- 2 days ago
F1 2026 Miami Grand Prix Full Sprint Race
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00:00Welcome along everyone from 347 Don Shuler Drive, it's the Hard Rock Stadium to you and I, and it's not
00:07the home of the Miami Dolphins this weekend, it is the home of round four of the World Championship in
00:122026.
00:13Welcome back to Formula One and welcome to our sprint race, 19 laps to come around this 3.36 mile
00:21track, just a slight elevation as we go up and under the bridge in the flyover at turn 16.
00:29Active aero, three straights for the drag to be reduced, overtake modes is a new for 2026 feature at one
00:36detection spot and you can get an extra energy boost if you're within one second of the car in front,
00:41it's all peace and quiet down by the seaside, it is all hurly burly action here, over 19 laps for
00:47today's sprint where Mercedes have been beaten and qualifying for the first time this season, not for the first time
00:53this season, the two Aston Martins find themselves right at the back,
00:57Arvid Lindblad sadly for him starts in the pit lane after a breach of the Park Fermat regulations, Valtteri Bottas
01:03starts 19th for the Cadillac team and ahead of him on the grid, well it's Alex Albon in 18th after
01:09getting his lap time deleted for exceeding track limits and then Sergio Perez the lead Cadillac in 17th,
01:15Destaban Ocon 16th and Liam Lawson starts 15th, Racing Bulls are out in Q1 for the first time this season,
01:21Carlos Sainz 14th, Oli Behrman will start 13th, it's the first time he's got to the second part of qualifying
01:28in Miami,
01:28Nico Hülkenberg should line up 12th but his engine has failed, 3 out of 5 races Audi have had a
01:34car that haven't started this year, Gasly 10th beaten by his teammate in qualifying for the first time this year,
01:39Hajar is 9th, Colin Pinto starts 8th and Lewis Hamilton for the second year in a row here in the
01:44sprint is 7th on the grid, George Russell hasn't been within half a second of the fastest lap all weekend,
01:50he's 6th, Max Verstappen best quality in the last 4 sprint races is 5th,
01:54Charles Leclerc didn't make it to the grid last year for the sprint, he's 4th, Oscar Piastri is 3rd, first
01:59time this season, 2 McLarens in the top 3, Antonelli's on the front row for the second year running and
02:04Lando Norris is on pole position for the 5th time in a sprint race,
02:09he's got some fast starting cars behind him but Martin Brundle's got some upgrades on his McLaren that are working
02:14well.
02:14They very much are, yes, the McLaren once again showing that it knows how to make an upgrade, get it
02:21on the car and perform as expected.
02:23Ferrari have almost got a brand new car here as well so Mercedes have got a challenge on their hands
02:28until they bring some new parts for Canada.
02:31This is going to be very close and it's hot out there, track temperature over 53 degrees and it'll be
02:38quite difficult to keep these tyres alive for what is quite a short race.
02:42At the moment there looks to be a really nice gap for Charles Leclerc to drive through there but I'm
02:46sure that's going to be blocked off when the lights go out.
02:48The two McLarens, Kimi Antonelli, need to be aware of those fast starting Ferraris even though there is, what, just
02:55190 metres down into turn one.
02:58But the McLarens have had some pretty handy starts as well into the start of the season.
03:03It's Mercedes and particularly Antonelli that really struggled but you have to assume that the month that we had off
03:10unexpectedly they'll have done a thousand practice starts on the simulator, each and every one of them.
03:16You would certainly imagine so. Disappointment then for Nico Hülkenberg. Big engine failure for him.
03:25Lots of smoke, flames as well, down into turn 17. The race is on an Audi to get that engine
03:31changed and ready for qualifying for the Grand Prix.
03:33Well we spoke to the new boss there Alan McNish didn't we before they went to the grid and he
03:38said I've got butterflies in my stomach and well he was right to do that it seems with one of
03:43the cars not making the grid.
03:44Here's interesting. Medium all the way down to Esteban Ocon. The two Cadillacs are gone for the hard tyre, the
03:50two Aston Martins for the soft tyre.
03:52Protecting your rear tyres against degradation in this heat could be the key to this race today.
03:57Absolutely. I'm assuming Aston Martin think there's nothing really to be gained in this race so let's save the harder
04:03compound more raceable tyres for tomorrow.
04:06But there they continue to be in a very difficult place Aston Martin. They've got neither speed nor reliability and
04:14it's going to be quite a while before they can sort that out.
04:16I do believe though they've got rid of almost all of the vibrations that we're giving the drivers tingly fingers
04:23and bits and pieces.
04:25Yes it has been a month at Aston Martin trying to fix reliability. It has been a month elsewhere trying
04:30to find some performance.
04:31What's interesting this weekend Red Bull, Ferrari with Fred Vasseur on the pit wall there and McLaren big upgrade packages.
04:38Mercedes saving their next big upgrade for Canada. So this really is the weekend for others to try and wrestle
04:45back some of that Mercedes advantage.
04:47Indeed. And Alpine there, Flavia Breatore. Alpine going well again with the Mercedes power unit looking very much top ten
04:53contenders here this weekend.
