By Mark Karp
Max Verstappen won the Miami Grand Prix in his Red Bull-Honda, after starting on hard tyres from ninth place, taking a Red Bull 1-2 over pole sitter Sergio Pérez by 5.384 seconds. Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin-Mercedes was third, 26.305 seconds behind the winner.
The win is Verstappen’s third of the 2023 season, and 38th of his career. It is Alonso’s 102nd podium finish.
George Russell (33.229s) in the Mercedes GP finished in fourth, followed by Carlos Sainz (42.511s) in the Ferrari, even with a 5-second penalty for speeding in the pits was fifth, Lewis Hamilton (51.249s) in the Mercedes was sixth, Charles Leclerc (52.988s) in the second Ferrari was seventh, Pierre Gasly (55.670s) in the Alpine-Renault was eighth, his teammate Esteban Ocon (58.123s) was ninth, and Kevin Magnussen (1m02.025s) in the Haas-Ferrari took the final point in tenth.
Before the start, with warm temperatures, but with questions if rain might be in the forecast, the field lined up on the grid with Perez on pole, with Alonso alongside on the front row, Sainz and Magnussen take row 2, Gasly and Russell on row 3, Leclerc and Ocon on row 4, Verstappen and Bottas rounding out the top ten – Hamilton in 13th, Norris 16th and Stroll in 18th starting positions. The top seven starting on medium tyres, Ocon, Verstappen, Hulkenberg and Hamilton on hard tyres.
At the appointed time the field came around and lined up on the grid, the lights went off and the race began with Perez keeps the lead over Alonso, Sainz, Gasly, Russell and Magnussen.
Partway through the lad Leclerc passes Magnussen for sixth. Verstappen passes Ocon for ninth.
On lap 2 Verstappen passes Bottas for eighth. Sargeant pits with front wing damage.
On lap 3 Alonso sets fast lap at 1m33.258s.
On lap 4 Leclerc and Magnussen battling and Verstappen passes both of them for sixth place.
On lap 4 Verstappen sets fast lap at 1m32.935s, then again on the next lap at 1m32.875s, and continues at 1m32.753s, and 1m32.555s.
On lao 8 Hulkenberg goes wide but continues.
Verstappen passes Russell for fifth place.
On lap 9 Verstappen passes Gasly for fourth, Russell follows him through for fifth.
At lap 10 Perez leads Alonso by 1.8 seconds, followed by Sainz (3.0s), Verstappen (4.8s), Russell (6.6s), Gasly (7.9s), Magnussen (9.9s), Leclerc (10.3s), Ocon (11.3s) and Bottas (14.4s) in tenth, Hamilton (16.3s) in 13th.
Sainz is complaining about his medium tyres.
Magnussen and Leclerc are battling for seventh.
On lap 13, Verstappen sets fast lap at 1m31.736s.
On lap 14 Verstappen passes Sainz for third place.
On lap 15 Magnussen pits from seventh for hard tyres and rejoins in 17th.
Verstappen passes Alonso for second place.
Hamilton passes Albon for 11th.
Gasly and Bottas pit.
On lap 17 Perez tells the team “my front right is starting to give up.”
Russell and Leclerc pit for hard tyres, Russell rejoins 12th, Leclerc 15th.
On lap 19 Sainz pits from fourth for hard tyres and rejoins seventh.
Sainz passes Hamilton for sixth.
On lap 21 Perez pits from the lead for hard tyres and rejoins in fourth.
Sainz passes Hulkenberg fifth.
Verstappen is complaining about his gearbox,
On lap 22 Perez sets fast lap at 1m31.533s
Sainz is given a 5-second penalty for speeding in the pit.
Russell passes Stroll for ninth place.
On lap 23 Hamilton passes Hulkenberg for sixth.
At lap 25 Alonso pits from second place for hard tyres and rejoins fifth.
Perez sets fast lap at 1m31.444s.
On lap 26 Alonso is looking to pass Sainz for fourth.
Russell passes Tsunoda for for eighth.
Alonso passes Sainz for fourth.
Albon complains to the team that they are pushing too hard with their tyre strategy.
On lap 28 Russell passes Hulkenberg for seventh place.
Pm lap 29 Alonso passes Ocon for third place.
On lap 31 Sainz passes Ocon for fourth.
On lap 30 Verstappen leads Perez by 14.9 seconds, followed by Alonso (27.0s), Sainz (29.2s), Ocon (30.4s),Hamilton (32.5s), Russell (33.5s), Hulkenberg (37.4s), Tsunoda (38.3s) and Gasly (39.2s) in tenth.
On lap 32 Verstappen sets fast lap at 1m31.293s.
On lap 33 Russell passes Hamilton for sixth.
On lap 34 Hulkenberg pits from ninth for medium tyres and rejoins in 16th.
On lap 35 Verstappen sets fast lap at 1m31.225s.
On lap 36 Russell passes Ocon for fifth place.
Leclerc is complaining to the team that his car is boucing badly. Leclerc and Magnussen are battling over tenth place.
Russell passes Sainz for fourth.
On lap 38 Hulkenberg sets fast lap at 1m30.901s.
Hamilton makes his first stop for medium tyres and rejoins in 13th.
Hamilton passes Albon for 12th.
Ocon pits, Hamilton passes Bottas.
At lap 40 Verstappen leads Perez by 17.4 seconds, followed by Alonso (32.5s), Russell (39.4s), Sainz (41.2s), Gasly (49.4s), Stroll (51.4s), Leclerc (53.9s), Magnussen (56.5s), and Hamilton (1m00.5s) in tenth place.
On lap 42 Stroll makes his one stop from seventh for medium tyres and rejoins 15th.
On lap 44 Perez sets fast lap at 1m30.897s, and trails Verstappen by 18.392s.
On lap 45 Verstappen pits from the lead for medium tyres and rejoins in second 1.5 seconds behind Perez.
On lap 48 Verstappen on fresh tyres passes Perez into the first corner for the lead.
On lap 48 Verstappen sets fast lap at 1m30.637s.
On lap 49 Stoll passes Albon for 13th.
At lap 50 Verstappen leads Perez by 1.8 seconds, followed by Alonso (18.6s), Russell (26.2s), Sainz (29.2s), Gasly (41.9s), Leclerc (43.1s), Hamilton (44.9s), Ocon (50.9s), and Magnussen (53.6s) in tenth.
Tsunoda passes Bottas for 11th, the a lap later Stroll gets past Bottas for 12th.
On lap 52 Verstappen sets fast lap at 1m30.372s.
Leclerc passes Gasly for sixth place.
Hamilton passes Gasly for seventh.
On lap 55 Hamilton passes Leclerc for sixth place.
On lap 56 Verstappen sets the fastest lap at 1m29.708s.
Verstappen crosses the line ahead of Perez and Alonso.
No drivers retired during today’s race.
