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regular-article-logo Friday, 03 May 2024

Max Verstappen comes from ninth on grid to win Miami Grand Prix

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso finishes a distant third, for the fourth time this season, after starting on front row

Reuters Miami Published 09.05.23, 06:17 AM
Max Verstappen.

Max Verstappen. File photo

Max Verstappen won the Miami Grand Prix from ninth on the starting grid with the fastest lap on Sunday to extend his Formula One championship lead over Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez.

Red Bull's fourth one-two finish in five races dealt a blow to Mexican Perez's hopes of wresting the overall lead from the double world champion in Miami after securing pole position on Saturday.

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Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso finished a distant third, for the fourth time this season, after starting on the front row.

Verstappen, winner of last year's inaugural Miami Grand Prix, suffered a setback in qualifying when Ferrari's Charles Leclerc crashed and denied the Dutchman a final flying lap that almost certainly would have put him on the front row. But he was immediately on the charge, moving up into fourth after 10 laps

Alonso had predicted that Verstappen would be filling his mirrors after 25 laps. That guess proved wildly wrong as Verstappen blitzed past Alonso's Aston Martin on the 15th lap to once again leave the fight for top spot on the podium between the two Red Bulls.

Perez was the first to pit, leaving Verstappen to put in an extended run at the front before stopping for new tyres with 11 laps to go and handing back the lead briefly to his Mexican teammate.

On fresher tyres, Verstappen was in front of Perez after two laps. From there it was business as usual, with the two Red Bulls easing through the final laps for another one-two result.

Verstappen is now 14 ahead of Perez in the championship standings, on 119.

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