04:55But let's see how they use their power. It certainly looks like they've smoothed out quite a bit, doesn't it?
05:01But this is quite a good energy circuit for these latest power units anyway. So in terms of filling the
05:09battery up, not that, not as difficult as some circuits.
05:13But we'll see them coming out turn 16 at the back end, the far end of that straight there with
05:18a full, all of them with full batteries.
05:20And talking of battery power, that might just change the tactics slightly. We were watching the back straight into turn
05:2617, which used to be a very good place to get some overtakes done.
05:29That might not be the place this year, because if you use too much boost energy to overtake into turn
05:3517, you are very vulnerable all the way through to turn one.
05:39I haven't seen Lando Norris this year yet without a smile on his face. He is so relaxed. He is
05:43so happy and so comfortable in his own skin, in his own racing overalls, in his own McLaren.
05:50And he knows what to do. So let's see. As you say, it is a short run down to turn
05:56one, but like we have at Spa, what that means is they're all in pretty close company when they get
06:00there.
06:00Well, if there's anywhere that Lando Norris should be relaxed, it should be Miami, of course.
06:05His maiden win here in the Grand Prix in 2024, and he won the sprint from third on the grid
06:09last year here.
06:10Apologies for my voice. I sat next to a man who was coughing and spluttering for nine hours on the
06:14way to Miami, and then the air conditioning finished me off.
06:18You're doing well so far, MB. Don't worry. 19 laps. You can do this. You've got the stamina from this.
06:24Just think back to your years of sports cars. You'll be fine. Don't worry.
06:27Right. Kimi Antonelli, I think, is pointing a little bit towards the left here to try and cover off maybe
06:32a potential charge from Charles Leclerc behind him.
06:35And they've been on the grid for a while, the 20 cars. No Nico Hülkenberg, Arvid Lindblad in the pit
06:41lane.
06:41Great starts are mostly in your head, in my experience.
06:45And you've got to react to the lights as we now start the pre-starting procedure. Let the revs build
06:52up.
06:53And now we've got the five lights. The sprint in Miami to come. 19 laps. It's lights out and away
06:58we go.
06:58And this time, Charles Leclerc getting a better start against Kimi Antonelli, who's getting bogged down once again into the
07:04first corner.
07:05Lando Norris leads from Oscar Piastri. Then Charles Leclerc. George Russell is now going wheel to wheel with Kimi Antonelli,
07:11who gets past him.
07:12And there is Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton having a great old scrap going through turn one.
07:18Antonelli, poor start. Russell nearly had him. He managed to stay ahead.
07:21Yeah, Russell was very tight on the inside, the dirty line, and Antonelli just kept it pinned around the outside
07:26and reclaimed the place between the two Mercedes.
07:28But once again then, the teenager not getting off the line cleanly.
07:33It's been a feature in every race so far.
07:37And he's dropped down places for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Perfect start.
07:42And then comes Charles Leclerc. Then Antonelli now trying to get back with Charles Leclerc.
07:46Colopinto has been passed by Gasly. And now, going into turn 11, Leclerc under pressure from Antonelli, managing to stay
07:53ahead.
07:54Yeah, Antonelli here at tremendous speed down the back straight.
07:56And Leclerc will be desperate to build a bit of a gap while he's got chance through this really tight
08:02part of the racetrack before they let it go.
08:05Down the back straight, 203rd West Street this is normally. Now, it is the back straight.
08:11All right, who's going west and who's keeping straight north?
08:15And we watch the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc ahead of Kimi Antonelli into that heavy braking zone.
08:21The overtake mode is enabled, so that detection point is coming up too.
08:25Colopinto has a look at Gasly.
08:27Meanwhile, behind there's Liam Lawson. And behind him, Carlos Sainz, swamping the Cadillac of Valtteri Bottas.
08:33Alex Albon, sorry, Sergio Perez. Alex Albon is ahead of Valtteri Bottas.
08:38We're on lap two with the leaders though. Norris, Piastri, Leclerc, Antonelli and Russell out in front.
08:44Then comes Hamilton ahead of Max Verstappen.
08:47Overtake enabled, but they won't get to the detection line until...
08:51There goes Antonelli, sorry Martin, just to kick in. He almost spied a gap with the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc
08:57just leaving the door half ajar.
08:59But Leclerc's managed to salvage that one for the moment.
09:01Yeah, this looks like it's going to be a great little scrap, doesn't it?
09:04Yeah, so they won't get to the detection point for overtake until they come out of turn 17 at the
09:10end of the back straight.
09:11Then they get it for the whole lap. That means they can charge the battery more and keep a higher
09:17top speed.
09:17So it's well worth having. And Antonelli then up the inside but not brave enough on the brakes and he
09:23just about keeps the car in play.
09:25Yeah, the thing is he's gone deep there and that has now allowed George Russell to gain a couple of
09:29car lengths on his teammate.
09:31He's got to be a bit careful, the young Italian.
09:34Pimi is so bad on Tottenham. The move that the braking is unbelievable. We've got to crack.
09:42Well, Charles Leclerc is getting a little bit worried. He didn't need to worry too much for the time being
09:46because Antonelli has lost lots of car lengths behind him with that move down towards turn 11.
