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Formula 1
Miami GP
F1 Miami GP Live Commentary and Updates – FP3 & Qualifying
Saturday's action from the fifth round of the 2023 Formula 1 season
Max Verstappen topped Friday practice in Miami, as F1 completes a double-header following last weekend’s Azerbaijan GP where Sergio Perez took both sprint and grand prix race wins.
The weekend returns to its usual format in the US, with two free practice sessions on Friday, FP3 and qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday.
FP3 starts at 5.30pm BST on Saturday, with qualifying getting under way at 9pm.
By: Haydn Cobb, James Newbold
Stopped
Summary
- Perez secures third career F1 pole ahead of Alonso and Sainz
- Verstappen will start ninth after failing to set a time in Q3, having to abort his first run with an error before red flags curtailed his second run
- Leclerc's Turn 6 crash with 1m36s to go meant the session was not resumed and locked in a top six made up from six different teams
- Eliminated in Q2: Albon, Hulkenberg, Hamilton, Zhou, de Vries
- Eliminated in Q1: Norris, Tsunoda, Stroll, Piastri, Sargeant
Leaderboard
- Perez, Red Bull
- Alonso, Aston Martin
- Sainz, Ferrari
- Magnussen, Haas
- Gasly, Alpine
- Russell, Mercedes
- Leclerc, Ferrari
- Ocon, Alpine
- Verstappen, Red Bull
- Bottas, Alfa Romeo
Thank you ever so much as always for joining us. We'll be back tomorrow to bring you build up to the race and all the action from what promises to be a barnstormer. See you around 8pm BST!
Perez on pole, Verstappen ninth, Alonso vying for a first win with Aston Martin from the front row and a plethora of teams mixed up at the sharp end. Tomorrow's Miami Grand Prix looks like it will be essential watching. Where will you be taking it in from?
Breaking news
In case you missed any of that frantic and eventful qualifying session, here's the recap from Jake Boxall-Legge: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-miami-gp-perez-secures-pole-as-leclerc-crash-prompts-red-flag/10466138/
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How about this for a hot take from the 1996 world champion?
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As with at Aston, the Ferrari and Red Bull camps will be equally split tonight between delighted and frustrated as errors cost Leclerc and Verstappen. Who had that prediction on their bingo card for qualifying?
A huge roar from the crowd as Perez takes his turn to chat to Patrick, the Mexican admitting that this has been his "worst weekend up to qualifying". No doubt that this is a popular outcome with the Miami fans.
Very much a qualifying of two halves for Aston Martin, with Stroll starting from P18 and Alonso on the front row. Could Alonso launch a bid for victory from there?
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It's a third career pole then for Perez, and his first that's not in Jeddah. A dream scenario for the Mexican as he bids to capitalise on the momentum of his Baku win.
Former IndyCar and NASCAR racer Danica Patrick is currently chatting to the top three drivers in qualifying. Carlos Sainz calls P3 a "decent outcome".
Is this the first time we've ever had six different constructors in the top six positions on the grid?
Replays show the back end just stepped out on Leclerc as he took the Turn 6 left-hander, the Ferrari spinning wildly into the run-off before lightly impacting the wall square on with the rear section.
Perhaps the only man in the place as excited as Perez is Kevin Magnussen, who sounds overjoyed with fourth on his radio.
It's a front-row start too for Alonso, while Verstappen after his error on that first run will have to settle for starting from ninth.
Checkered flag
Q3 will not be resumed, and Perez has pole!
Red flag
We have a red flag as the Ferrari driver spins out and ends up in the barriers. He's out and unscathed, but a bad end to qualifying for Leclerc who also crashed out in FP2 yesterday.
Crash
Leclerc has crashed!
Here we go then. Time for the decisive final runs of Q3 as all 10 including Bottas (yet to set a time) head out.
A light touch of the wall in Turn 16 for Leclerc hampered his first effort. Can he move closer to the fight, having surrendered 1.020s to Perez first time around?
So as things stand Perez has pole by 0.361s from Alonso, with Sainz 0.508s back. But will those positions remain unchanged after the second runs? Remarkably, we have six different cars in the top six at the moment.
Replays show Verstappen had a big wobble through Turn 4, then ran wide at the double-apex Turns 7 and 8 complex. That's what caused him to abort his lap, rather than any repeat of his Jeddah mechanical dramas.
Sainz goes third with his first effort, a 1m27.349s. That puts him ahead of high-flying Magnussen, Gasly, Russell and Leclerc in a lowly seventh. Ocon is the slowest of the eight to run so far.
Verstappen has come straight into the box. A problem for the Dutchman?
Stopwatch
Perez sets the initial benchmark at 1m26.841s. Nearest challenger Alonso logs a 1m27.202s.
Verstappen has scotched his first flyer. So what can Perez muster?
Bottas stays home for the start of the session, but we've got nine others currently warming up for their hot laps. We anticipate the top guns will go for two flyer attempts.
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Lights green
We're green for the final part of qualifying. Who are your bets on?
Perez once again had the fastest third sector in Q2, as this time Leclerc was fastest through the twisty middle section. Verstappen paced the opening stanza.
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