The 2024 Formula 1 season marched on to round six crossing the Atlantic to the US. The three days held another Sprint weekend, this time at the Miami Grand Prix, marking the debut of this format in the city. Following the thrilling wet Sprint in China, the anticipation was high for yet another exciting weekend of racing, kicking off the trio of races scheduled in the United States for 2024.
Race Guide
Date: 3rd May 2024 – 5th May 2024
Circuit: Miami International Autodrome
Laps: 57
Circuit length: 5.412km
Previous Winner: Max Verstappen (2023)
At the Miami International Autodrome, the Sprint format would add a fresh twist to the Miami weekend action for the first time, with a venue that nestles the paddock inside the grounds of the Miami Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium, instead of the norm of behind the pitlane.
For the second out of six Sprint weekends in 2024, teams and drivers faced the challenge of maximising their performance with just a single 60-minute free practice session (FP1) on Friday at midday before adjusting to a competitive mindset on Friday late afternoon for Sprint Qualifying. The action-packed weekend unfolded with the 100-kilometre Sprint race on Saturday, followed by full Qualifying later in the day, setting the stage for the main event—the Grand Prix—on Sunday.
Weekend schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 3 May 2024 | Free Practice 1 (FP1) | 12.30 pm local time |
| 3 May 2024 | Sprint Qualifying | 4.30 pm local time |
| 4 May 2024 | Sprint Race | 12:00 pm local time |
| 4 May 2024 | Qualifying | 4:00 pm local time |
| 5 May 2024 | Race | 4:00 pm local time |
During Friday’s Sprint qualifying, at first glance, Red Bull’s pole position seemed like business as usual, with Max Verstappen securing P1 for the Sprint Race. Yet, McLaren surprised everyone, including themselves, by closing the gap. The papaya cars demonstrating impressive speed on the Medium tyres, suggesting that the reigning world champions might face tougher competition during the weekend. Despite a slightly shaky start in SQ1 and SQ2, Red Bull rallied when it counted. Verstappen delivered pole position in the final part of the session ahead of Charles Leclerc in second and Max’s teammate Sergio Perez in third.
On Saturday, Max Verstappen emerged victorious in an intense Sprint race, withstanding pressure from Charles Leclerc. Verstappen, starting from pole position, faced an early challenge from Leclerc but managed to maintain his lead. The race saw a Safety Car intervention due to an incident involving Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, and Lance Stroll in the first corner. Sergio Perez secured third place after an early battle with Daniel Ricciardo, who achieved his strongest result of the season so far, finishing fourth.
After securing pole on Saturday, Max Verstappen started the race on the front row with Charles Leclerc. Carlos Sainz lined up in third with Sergio Perez in fourth on the second row. However, the race wouldn’t go Verstappen’s way for the second time in 2024 with Lando Norris in the McLaren, who started in sixth, catapulting himself into the ranks of F1 winners with a remarkable first win in Formula 1. Verstappen settled for second place, struggling with his performance throughout the race, while Charles Leclerc claimed third, leading his Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz in fourth, who had a late collision with Oscar Piastri. Piastri fell back to 13th by the race end after needing a new front wing, and the stewards penalised Sainz with a five-second time penalty for his role in the collision, which demoted him to fifth, and Perez lifted to fourth.
Championship background
Max Verstappen was aiming to continue his pursuit of a fourth consecutive drivers’ title following dominant wins in Japan and China, and with second place in China, Lando Norris was looking to capitalise on his season-best finish, with his chances potentially enhanced by new upgrades to his McLaren.
After a disappointing weekend in China, where they failed to secure a podium for the first time in 2024, Ferrari was looking to rebound. Similarly, Mercedes hoped to boost their performance with new upgrades for the W15.
Away from the track, Thursday’s media day was eventful following the news of legendary designer Adrian Newey’s departure from Red Bull and the confirmation of Nico Hulkenberg’s move from Haas to Sauber for the 2025 season on a multi-year deal that would see him there as the team transitioned to the Audi works team in 2026.