09:53George Russell has a little look on his teammate. Nothing doing there to try and get past.
09:58Still weird to see that Ferrari rear wing somersault its way back into place.
10:04Sainz ahead now of the Cadillac of Sergio Perez who gets past Liam Lawson who's struggling a bit out there.
10:11That was vintage Sergio Perez down into turn 17. Cadillac making up a place. Lawson's under pressure from Alex Albon
10:18now behind him.
10:19It's a terrific little scrap down in what, 15th place currently for Perez, 14th for Sainz and Lawson really struggling
10:27out there.
10:28Yeah, you can see them really struggling with traction, the rear wheels spinning up, coming out of the hairpin.
10:33And already then I think the rear tyres are getting tortured, especially if you're in a fight.
10:39Everything gets, your caution goes away, you just have to start attacking and then your tyres start squealing and that's
10:46enough.
10:46We're on board but the fastest man on the track at the moment, that's Lewis Hamilton.
10:50Maybe that 180 wing that you were talking about Martin, first time we've seen that in a race this season.
10:55It's paying dividends and reducing a little bit more drag.
10:59It's certainly helped Hamilton in that battle with Max Verstappen, he's ahead of him and now gaining on George Russell.
11:05About 4 tenths of a second the gap at the end of the last lap, about 7 tenths currently between
11:10the two cars.
11:11Lando Norris is over a second clear of his teammate Oscar Piastri McLaren running 1 and 2, which is exactly
11:18where they want to be in these early stages.
11:20Now the concept of there being overtakes down into turn one doesn't appear to be shaping up.
11:27So they're going to have to have a rethink on that and have a look where else they might be
11:31able to deploy battery, boost and overtake.
11:35Because we're not seeing any sort of wheel to wheel action into one at the moment.
11:39That's very true, Lawson has Valtteri Bottas behind him now, because Alex Albon has managed to pass him.
11:45And the two Aston Martins are right behind Valtteri Bottas, bringing up the rear.
11:50Arvid Lindblad looks to have retired from this race, we haven't seen him feature at all.
11:55He was due to start from the pit lane, but he's out. Hülkenberg is out, 2.20, still left going.
12:02And for Lando Norris, first time he's led a race since Qatar last November, out in front and looking very
12:08comfortable.
12:09We can pick up Isaac Hadjar as he tries to gain on Gabriel Bortoletto to get back into the top
12:14ten.
12:15And importantly Norris then one and a half seconds clear at the front.
12:19And that means Piastri is not getting the extra overtake harvest of battery power and boost.
12:26The McLarens though have a very decent pace in these early stages ahead of the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc,
12:31who, yeah, had his mirrors full of Kimi Antonelli for a while, but isn't making that impression.
12:37He's losing a couple of tenths to Piastri on the last lap, six tenths to Lando Norris.
12:42Hadjar taking a very tight line through the long right-hander and now onto the chicane.
12:48While he does that, the leader, Lando Norris, is halfway down the back straight.
12:53It all goes quiet, doesn't it? There until the cars get to turn 17 and we can hear the engine
12:58noise once more.
12:59And once more, Kimi Antonelli has a little look at Charles Leclerc and he needs to be making up places.
13:05He's lost positions today at the start. He's done it in every single race in 2026.
13:105.6 seconds covers the top seven at the moment. They're going to be a little bit nervous in this
13:17sprint race.
13:17Qualifying comes up this afternoon. You can't afford to smash your car up.
13:22And the race could well be brought forward for tomorrow due to rain, couldn't it?
13:26So they're going to have to be a little bit. Well, that is how bad he looked.
13:30And somehow he gets back around the outside of George Russell.
13:33Because Russell was a sort of a clear car length ahead, wasn't he?
13:37Just managed to get that extra speed while Russell's taking the tighter line.
13:41We've got a better view of it here.
13:44Charles Leclerc. It was a good start from Charles Leclerc.
13:46But he gets bogged down. And now a bit later on to the brakes.
13:49Look at Lewis Hamilton around the outside and Max Verstappen as well.
13:52Almost making that move stick before Verstappen squeezes through.
13:57And that's brilliant. That's a brilliant scrap between Verstappen and Hamilton there.
14:00Yeah, we've seen that before, haven't we?
14:02But somehow, of course, Hamilton passed him somewhere.
14:05Got him a little bit later on. I think Max got a bit bogged down at the start there.
14:09He is.
14:11George Russell will be very annoyed that he didn't make it.
14:14It was like a real sandwich there, a Red Bull sandwich, wasn't it?
14:17Yeah.
14:18And Max, quick look in the mirror, always, like Fernando Alonso,
14:22very aware of what's going on around him.
14:24So Lewis gets a good start, flicks left, that's nice.
14:29And just watches for the Mercedes that they don't contact.
14:34But that's sort of braille racing, isn't it, that one?
14:37Rubbing is racing, I think they call it in this part of the world, Martin.
14:40There was a lot of real rubbing going on between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.
14:43But, banging, not a problem at all, and they were trying to avoid each other,
14:48as Max Verstappen now in seventh place ahead of Pierre Gasly.
14:53And Hamilton still tying again on George Russell.
