Sprint Pole qualifier Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrates in parc ferme during Sprint Qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on May 03, 2024 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
MIAMI – With Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen’s dominating performance at the Chinese Grand Prix in the rearview mirror, Formula 1 now heads to the Americas for the first of three races in the United States this year, starting with the Miami Grand Prix — the second Sprint Race Weekend of 2024.
It’s the third year that F1 has run at the Miami International Autodrome, the 3.36-mile-long temporary race track set around Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins. Surviving community pushback, F1 returned to Florida in 2022 and has been part of the calendar since. The only winner so far has been Verstappen, who made an impressive run from ninth to victory by charging his Red Bull up the grid in 2023.
F1’s trip to Miami brings the first set of major upgrades for teams. McLaren headlined the pack, bringing changes to multiple areas of their car from the front wing, to the suspension, to the floor and just about everything else in between. Mercedes also showed up to the track with changes to their floor, while Aston Martin brought track-specific updates. Red Bull removed a piece of the floor for weight saving while Visa Cash App RB, Kick Sauber, Haas and Williams all brought minimal changes.
The biggest piece of news from the paddock between races has been the departure of Red Bull’s Chief Technical Officer, Adrian Newey, in 2025. Following turmoil since before the season at Red Bull surrounding Christian Horner, Newey decided to leave after 19 years with the team. It’s currently unknown where one of the greatest F1 designers will go in the future. However, Ferrari, Williams and Aston Martin are current suitors as possible landing spots.
A major piece of the 2025 grid puzzle has fallen into place. It got announced that Nico Hulkenberg will leave Haas at the end of the season to join Kick Sauber ahead of their move to Audi. It is a return to the Sauber team 12 years following a one-year stint in 2013. With the move, Audi is hoping to use the veteran’s knowledge base to their advantage to come out of the gates strong when the German manufacturer takes over in 2026 and beyond.
Verstappen Takes Sprint Race Pole
Just like the Chinese Grand Prix before, the Miami Grand Prix weekend is a Sprint Race weekend, which will have teams only have a singular practice session ahead of Sprint Qualifying shortly afterward. Because of that, teams were ready to hit the track for their lone chance to get the lay of the land. Teams tested out their updates to their cars, but not before Charles Leclerc spun his car in Turn 16 and in an Austin Powers-esque moment, could not get his car turned the right way and had to get out, causing a red flag as he made his way back to his garage.
The traffic in Miami is a nightmare 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/LDmxodg3ng
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) May 3, 2024
Once the session restarted, the 19 remaining teams set out to get as much data as possible while using a mixture of Medium and Hard compound tires before the Softs were brought out at the end of the session. As the clock winded down, teams started to get to qualifying runs that saw Verstappen bring his Red Bull to the top of the timing charts, ahead of an improved McLaren driven by Oscar Piastri and the other Ferrari of Carlos Sainz. The Mercedes of George Russell and the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll rounded out the top five.
The first round of Sprint Qualifying got underway, and while Verstappen went to the top of the charts at the beginning, the McLarens of Piastri and Lando Norris started to make some noise as they reached the top of the timing chart by the end of the session, albeit with a moment going into the first corner between Piastri and the Kick Sauber of Valtteri Bottas, who came extremely close to disaster.
Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 on track during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on May 03, 2024 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)
Pierre Gasly’s struggling Alpine, along with Zhou Guanyu and Bottas’s Kick Saubers, led the way in not making it out of the first round. The Williams pair of Logan Sargeant and Alex Albon rounded out the last row.
As the second session began, the McLaren pair of Piastri and Norris continued to show strength to look like favorites ahead of the Red Bulls of Sergio Perez and Verstappen, but things were not looking great for Mercedes as both Russell and Hamilton struggled to make pace and clear their way into the third round.
But in the end, both Russell and Hamilton failed to make the third round, resulting in a shock exit. They were joined by Esteban Ocon’s other Alpine, Kevin Magnussen’s Haas and Yuki Tsunoda’s Visa Cash App RB.
Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 on track during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on May 03, 2024 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
As the final round came into view, it became an expected one-lap shootout amongst all 10 drivers. An excellent first two sectors from Verstappen were followed by a lockup in the final part. But it did not stop the reigning race winner as he went to the top of the board. Behind him came Leclerc, who had gotten minimal running after his spin in practice to close out the front row. Perez slotted into third while a surprise appearance from Visa Cash App RB’s Daniel Ricciardo slotted ahead of Sainz and his Ferrari in fifth.
The quick pace from McLaren fell off in the final round as Piastri and Norris sandwiched the Aston Martins of Stroll and Fernando Alonso from sixth to ninth while Hulkenberg, fresh from knowing his future in F1 is a bit more secure, rounded out the top 10.
With the Sprint Grid set, teams now turn their attention to the Sprint Race. Max Verstappen’s Red Bull looks quick, but both Ferrari and McLaren seem to show flashes of ability that could make the rest of the weekend interesting.
