The Miami Grand Prix may be new to Formula 1 having only debuted in 2022 but has enjoyed its moments, so here are five unforgettable events from Hard Rock Stadium.
F1 finally added the Miami GP to its schedule in 2022 after a long-fought battle to bring the pinnacle of motorsport to Florida. F1 also signed a 10-year contract with Tom Garfinkel, the vice-chairman of the NFL outfit Miami Dolphins plus Hard Rock Stadium, to make it happen.
Initial plans to stage a Formula 1 Grand Prix in Miami with the help of Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross focused on holding the event in PortMiami. But frequent setbacks due to local opposition saw the race move to the car parks and streets that surround Hard Rock Stadium.
Red Bull star Max Verstappen would also take the honour of being the first driver to win the Miami GP. The Dutchman pipped Charles Leclerc for the victory after the Ferrari driver took pole position. Only 3.786 seconds even split the pair following a late safety car intervention.
The incident which necessitated a safety car in 2022 is just one of our top five unforgettable Miami GP moments, though. So, with that in mind, here are the most incredible incidents to unfold on the streets and car parks that surround Hard Rock Stadium since F1’s debut visit…
Fernando Alonso plays bumper cars at the Miami GP in 2022
F1’s debut Miami Grand Prix in 2022 did not get off to an ideal start for Lewis Hamilton after Fernando Alonso tagged the Mercedes driver. Hamilton had qualified in P6 and Alonso only secured P11 in qualifying. Yet they found themselves in close proximity heading into Turn 1.
Hamilton initially sought to put the nose of his Silver Arrow down the inside of Sergio Perez into the first corner. But the Briton bailing out of a move and locking his front-right tyre let Valtteri Bottas and Pierre Gasly through. Alonso also found his way through with a little tap.
READ MORE: The most successful teams and engine providers at the Miami GP
The outside of Turn 1 opened up kindly for Alonso to jump up the order before T2. But the Spaniard did not react hastily enough to Hamilton taking the racing line through Turn 2 and made front-right to rear-left tyre contact. It made Hamilton wobble and Alonso got through.
But Alonso’s day playing bumper cars outside Hard Rock Stadium was not over yet. The two-time Formula 1 drivers’ champion also made contact with Gasly on Lap 39. Alonso sought an ambitious dive down the Frenchman’s inside at Turn 1 but he did not commit soon enough.
Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris collide at the Miami GP in 2022
Lap 41 of the 2022 Miami GP produced an unforgettable moment as Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris collided. The pair were running in P11 and P14 as the race entered the closing stages. But Gasly running wide at Turn 7 gifted Mick Schumacher and Kevin Magnussen free places.
Gasly was careful to avoid re-joining the track and tagging Schumacher once the Haas driver came through. But he and Norris were not as careful to avoid a collision as they ran side-by-side in the Turn 8 kink. Gasly drifted just inside as Norris sought to hold onto the racing line.
Had Norris opened his steering slightly or Gasly stayed close to the wall, the pair would have avoided a collision. Instead, Gasly’s front-left tyre just clipped Norris’ rear right and sent the McLaren ace into a high-speed 720-degree spin. The touch even tore Norris’ tyre off its rim.
The stewards would neutralise the 2022 Miami GP with a safety car to clear Norris’ stricken McLaren. Gasly, on the other hand, initially continued but his race did come to a halt on Lap 45 of the 57. AlphaTauri retired the Frenchman as his car had sustained suspension damage.
Lewis Hamilton turned defence into attack at the 2022 Miami GP
Lewis Hamilton found himself in P6 on Lap 49 of the 2022 Miami GP following the safety car Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris’ collision called for. But the Mercedes racer was quickly under pressure from his teammate as George Russell continued to charge up from P12 on the grid.
READ MORE: The most successful drivers at the Formula 1 Miami GP of all time
Russell had a great chance to take P6 away from Hamilton with the aid of DRS on the 1.3km (0.8m) back straight. Yet the Briton saw his compatriot not only slam the door shut into T17 but run him close to the wall. Hamilton even turned his defence into attack out of the bend.
Valtteri Bottas entered T17 with breathing room to his former Mercedes partner, Hamilton, and his replacement, Russell. But the Finn drifted wide and had to get out of the throttle to avoid the outside wall. Hamilton and Russell would not need a second invitation to pounce.
Max Verstappen punishes Charles Leclerc at the 2023 Miami GP
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc and Red Bull racer Max Verstappen did not have the qualifying session that either hoped for at the 2023 Miami GP. The pair could only claim P7 and P9 on the grid after errors in Q3. Leclerc’s costly spin also denied Verstappen due to the red flags.
Qualifying was much more fruitful for Kevin Magnussen, though, as the Dane secured P4 for Haas. It would be Magnussen’s best qualifying result all year, too, and he desperately sought to retain the spot. His defending against Leclerc even gave Verstappen a chance for revenge.
Leclerc initially looked to get the overtake done into Turn 17 as he dived down Magnussen’s inside on Lap 3. Yet Magnussen did not yield and put the Monegasque back under pressure on the run to Turn 1. But a double slipstream plus DRS saw Verstappen overtake them both.
Max Verstappen wins the Miami GP from P9 on the grid in 2023
Max Verstappen was totally dominant during the 2023 Miami GP as Red Bull handed him a dream race car. The RB19 boasted incredibly straight-line speed thanks to its DRS and rear packaging. It made overtaking a breeze as Verstappen charged through the order from P9.
The red flags in qualifying after Charles Leclerc spun into the barriers prevented Verstappen from posting a competitive time. He had aborted the Dutchman’s original flying lap after his snap at Turn 5. But Red Bull’s set-up made it look like Verstappen was racing against F2 cars.
Verstappen bided his time in the opening laps to bring his tyres into their working range. He only passed Esteban Ocon but overtook Leclerc and Kevin Magnussen in one move on L4, George Russell on L8, Pierre Gasly on L9, Carlos Sainz on L14 and Fernando Alonso on L15.
Sergio Perez pitting on Lap 21 to change his medium Pirelli tyres for a set of hards then gave Verstappen the lead. The Dutchman, who started on hards, would even run to Lap 45 in the lead. His pace even meant Verstappen returned to the track just 1.293 seconds from Perez.
Taking on medium tyres at his pit stop also made overtaking Perez for the lead simple work for Verstappen. He even only had to wait until the start of Lap 48 for his chance to overtake the Mexican into Turn 1. Verstappen totally destroyed Perez at the 2023 Miami GP to win it.
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