14:56And suddenly Russell looks a little bit closer to Antonelli
14:59than Antonelli does to the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc.
15:02He certainly does. George Russell at the end of the last lap,
15:06half a second behind Antonelli, who was a second behind Charles Leclerc.
15:12Points from first, eight points for that, all the way down to eighth.
15:16And Pierre Gasly has the solitary point for that eighth place currently.
15:20And we're on lap six of 19, where about a third of the race gone.
15:25It's gone by in an absolute flash.
15:27Karun Chandok has been watching it intently at Sky Race Control.
15:30What have you got for us, Karun?
15:31Yeah, a few little bits here properly.
15:33One is Kimi Antonelli, he's been warned by his race engineer,
15:36Pete Bonington, about cracked limits.
15:37He's had two strikes already, so he's got to be careful about that.
15:41But Bono is trying to coach him with the energy management.
15:44So that's why you've seen the gap, Ebb and Flow.
15:45Two seconds, Karun.
15:46Yeah, I can't be right there.
15:48The Vexcel is just definitely up and down.
15:52That's it, thank you.
15:54Just to finish up, that's why you've seen the gap, Crofty.
15:56Ebb and Flow, Antonelli dropping out of overtake mode zone over a second,
16:00and then coming back in.
16:01So we'll see how that plays out.
16:03The wind has changed direction.
16:04Lots of drivers are being coached.
16:06You can see the trees there on the left-hand side.
16:08The wind has picked up and has changed direction.
16:10It's now a tailwind into turn 11.
16:13Which doesn't necessarily help overtaking as much as the teams might have expected
16:18based on yesterday.
16:20The wind definitely has picked up.
16:22Liam Lawson running a bit hot in his racing balls,
16:25trying to pull out there and get some cooler air
16:27behind Sergio Perez in the Cadillac.
16:30Now, I said Lewis Hamilton was gaining a bit on George Russell.
16:34It's been a slow burner, has this one.
16:36Tenth there, couple of tenths there.
16:38But he's getting within striking distance, slowly but surely.
16:42He is.
16:43Lewis looking comfortable.
16:45The Ferrari, I don't know, maybe given the incredible amount of changes on that Ferrari,
16:49I think they expect a little bit more air this weekend.
16:52But he's certainly got a fast race car.
16:53Max was talking about his rear accidents, his rear tyres, of course.
16:56Basically, under heavy braking, you get a lot of weight transfer to the front.
17:00Think of a motorcycle or a bicycle where everything sort of goes to the front.
17:03It lightens the back of the car.
17:06And it sounds like he's sort of losing a bit of suspension control of the rear tyres of the car.
17:14Dare say George Russell would rather like his team mate,
17:17sliding through there, the Mercedes, to get a bit closer to Charles Leclerc here.
17:23Because I'm not saying Kimi Antonelli's holding him up, but I think if he extends his pace,
17:28George might be able to extend his pace a little bit more too.
17:31And that might protect him a tad against Lewis Hamilton.
17:34The one who has got the pace out in front, Lando.
17:37Looking very cool.
17:38Is this George Russell making a move into turn 17?
17:41Looks like it, doesn't it?
17:42He's decided, I can't wait any longer here.
17:45Lewis is catching me.
17:46I need to get an overtake done.
17:48And he does.
17:49Russell up into fourth place.
17:50But I said, if you go into turn 17 and do an overtake, you might be vulnerable into turn one.
17:55And that is what George Russell's looking at the moment.
17:58But he's just got enough juice in the battery and in the tank to stay ahead.
18:03Yeah, he placed the car well, did George.
18:05So now he's out front.
18:07Now he's got some clear air.
18:08He ought to be able to just gap his teammate a little bit.
18:12Antony getting a wild sort of rear wheel slide coming out of that 17 just after he'd been overtaken,
18:18which won't have done the surface temperature of his rear tires much good.
18:22But can George Russell now start to gap him?
18:24The answer looks like yes.
18:26Antonelli last year, pole sitter for the sprint here in Miami.
18:29Finished seventh in the end.
18:30He started on the front row today and he's now down into fifth.
18:34Verstappen's coming back at Lewis Hamilton.
18:36And there is Antonelli ahead.
18:39Oh, George Russell and Verstappen squeezing down the inside on Lewis Hamilton.
18:43And they both go off the track.
18:45Yeah, Lewis will be on the radio saying he forced me off the road and he went off the road
18:49as well.
18:50He should give the place back.
18:53And that's what's going to be going on now on the pit wall.
18:55We might have said that before as well.
18:58Yes.
18:59Up to race control.
19:00Max did not stay within the track limits.
19:05Yeah.
19:05Max sort of took me going off track.
19:09As predicted and as demonstrated.
19:13So Antonelli's got back ahead of George Russell.
19:16And Lewis Hamilton, I think, is allowed to go past by Max Verstappen.
19:22Verstappen was waiting for him for a long time there.
19:25And that looked like a very tactical place to give that place back.
19:28I'm not entirely sure Lewis was convinced that he was being given a place there.
19:33And this is where Antonelli then steamed back around the outside.
19:37Yeah.
19:38And it turned 11.