Race entries
As it was in round five at the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix there were no reserve drivers or upcoming talent taking part in free practice. That meant every driver from the start of the season made an appearance in FP1, Sprint Qualifying, the Sprint Race, Qualifying and the Race.
Tyre choices
Pirelli, the official F1 tyre supplier, chose its midrange compounds for this race: C2 as the hard option, C3 as medium, and C4 as soft. These tyres would navigate the 5.412-kilometre circuit surrounding the Hard Rock Stadium and were the same selection used in the previous round at Shanghai.
With the return of the Sprint format, the usual dry tyre allocation decreased from 13 sets to 12, comprising two sets of C2 hards, four sets of C3 mediums, and six sets of C4 softs. The allocation for wet-weather tyres remained unchanged with five sets of intermediates and two sets of wets.
Pirelli also predicted that the Miami Grand Prix would involve a one-stop strategy, with teams favouring the hard and medium compounds as their primary choices.
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Free Practice
Similar to the previous Sprint weekend in China, the Miami International Autodrome provided just 60 minutes of track time for drivers and teams to get familiar with the 5.412-kilometre circuit ahead of Sprint Qualifying.
Max Verstappen delivered a crucial late lap to lead the pack for Red Bull, just edging out McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in the only practice session ahead of the competitive sessions during Formula 1’s first consecutive Sprint weekend.
The season’s in-form Dutchman secured P1 with a time of 1:28.595 on soft tyres in the closing moments of the session. For the first time in 2024, the competition was tight, with McLaren’s Piastri and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz finishing just a little over a tenth of a second behind Verstappen in second and third places, respectively.
Full Free Practice Reports
Free Practice 1 Classification
FP1 was held on 3 May 2024, 12:30 pm local time.
Sprint Qualifying
Max Verstappen clinched P1 at the second Sprint Qualifying of the 2024 season, while Charles Leclerc secured second with a strong performance. Sergio Perez, in third, joined Daniel Ricciardo in fourth, who pulled out a remarkable performance in the RB for a second-row start.
Carlos Sainz finished fifth, followed by Oscar Piastri in sixth, leading the Aston Martin duo of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso. Lando Norris and Nico Hulkenberg completed the top 10.
Sprint Qualifying Report
Sprint Qualifying Classification
Sprint Qualifying was held on 3 May 2024, 4:30 pm local time.
Sprint Race
During Saturday’s Sprint race at the 2024 Miami Grand Prix, Max Verstappen capitalised on pole position to secure victory, leading Ferrari rival Charles Leclerc and Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez across the finish line in an eventful race.
Verstappen defended his lead from the start and navigated through an early Safety Car period before establishing a comfortable lead at the front. Meanwhile, Leclerc settled for second place, while Perez battled past fast starter Daniel Ricciardo in the RB to claim third.
Sprint Race Report
Sprint Race Classification
The Sprint Race was held on 4 May 2024, 12:00 pm local time.
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/Retired | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 19 | 31:31.383 | 8 |
| 2 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 19 | +3.371s | 7 |
| 3 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 19 | +5.095s | 6 |
| 4 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB Honda RBPT | 19 | +14.971s | 5 |
| 5 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 19 | +15.222s | 4 |
| 6 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 19 | +15.750s | 3 |
| 7 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas Ferrari | 19 | +22.054s | 2 |
| 8 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB Honda RBPT | 19 | +29.816s | 1 |
| 9 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 19 | +31.880s | 0 |
| 10 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams Mercedes | 19 | +34.355s | 0 |
| 11 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 19 | +35.078s | 0 |
| 12 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 19 | +35.755s | 0 |
| 13 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 19 | +36.086s | 0 |
| 14 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 19 | +36.892s | 0 |
| 15 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 19 | +37.740s | 0 |
| 16 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton1 | Mercedes | 19 | +49.347s | 0 |
| 17 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 19 | +59.409s | 0 |
| 18 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen2 | Haas Ferrari | 19 | +66.303s | 0 |
| NC | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1 | +0 lap | 0 |
| NC | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 0 | +0 lap | 0 |
2Magnussen was penalised with three 10-second time penalties for leaving the track and gaining an advantage and an additional five-second penalty for exceeding track limits.
