Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen extended his lead in the 2023 Formula One World Championship with an impressive drive on Sunday at the Miami Grand Prix, having started at ninth on the grid and ending up in first place.
Fellow Red Bull driver and pole-sitter Sergio Perez finished in second place, roughly five seconds back, while Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso closed out the top three positions, by crossing the finish line some 26 seconds behind the winner.
At the start of the race, Perez was joined by Alonso at the front of the grid and was soon in the lead, while Alonso was forced to hold off Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz. Further down the field, Verstappen was quickly working his way up and would reach second after just 15 laps.
2023 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix
Perez made his first and only pit stop on lap 20, and rejoined the race in fourth. He then made a series of fastest laps and was in second place when Alonso made his own stop on lap 25. Verstappen in the lead pushed hard on his older tires in order to build up a gap, while Perez managed his tires to ensure they would be up to scratch to last until the end of the race.
Verstappen eventually made his stop on lap 45, returning to the race in second place but only 1.2 seconds behind Perez and with 12 laps remaining. With his fresh tires and the use of DRS, Verstappen quickly passed his teammate on the next lap and managed to hold the lead spot until the finish. The reigning champion also managed a fastest lap in the final stage to secure a bonus point.
Following the weekend’s action, Verstappen’s tally in the Drivers’ Championship has grown to 119 points. Perez is second with 105 points and Alonso is third with 75 points. In the Constructors’ Championship, Red Bull leads with 224 points, versus the 102 of Aston Martin and 96 of Mercedes-Benz AMG. The next race on the calendar is the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Italy’s Imola racetrack in a fortnight.
2023 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix – Photo credit: Getty Images
Below are the full results from the 2023 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix:
1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
2) Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing +5.384 seconds
3) Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin +26.305 seconds
4) George Russell, Mercedes-Benz AMG +33.229 seconds
5) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari +42.511 seconds
6) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-Benz AMG +51.249 seconds
7) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari +52.988 seconds
8) Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri +55.670 seconds
9) Esteban Ocon, Alpine +58.123 seconds
10) Kevin Magnussen, Haas +62.945 seconds
11) Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri +64.309 seconds
12) Lance Stroll, Aston Martin +64.754 seconds
13) Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo +71.637 seconds
14) Alexander Albon, Williams +72.861 seconds
15) Nico Hulkenberg, Haas +74.950 seconds
16) Zhou Guanyu, Alfa Romeo +78.440 seconds
17) Lando Norris, McLaren +87.717 seconds
18) Nyck De Vries, AlphaTauri +88.949 seconds
19) Oscar Piastri, McLaren +1 lap
20) Logan Sargeant, Williams +1 lap