19:38We were so busy watching Verstappen and Hamilton squabbling off the racetrack there.
19:44Yeah.
19:45So back comes Antonelli.
19:47And through goes Hamilton, I believe you would say.
19:50Excellent.
19:51I think what's happened there, as Karun was saying at race control,
19:56Bono's giving Kimi a bit of coaching on where to deploy and when not to.
20:00And maybe you said, right, look, if George does go for you at turn 17, don't worry.
20:04You'll have a bit more battery to deploy later on and we'll get him at turn 11.
20:08Yeah.
20:08I was just about to say, George will be a lot happier with all of this
20:10because he's not been within half second of the fastest lap all through this event so far.
20:17And suddenly it looked like his car and it seems to me his setup looks like it's a little bit
20:22kinder on the tires as well.
20:24We're not at halfway point yet through this sprint.
20:27So I expect that Mercedes battle to come back together again.
20:33Yeah.
20:33If George has gone for a benign setup that just keeps those rear tires a little bit cooler, watch him
20:39in the closing stages here.
20:40As Lawson gets past Perez on the hard tire, the Cadillacs and up into 16th.
20:46And the two Aston Martins ahead of the other Cadillac of Bottas.
20:49And here goes Max Verstappen down the inside at turn 17 and repasses Lewis Hamilton.
20:55But this time it's on the track.
20:57So he's not going to have to give the place back.
20:58Lewis has got to try and earn it.
21:00And can he earn it?
21:00On the run now, down towards turn one.
21:03The rear wings opening up the big gaps with the active aero.
21:07Verstappen stays ahead.
21:09None bigger than that Red Bull.
21:10Oh, yeah.
21:12Extraordinary how wide that opens up.
21:14Like a big sort of shark coming in to hit you, that one.
21:18But, yeah, Max seemed a lot happier with this car.
21:21He says, I think we've halved the deficit that we had.
21:23I think the car's starting to do what he expects it to do next.
21:27That's the important thing.
21:29Yeah, he might not have the pace that he wants, but he's behaving.
21:32I think he's starting to trust the car now.
21:34And then you could find even more time yourself.
21:38Then you find even more time because you're not hurting your tyres quite so much.
21:42So Red Bull easing themselves sort of back into the frame.
21:46On board with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton currently.
21:49These are the two closest battles in the top seven.
21:53Russell chasing down his teammate and the man he trails in the World Championship.
21:58And any kind of swing in that will certainly help George's move going into Grand Prix qualifying and the Grand
22:05Prix tomorrow.
22:06As for Lewis Hamilton.
22:07Well, he's got Max, his old adversary ahead of him.
22:10Can he get past?
22:11Looks very loose.
22:12The back end sliding around for Lewis.
22:14Looks like his tyres are overheating.
22:16Ted's got news for us down in the pit lane.
22:18Just looking down at the pit walls.
22:20Ferrari look like they're sort of stuck in position really.
22:24That gap that Leclerc has got to Piastri just enough to hurt the tyres.
22:28Whereas Norris and Piastri just controlling it.
22:31We've got a replay here Crofty.
22:32Take it away.
22:33Esteban Ocon in the Haas losing part of his car through no fault of his own.
22:37It just flew off in the wind.
22:39It's probably more the force.
22:40No, like a bit of the barge board.
22:42Oh, is it from Behrman?
22:44Or did Behrman actually need to collect the barge board?
22:47Yeah, he did collect it.
22:48I think we're going to have to get a safety car.
22:50They're going to have to clear that away.
22:52Although it's now off the racing line critically.
22:55So that contact might have actually saved us having to put a safety car out.
23:00Because that's quite a big piece.
23:02You cannot have that coming at drivers or flying over the fence towards spectators or marshals.
23:08Very true.
23:09Ted, back to you mate.
23:10Well, we'll see.
23:11I was going to say that McLaren got this completely under control.
23:14But a safety car would mean they would all have to pit probably onto a soft tyre.
23:18Just to defend from anyone who did take a cheap pit stop.
23:21I'll let you know if we see any action there.
23:23Thank you very much.
23:24Action out in front.
23:25Lando Norris going faster.
23:27And lapping in the 131s currently and extending his advantage over Oscar Piastri.
23:32The two McLarens are looking pretty good so far.
23:35Leclerc within a second though of Oscar Piastri.
23:38We're on board with Esteban Ocon.
23:40His teammate is the car ahead of him.
23:43Maybe it's a bit lighter now that barge board's come off.
23:47And that will help him a touch.
23:48But it won't certainly help with the airflow.
23:50And he's got the two Williams very much in keeping him company.
23:54Sainz and Albon in 14th and 15th.
23:56Bota Ayo Kamatsu, the boss of a team principal at Haas.
23:59He said, what's going on?
24:02And so Antonelli now with a warning for track limits.
24:06Karim mentioned that earlier on.
24:07He said, our upgrades didn't look like they were going to be good enough to make a difference.
24:12And we expected to struggle here a little bit as well.
24:15So you've got two Haas there.
24:17And then two Williams in close formation.
24:20Bit of a Noah's Ark going on there at the back of the field.
24:22Quiet.
24:23Alex Albon trying to find a way past.