Qualifying
Max Verstappen secured his seventh consecutive pole position at the Miami Grand Prix, clinching P1 on the grid despite failing to improve on his final flying lap. The Dutchman initially claimed pole during the first run of Q3 with a time of 1m 27.241s, a position he maintained until the end. Charles Leclerc started alongside Verstappen on the front row, with his Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz close behind in third.
Full Qualifying Report
Qualifying Classification
Qualifying was held on 4 May 2024, 4:00 pm local time.
What happened in the 2024 Miami Grand Prix?
Following a thrilling double-header of Sprint racing and Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday, which saw reigning champion Verstappen dominate, all eyes turned to Sunday’s main event: 57 laps around the Miami International Autodrome.
Only one alteration was made to the starting lineup after the grid-deciding session. Ricciardo slipped from 18th to 20th due to a three-place penalty incurred at the previous race in China for breaching Safety Car regulations.
As the field lined up on the grid and the tyre blankets were removed, it became clear that most drivers would start on the medium compound. However, Hamilton, Alonso, Magnussen, and Ricciardo opted for hards, while Bottas chose softs, anticipating a one-stop race according to Pirelli’s expectations.
Pole-sitter Verstappen successfully defended his lead off the line for the second time during the weekend. He managed to stay ahead of the battling Ferraris of Leclerc and Sainz, who had to take evasive action when Perez dramatically locked up and darted into the first corner.
Perez’s error, coupled with the close encounter between the Ferraris, allowed Piastri to pull off an impressive move from sixth to third at the exit of Turn 1, slotting in just behind Leclerc. Meanwhile, Sainz fell back to fourth, followed by the recovering Perez, Norris, Hamilton, and Hulkenberg.
Further back in the pack, the Alpine duo of Ocon and Gasly engaged in a tense battle, trading positions for several corners. Hulkenberg seized the opportunity to pass the hard-shod Hamilton at the start of Lap 2, claiming seventh place.
A couple of laps later, Piastri closed the gap to Leclerc and utilised the Drag Reduction System on the long straight between Turns 16 and 17 to snatch second place from the Monegasque. Meanwhile, race leader Verstappen extended his lead to two seconds.
As the race settled into a rhythm, replays of the opening laps, including onboard footage from Perez, revealed a close call where the Mexican almost rear-ended teammate Verstappen at Turn 1. The stewards briefly investigated a potential jump for start by Perez but took no further action.
Hamilton, with his hard tyres coming into their own, made a bold move to pass Hulkenberg for seventh at Turn 11, only to lose the position again due to a lock-up at Turn 17. “Nearly had a big crash there,” Hamilton radioed in response to the first overtake, feeling squeezed towards the wall.
Regaining his focus, Hamilton launched another attack on Hulkenberg in the subsequent laps, this time successfully making the move stick under braking for Turn 11. It wasn’t long before Russell in the other Mercedes overtook Hulkenberg for eighth place.
Williams and Kick Sauber opted for the first pit stops as the lap count entered double digits. All four cars switched to hard tyres. Meanwhile, Hulkenberg made a similar decision after losing ground to the Mercedes, opting for the white-marked rubber.
The focus then shifted to when the front-runners would pit. Verstappen extended his lead over Piastri to around three seconds, followed by Leclerc, Sainz, Perez, and Norris, who were eager to pass the second Red Bull but couldn’t quite close the gap.
Perez provided Norris with some clean air after being the first among the leaders to pit on Lap 18. He returned to the track in 10th position with hard tyres, trailing Hamilton, Russell, Tsunoda, and Ocon.
