Miami Grand Prix Sprint race result overturned as chaos rocks Formula 1
Oscar Piastri’s radio message said it all as the Miami Grand Prix sprint race descended into chaos with late penalties changing the final standings.
Lando Norris has won the Miami Grand sprint race as chaos unfolded on and off the track.
Oscar Piastri was one of many victims of the went and wild conditions that saw the race and Sunday morning’s qualifying sessions delayed.
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The final results were re-written well after Norris crossed the line to secure another McLaren victory with FIA stewards handing down several late penalties.
Piastri had to settle for P2, while Lewis Hamilton took the third spot on the podium.
Among the many dramatic developments:
— Kiwi Liam Lawson was given a five second penalty after he made contact with Fernando Alonso. The penalty saw him drop out of the points altogether after finishing sixth.
— Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was reprimanded for driving on with a damaged car after he slammed the side of his car into the wall exiting a fast corner.
— Alex Albon was also penalised for going too fast when the Safety Car was deployed. The five-second penalty dropped him from fourth to 12th.
— Max Verstappen was given a 10-second penalty after clumsily making contact with Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes as he pulled away from a pit stop.
— Oliver Bearman received a five-second penalty for an unsafe release into the path of Nico Hulkenberg. That dropped him from 8th down to 15th.
There were several drivers to fall victim to the chaos with pole-sitter Antonelli having a race to forget.
After being pushed wide at the opening turn by Piastri, Antonelli finished the opening lap down in fourth and was fortunate that the penalties saw him lifted up into seventh.
The Mercedes young gun appeared to be furious with Piastri’s move.
“For sure it was a shame, because obviously it was a great opportunity,” the teenager said.
“A bit annoyed about lap one, with how it went. It seems like it’s like this, that you can do basically whatever you want. So it’s good to know for the future.
“Definitely it’s a shame but luckily we have a qualifying to bounce back.”
Piastri was also unlucky with the safety car and team strategy ultimately saw him caught in traffic — allowing Norris to take the lead of the race.
The race got underway after a 25-minute delay due to heavy rain which had impacted the formation lap.
During the race, Alonso crashed into the wall after he was clipped by Lawson. Carlos Sainz also crashed.
There was a contact incident in the pit-lane when Verstappen pulled out into Antonelli. The Dutchman was penalised 10 seconds for ‘unsafe release’ leaving him in 17th place.
It was the first time Verstappen had not finished inside the points of a race since 2016.
Norris, who won the Miami GP last year, came out of the pits just ahead of Piastri and was helped by the race ending under the safety car after the Alonso crash.
“My luck in Miami seems pretty good at the minute, so I’m happy,” said Norris.
“The pace was still very good but it’s so difficult these races. Do you box early like Lewis, or stay out and hope for a Safety Car. I’d rather this happened tomorrow but I’ll take it.”
Piastri’s brief message on team radio was not quite as optimistic.
“I’m not buying any lottery tickets in this place,” he said.
After his aggressive start and controlling the race for long stretches, Piastri was frustrated at not having the chance to fight back on the final laps but was turning his focus to Saturday’s qualifying.
“I did pretty much everything right. A bit disappointed to come away with second but that’s how it goes sometimes. Racing is a pretty cruel business.
“Hopefully that means I get a bit of luck this afternoon in qualifying and tomorrow.
“But, another great start and I had to get my elbows out in that one. Happy with what I did,” Piastri said.
Hamilton benefitted from being the first of the frontrunners to switch to slicks and was delighted to be on the podium having won the sprint race in China.
“It’s the first time we’ve been on track in the wet here and what a race it provided us,” said the Briton.
“I really, really did struggle on the inters - everyone was struggling on them. I made that call at that end and I said I’m coming in because I was going nowhere. Take the risk, take the gamble and it paid off.
“I wish we had another couple of laps to give these guys a bit of a fight, but big congrats to McLaren.”
Final standings of Miami sprint race
1) Lando Norris, McLaren
2) Oscar Piastri, McLaren
3) Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
4) George Russell, Mercedes
5) Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
6) Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull
7) Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
8) Pierre Gasly, Alpine
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