24:24Nothing doing there.
24:26So three strikes with track limits.
24:28You get a black and white flag.
24:30After that, you get a penalty.
24:32Here comes Alex Albon into the breaking zone of turn one.
24:35Nothing doing in terms of a pass on Carlos Sainz.
24:38It's a bit bumpy going into there.
24:40Not the easiest place to overtake.
24:42But you can get a move to stick.
24:44And Charles Leclerc is within one second now of Oscar Piastri.
24:48Has been gaining on him a touch.
24:50We can pick him up as he makes his way through turn 12 and 13.
24:55You can see the McLaren car ahead of him.
24:58Zach Brown, CEO for McLaren, is watching on from the pit wall.
25:00And whilst Lando's got this under control, it seems.
25:03I think Oscar is about to be joined by a Ferrari, Zach.
25:06Is that fair?
25:08I know Lando's controlling well.
25:11Oscar's under some pressure.
25:12Let's see.
25:13A little bit of racing coming.
25:14Any feedback from the drivers?
25:15I'm imagining they're not chatting way too much, are they?
25:18No, all pretty quiet.
25:19I think Lando's very comfortable.
25:21I think Oscar's struggling a little bit with grip.
25:24So I think he's going to have some work ahead of a deer
25:26for the next five, six laps.
25:28And how are those rear tires?
25:29Are they keeping cool enough?
25:32I think we'd like them a little bit cooler if we can.
25:35So struggling a bit with those.
25:36But seems to be a little bit more on Oscar's car than Lando.
25:39Thanks ever so much, Zach.
25:40We'll be back with you for qualifying later on.
25:44Three seconds, the gap between Norris and Piastri.
25:47Three tenths, the gap between Sainz and Behrman.
25:51Down towards turn 17.
25:52Is there room for Carlos Sainz to go around the outside?
25:55He thought so.
25:56There just wasn't enough straight still left.
25:59For him to make that move stick.
26:00But on the run now, down towards turn one.
26:03Sainz has got very much Oli Behrman in his sight.
26:06Sainz even.
26:08Nothing doing though in terms of a pass into that first corner.
26:11Sainz obviously knew he could trust Behrman in that situation.
26:14You soon learn which drivers you can and can't trust.
26:17This will be good for Williams.
26:18Not many that I raced against, but there were some that you were very nervous when you were around.
26:24This will be good for Williams though.
26:25The fact they're actually managing to race against the likes of Haas.
26:29They've shaved a little bit of weight off that car and it looks a bit more competitive in this trim.
26:33Ted, down to you.
26:36Well, it's not great because they're readying one of their cars for a nose change.
26:40So either it's because they hit that debris from the Haas or they've hit each other, Sainz and Albon.
26:48So they're ready.
26:49You can't see either of them in yet.
26:50There you go.
26:50You can see it on your screen.
26:52You certainly can.
26:55They're a fair way away from the pit lanes.
26:57That nose has come out early and those mechanics have to hold it for a little bit longer than I'm
27:03sure they would really have wanted to.
27:05Under a second, the gap.
27:06Piastri to Charles Leclerc.
27:08Charles Leclerc, the lead Ferrari.
27:12Lewis Hamilton, after being passed by Max Verstappen, maybe is, as you say Martin, struggling with those rears a touch.
27:18Losing ground on him and not able to come back and put any pressure on the Red Bull.
27:25This is interesting in a way.
27:26I mean, we've made some changes sort of by committee.
27:29Everybody has got an idea, but it looks like it's taken away some of their overtaking capacity.
27:36Yeah.
27:36With the new power units, whether you thought that was artificial or not, entirely up to you.
27:42But what it has done on this track layout anyway, certainly taken away the big differences between cars at certain
27:50parts of the racetrack.
27:52There's that nose change that Ted predicted.
27:55It's Alex Albon who's come into the pit lane.
27:57He will come out potentially ahead of Valtteri Bottas, but that nose change is taking a lot longer than you
28:04would expect.
28:05Bottas is a minute behind the race leader, Lando Norris.
28:09And Alex Albon will be slightly longer behind Lando Norris, but he's been in for a pit stop.
28:1620 seconds it took to get that nose changed.
28:19Here comes Charles Leclerc around about 10 seconds.
28:22It takes you to go all the way from turn 16 to turn 17.
28:25And he's still behind Oscar Piastri, but continuing to gain on the McLaren.
28:31He took three tenths out of Piastri's advantage in the middle sector alone as they crossed the line.
28:37The gap between Piastri and Leclerc, nine tenths of a second.
28:41As soon as the drivers are comfortable, they're slightly ahead of the car.
28:44You just could see it on their steering wheel, with their hands on their steering wheel.
28:48It just all calms down.
28:50And they're half a second ahead of the car instead of half a second behind it.
28:55And they just do lovely sweeps of the wheel.
28:57They load the surface of the tyres.
29:00And they get the weight distribution where they need it in terms of when they're going over curbs and all
29:06that.
29:07And as soon as you're not confident, you start moving the steering wheel a lot.
29:11Isaac Hajar started ninth.
29:14He's chasing Franco Colopinto to get back up into ninth.