Leclerc followed Perez into the pits on Lap 20, also opting for hard tyres. Ferrari’s quick service, clocking under two seconds, added pressure on Piastri and McLaren, who were yet to pit.
Verstappen encountered trouble when he ran over the Turn 14/15 chicane, hitting a bollard which he carried for a few more meters before disposing of it at Turn 16. He radioed his team, requesting a front wing check.
A Virtual Safety Car was deployed to allow marshals to retrieve the bollard, leading to ‘cheap’ stops for Ocon, Alonso, and Magnussen. After the VSC concluded, Verstappen pitted at the end of Lap 23.
Piastri, Sainz, and Norris stayed out rather than immediately following Verstappen into the pits. Meanwhile, a thrilling four-way battle involving Ocon, Hulkenberg, Alonso, and Gasly unfolded as cars filtered back in from their pit stops.
Following Verstappen’s incident, Hamilton reported difficulty seeing the chicane’s kerb. He and teammate Russell pitted on Lap 27, with Hamilton opting for mediums and Russell switching to hards.
Race leader Piastri pitted moments later on Lap 27, followed by Sainz, both opting for hard tyres. This left Norris at the front, with only Tsunoda, Zhou, and Ricciardo yet to pit.
Shortly after, yellow flags were raised, followed by a full Safety Car deployment due to an incident involving Magnussen and Sargeant. This played into Norris’s hands, allowing him to complete his pit stop with minimal time loss.
Tsunoda, Zhou, and Ricciardo also took advantage of the Safety Car period to change tyres. Meanwhile, Perez made a second pit stop. Replays showed Magnussen attempting a move on Sargeant at Turn 2, resulting in contact that sent Sargeant into the barriers and Magnussen back to the pits for repairs.
Sargeant promptly reported over the radio that he was “okay,” but his Williams suffered terminal damage upon impact, marking a disappointing end to his race in the first of three home Grand Prix in 2024.
Following the incident, Norris emerged from his pit stop ahead of Verstappen, with Leclerc maintaining third position ahead of the demoted Piastri, Sainz, and Perez. Tsunoda, Hamilton, Russell, and Ocon rounded out the top ten positions.
The stewards confirmed Magnussen’s 10-second time penalty for the clash with Sargeant, adding to the series of penalties he received during his battles with Hamilton in the Sprint race.
At the end of Lap 32, the Safety Car returned to the pits, and Norris resumed the race lead. However, he immediately faced pressure from Verstappen and had to defend through the first sector to retain his position at the front.
A mistake from Verstappen allowed Norris to extend his lead, setting a series of quick sector times to move out of DRS range. Meanwhile, Piastri became entangled in a battle with Sainz at Turn 11, with Sainz feeling he was forced off the track.
As the laps dwindled, Norris continued to increase his lead over Verstappen, who struggled with his car’s handling. Sainz managed to overtake Piastri, who then suffered damage to his front wing during a tussle with him.
Despite Piastri’s attempts to climb back into the points, lock-ups and close encounters prompted his race engineer to warn him to avoid further drama that could trigger another Safety Car.
Further down the field, Stroll incurred a 10-second time penalty for going off track in his battle with Albon, ending his hopes of scoring points.
Meanwhile, Norris maintained his composure and skillfully navigated the final laps to secure his first-ever Grand Prix victory, also giving McLaren their first win in almost three years.
Verstappen finished in second place, followed by Leclerc in third. Sainz claimed fourth ahead of his investigation alongside Piastri, with Perez rounding out the top five.
Mercedes secured points with Hamilton and Russell in sixth and eighth, respectively, with Tsunoda splitting them in seventh. Alonso and Ocon completed the top ten, with Hulkenberg, Gasly, Piastri (recovering after his pit stop), Zhou, Ricciardo, Bottas, and Stroll following behind.
Albon was the final finisher in 19th place, while Sargeant was forced to retire after the collision with Magnussen, who finished 18th after his additional pit stop for repairs.
