to within 0.4 seconds of the on-fire Leclerc at one point, only to lose his lap time for exceeding track limits. His fastest legal lap was significantly slower, but he did set it on an older set of soft tyres and should be quicker in qualifying.
Both Haas drivers finished inside the top 10 in what was a much-needed positive session for the American outfit. Romain Grosjean did struggle with engine problems late, however.
Racing Point could not build on Friday's success, with Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll finishing outside the top 10.
McLaren's Carlos Sainz went significantly faster than team-mate Lando Norris while fitting in two stints on the medium compound. The Spaniard will be one to watch in Sunday's race.
While Ferrari adapted well to the changing conditions for FP3, more change could be on the way:
#FP3 underway at Hockenheimring in cooler and cloudier conditions. Just one hour to get to grips with these latest conditions, but the question is: will it rain in qualifying?☔️