29:19It'll be one spot outside the points.
29:21But after dispatching Bortoletto a few laps ago, he's continuing to make progress through the fields.
29:28This is turning into a very comfortable sprint race indeed for Lando Norris out in front.
29:33This has been a perfect afternoon so far for McLaren.
29:38Would you say this is one of, if not the most impressive weekend so far for Colopinto?
29:44Yes.
29:44I would say in his F1 career.
29:46Well, out-qualified his teammate.
29:49Reached the top ten of the sprint for the first time since 2024 in Austin.
29:52So, yeah.
29:53Yeah.
29:54I would say it's his most assured looking performance, I think, as a Formula 1 driver, Franco Colopinto.
29:59That is very true.
30:01I think he's got potential, Franco Colopinto.
30:05He's not the worst driver we've ever seen in Formula 1.
30:08It's just, he's got into some silly moments.
30:10Four laps to go here.
30:12Charles Leclerc seems to be coming back for a renewed attack at Oscar Piastri.
30:16Remember that nine tenths of a second gap?
30:18It's gone down to half a second when they cross the line.
30:21This is fantastic to hear in a Formula 1 car.
30:24As he's making a change to his steering wheel at 150 miles an hour.
30:28Just sweeping through.
30:29Then it, oh, he had to do a correction in the middle there.
30:33Then it just tight.
30:33Just such a frustrating little left-hander turn eight.
30:36Then you arrest any slide on that curb and just pin the throttle.
30:41And the acceleration would be, or is, relentless.
30:44You get a little beep in your ear or whatever to tell you to shift gear.
30:47And off they go down the track.
30:49And then you think, if I don't lift my foot off the throttle soon, I will take off.
30:54It's a super circuit here, given the confines of what they had to play with.
30:59Herman Tilke and his team, when they came to design a track.
31:03And I think it's used for about a hundred days a year of racing now.
31:07It's a semi-permanent racetrack.
31:08When the NFL finishes business in early February.
31:13It's wrapped around a stadium, isn't it?
31:15The Hard Rock Stadium.
31:16It's extraordinary how they've made so many fast sections through the car parks of a stadium.
31:22If they'd have done this sort of thing in Las Vegas, we'd never have left Caesars Palace in the early
31:2680s.
31:26We'd have been racing there all the time.
31:28But that car park racetrack wasn't great.
31:31It was a bit twitchy from Charles Leclerc going into the left-hander.
31:36I think Piastri's got him covered.
31:38It seems that way, but you never know.
31:41One slight mistake from a car here and suddenly your opponent is right on you.
31:48Lap 17, three to go.
31:50Piastri's in second.
31:52McLaren 1-2 in the sprint as they were last year here.
31:57And they became the first constructor to finish 1-2 in a sprint race and a Grand Prix in the
32:03same weekend.
32:04So once he got in the dirty air, Leclerc behind, got a little bit closer to McLaren.
32:08He lost three quarters of a second up to Piastri.
32:12And a Formula 1 car goes an awful long way in three quarters of a second.
32:15Certainly does.
32:17Vando Norris, fastest man on track.
32:21Now lapping in the low.
32:231.32s.
32:23There's Isaac Hadjar.
32:24Oh, we picked him up late.
32:26And that was a very opportunist move from Isaac Hadjar going through Turn 4.
32:31What a brilliant piece of driving to get past Franco Colapinto.
32:35That was F2 style overtaking.
32:38That was very unorthodox, but very effective.
32:42You don't often see a car getting past there.
32:45And, well, full bravery from Isaac Hadjar.
32:49It gets him one place.
32:50It doesn't get him one point.
32:52He has to defend against Colapinto, who's coming back at him at Turn 11.
32:57He's got that one covered, though.
32:59Yeah, he needs to be careful about moving in the braking zone.
33:01He did leave a car's width, so no problems there for Hadjar.
33:07Franco Colapinto now down in 10th place.
33:10Isaac Hadjar gets a decent exit out of Turn 16.
33:15There goes that Red Bull active aero.
33:18The rear wing opening up with a big, enormous gap that Ted says he can get his head through.
33:23And onwards down the straight.
33:25Little charge.
33:26You can see the rain lights are blinking away.
33:30Very difficult.
33:32The two cars have got full batteries going down that back straight.
33:36Very difficult for the car behind to have any influence in terms of a boost to make an overtake stick.
33:44Norris has just been supreme out front, hasn't him?
33:46He's currently four tenths quicker than Leclerc.
33:49Eight tenths quicker than his teammate.
33:50He was also running in clear air.
33:52So Norris beautifully dialed into this race track.
33:57Smiley Lando Norris, you said at the start of this race.
34:00He's going to be grinning from ear to ear at the end of this.
34:02And that is going to put a smile on Oscar Piastri's face.
34:05Charles Leclerc going too deep at Turn 11.
34:08And that might just have cost him any chance of getting second place here.
34:13He'd have picked up a load of rubbish on his tyres.
34:15He'll be half a dozen corners cleaning that up with Charles Leclerc.
34:19And you kind of tippy toe a little bit.
34:21You know you're going to have less mechanical grip.
34:24The right front tyres marked up a little bit.