2024 Miami Grand Prix race results
The 2024 Miami Grand Prix Race was held on 5 May 2024, 4:00 pm local time.
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/Retired | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 57 | 1:30:49.876 | 25 |
| 2 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 57 | +7.612s | 18 |
| 3 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 57 | +9.920s | 15 |
| 4 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 57 | +14.650s | 12 |
| 5 | 55 | Carlos Sainz1 | Ferrari | 57 | +16.407s | 10 |
| 6 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 57 | +16.585s | 8 |
| 7 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB Honda RBPT | 57 | +26.185s | 6 |
| 8 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 57 | +34.789s | 4 |
| 9 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 57 | +37.107s | 2 |
| 10 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 57 | +39.746s | 1 |
| 11 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas Ferrari | 57 | +40.789s | 0 |
| 12 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 57 | +44.958s | 0 |
| 13 | 81 | Oscar Piastri2 | McLaren Mercedes | 57 | +49.756s | 0 |
| 14 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 57 | +49.979s | 0 |
| 15 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB Honda RBPT | 57 | +50.956s | 0 |
| 16 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 57 | +52.356s | 0 |
| 17 | 18 | Lance Stroll3 | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 57 | +55.173s | 0 |
| 18 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 57 | +76.091s | 0 |
| 19 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen4 | Haas Ferrari | 57 | +84.683s | 0 |
| NC | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams Mercedes | 27 | DNF | 0 |
2Fastest lap: Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1:30.634 (lap 43)
3Stroll incurred a 10-second time penalty for track limit violations resulting in an advantage gain.
4Magnussen was handed a 10-second time penalty for his involvement in a collision and an additional 20-second penalty for entering the pits during a Safety Car period without changing tyres.
2024 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings for Drivers’ and Teams after the 2024 Miami Grand Prix.
2024 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings
| os | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | NED | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 136 |
| 2 | Sergio Pérez | MEX | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 103 |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | MON | Ferrari | 98 |
| 4 | Lando Norris | GBR | McLaren | 83 |
| 5 | Carlos Sainz | ESP | Ferrari | 83 |
| 6 | Oscar Piastri | AUS | McLaren | 41 |
| 7 | George Russell | GBR | Mercedes | 37 |
| 8 | Fernando Alonso | ESP | Aston Martin Mercedes | 33 |
| 9 | Lewis Hamilton | GBR | Mercedes | 27 |
| 10 | Yuki Tsunoda | JPN | RB-Honda RBPT | 14 |
| 11 | Lance Stroll | CAN | Aston Martin Mercedes | 9 |
| 12 | Oliver Bearman | GBR | Ferrari | 6 |
| 13 | Nico Hulkenberg | GER | Haas Ferrari | 6 |
| 14 | Daniel Ricciardo | AUS | RB-Honda RBPT | 5 |
| 15 | Esteban Ocon | FRA | Alpine Renualt | 1 |
| 16 | Kevin Magnussen | DEN | Haas Ferrari | 1 |
| 17 | Alexander Albon | THA | Williams Mercedes | 0 |
| 18 | Zhou Guanyu | CHN | Stake F1 Team | 0 |
| 19 | Pierre Gasly | FRA | Alpine Renualt | 0 |
| 20 | Valtteri Bottas | FIN | Stake F1 Team | 0 |
| 21 | Logan Sargeant | USA | Williams Mercedes | 0 |
2024 Post-Race F1 Constructors’ Championship Standings
| Pos | Team | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 239 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 187 |
| 3 | McLaren Mercedes | 124 |
| 4 | Mercedes | 64 |
| 5 | Aston Martin Mercedes | 42 |
| 6 | RB-Honda RBPT | 19 |
| 7 | Haas Ferrari | 7 |
| 8 | Alpine Renualt | 1 |
| 9 | Williams Mercedes | 0 |
| 10 | Stake F1 Team | 0 |
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