Max Verstappen wins Miami sprint as Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton clash in Miami
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Max Verstappen won the sprint race in Miami as Fernando Alonso accused Lewis Hamilton of “arriving like a bull” as they collided at the first corner.
Verstappen controlled the 19-lap race – which was interrupted by an opening-lap safety car after Hamilton was involved in a coming together with Alonso – to claim a dominant win.
Charles Leclerc finished second for Ferrari with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez third. RB’s Daniel Ricciardo started and finished an impressive fourth with Hamilton originally finishing eighth following a ding-dong battle with Kevin Magnussen.
However, Hamilton was penalised for speeding in the pit lane, dropping him to 16th.
Pole-sitter Verstappen held off Leclerc on the short run down to the opening bend at the Hard Rock Stadium to lay down the foundations for a victory which sees him extend his championship lead over Perez from 25 points to 27.
But the action unfolded behind Verstappen with Hamilton taking centre stage.
The seven-time world champion, starting from a lowly 12th, enjoyed a strong getaway in his Mercedes before slinging his machine down the inside of an unsuspecting Alonso, four places ahead of him on the grid.
Hamilton bumped into Alonso’s Aston Martin who then collided with team-mate Lance Stroll. Lando Norris was minding his own business on the outside of the opening right-hander only for Stroll – sent out of control by Alonso – to hit the British driver’s McLaren.
Stroll and Norris both retired with damage while Alonso had to limp back to the pits with a puncture. “Whoa,” said Alonso, 43, over the radio. “Hamilton arrived like a bull.”
Hamilton was on the intercom, too. “There was a gap on the inside so I went for it,” he said, protesting his innocence.
The stewards noted the first-corner flashpoint but they took no further action allowing Hamilton to continue in ninth spot.
Out came the safety car and when the race resumed on the fourth lap of 19, Verstappen made no mistake to blast away from Leclerc and retain his lead.
TOP-8 – MIAMI SPRINT RACE
1. Max Verstappen
2. Charles Leclerc
3. Sergio Perez
4. Daniel Ricciardo
5. Carlos Sainz
6. Oscar Piastri
7. Nico Hulkenberg
8. Yuki Tsunoda
The attention returned to Hamilton as he attempted to clear the Haas of Magnussen. However, the Dane was not prepared to let Hamilton by without a fight, using all of his machinery, and then some, to prevent the Briton from swooping by.
However, the stewards took a dim view of Magnussen’s aggressive defence and hit him with a 10-second penalty, but the fight continued.
“He just drove into me,” said Hamilton, and on lap 15 he then accused Magnussen of pushing him off the track at the chicane allowing RB’s Yuki Tsunoda to make his way ahead.
A lap later, Tsunoda and Hamilton cleared Magnussen and Hamilton then found a way past the Japanese driver which looked to have earned him the final point.
But the Mercedes driver was penalised for driving too fast in the pit lane under safety car conditions, dropping him way down the order. Hamilton’s team-mate George Russell finished 12th.
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