34:26Look, on the outside, usually on the outside given the amount of camber.
34:30The amount of lean in at the top.
34:32But Leclerc, he's kept it in play, hasn't he?
34:35But again, he's running wide.
34:36So his front tyres look ugly.
34:39They look marked up.
34:40And he's struggling to slow the car down.
34:42Yeah, he's got the advantage of nearly four seconds over Kimi Antonelli.
34:47So he might as well try something that he wouldn't normally try.
34:51It shouldn't cost him a place in that respect.
34:54But it really didn't come off Oscar Piastri.
34:57What a record this year.
34:58When he starts a race, he finishes second.
35:01Right?
35:01He didn't start the first two.
35:04Came back in Japan.
35:05Finished second in the Grand Prix.
35:06And he started this race.
35:07And he's going to finish second here today.
35:10For the second year running.
35:11To his teammate Lando Norris.
35:13He's going through turn nine currently.
35:15And on his way to another sprint victory.
35:19Look at Debris the marbles on the racetrack.
35:21In the heavily loaded areas where they're putting a lot of g-force.
35:23But Lando Norris then.
35:26Rear wing closes as he hits the brakes.
35:28And the front wing of course too.
35:30Little bit of a slide through there.
35:32Probably just enjoying himself as much as anything.
35:35He knows he can discard these tires in about half a lap's time.
35:40Just dancing it through the chicane into the tight 16.
35:44Do not hit the wall there.
35:46And basically he's got one decision to make.
35:50Where to brake at 17.
35:51A swing of the steering wheel he could do in his sleep.
35:55And then a glory drive to the line in terms of another victory.
36:0019 laps of a sprint race here at the Hard Rock Stadium.
36:04The Miami International Autodrome.
36:06Lando Norris in what is sprint race 26.
36:09He's going to pick up sprint race victory number four.
36:12Lando Norris crosses the line.
36:14A very comfortable winner here.
36:16And once again McLaren triumphant with a 1-2 in a sprint in Miami.
36:22Oscar Piastri comes home to take second.
36:24Charles Leclerc third.
36:25Kimi Antonelli championship leader fourth.
36:28Beating his teammate George Russell.
36:30Good old scrap they were having earlier on.
36:32Max Verstappen.
36:34Liam Lawson who struggled early on in 15th.
36:38Here comes Oli Behrman.
36:39Is he going to go last of the late breakers?
36:41With Esteban Ocon into turn 17.
36:44He's going to try to switch back at the hairpin.
36:46But Esteban Ocon has got that covered.
36:49Hadjar ninth.
36:49Colopinto.
36:50So for Toledo Ocon finishes 12th.
36:53And then comes Oli Behrman and Carlos Sainz and Liam Lawson.
36:56Sergio Perez has been overtaken by Fernando Alonso.
37:01Down into the hairpin.
37:03Can Alonso stay ahead to the line?
37:07Good up mate.
37:08Well done.
37:09Yeah well done.
37:10Nice win.
37:12Great job.
37:13Just do it all over again.
37:17Antonelli noted a gain for track limits then.
37:19That could be a five second penalty for Kimi Antonelli if they found that he's gone over for a fourth
37:27time in this race.
37:29And that would mean that George Russell and Max Verstappen would go ahead of Kimi Antonelli in the final standings.
37:36Nice checkered flag.
37:36Nice job Oscar.
37:37Strong P2.
37:39And McAllen 1-2 as well.
37:42We're really happy with that.
37:43Good job.
37:44Yeah well done everybody.
37:45Good job.
37:47Nice to see the pace was pretty good obviously.
37:50I'm sure there's a couple of things to work on but nice to be able to hold off everybody else.
37:56So thank you.
37:57Let's go again this afternoon.
37:59Yeah I think strong P2 is probably a bit of a stake through his heart when his teammate had a
38:05even stronger P1 but they can now change the cars before qualifying this afternoon.
38:11Lewis Hamilton 21 seconds behind in a 19 second lap.
38:15Faded at the end.
38:16Yeah.
38:16He'll be wanting to make a lot of changes in that Ferrari.
38:19So they open up.
38:21They're out of park for me as soon as they start that race basically.
38:25And as they said they go again.
38:27Fernando Alonso did hold off Sergio Perez all the way to the line.
38:32On the soft tyres for the Aston Martins working for them.
38:35Perez 17th.
38:36Stroll 18th.
38:37Albon 19th.
38:37The Bottas plumb last 20th.
38:40Hülkenberg didn't start.
38:42Third time this season we've had an Audi not start a race.
38:46And Arvid Lindblad didn't feature in this race either.
38:50This man did feature in the race.
38:52Perfect start from pole.
38:54Kimi Antonelli once again dropped places off the line.
38:58Oscar Piastri swooped through to take second.
39:01And McLaren from then on in looked pretty good for a 1-2.
39:03And that's how it ended.
39:04Yep.
39:06Even after all the times he's got out of these cars.
39:08There's not really a super elegant way to do it.
39:11It's so clumsy to get out of.
39:14We'll bring you details of anything that might affect Kimi Antonelli as soon as we get it.
39:24But he was shown the black and white flag.
39:28And I'm...
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