The Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League witnessed an unusual event during the sprint qualifying of the Miami Grand Prix. Although a podium with Red Bull – Ferrari – Red Bull may seem common, there were several peculiarities. One of them was Ferrari on the front row, which missed most of the practice due to a clumsy mistake. Additionally, the driver who clinched the pole position described his Red Bull car as “pretty terrible”. Another surprise was a McLaren driver who seemed to be a strong contender for pole position but failed to deliver. Furthermore, a driver who was at risk of losing his seat just three races ago managed to secure a spot on the second row in an RB car. Here are the highlights and lows of this unconventional Friday in Miami.
Lando Norris’ trend of squandering significant results in qualifying continues to be a cause for concern. Despite showing great promise during SQ1 and SQ2 in the updated McLaren, Norris once again let the opportunity slip away when it mattered most. Although track conditions were challenging for everyone during SQ3, with Pirelli’s C4 tires not performing well, Norris was outpaced by eight other drivers in that session, including his teammate Oscar Piastri. Piastri was driving a less updated car that had a two-tenths per lap disadvantage, according to Zak Brown. Norris’ frequent “silly mistakes” are becoming a recurring issue for a driver who otherwise displays exceptional skills. As Andrea Stella mentioned last year, Norris needs to dial back a bit and improve his driving on the edge. He had the chance to secure pole position but failed to capitalize on it.
Charles Leclerc’s performance in the sprint qualifying was a remarkable turnaround from his mistake in FP1, which limited his preparation. He outperformed his Ferrari teammate, Carlos Sainz, in Q3 and became the closest rival to Max Verstappen. This shows Leclerc’s ability in single lap performances, which has been evident in most of the qualifying sessions in 2024. There are only a few drivers you can trust to deliver a solid lap in challenging conditions during the battle for pole position. Sainz was behind Leclerc by 0.354 seconds, marking the biggest qualifying difference between the two drivers this season. Although the margin was influenced by tire warming issues and a mistake by Sainz in turn 17 in Q3, Leclerc consistently outperformed his teammate throughout the qualifying session, which has been a rarity this year.
Despite having the second biggest car upgrade for this race, Mercedes struggled on track during Friday’s sprint qualifying. Both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton were eliminated in Q2, surpassed by Daniel Ricciardo’s RB and Nico Hulkenberg’s Haas. The lack of pace was evident, but most concerning was the challenging nature of driving the W15. Hamilton struggled to keep control in the low-speed section leading to the back straight, missing apexes and hitting the wall. The car lacked front grip and traction. Although the car seems to perform better at high speeds compared to 2023, Russell’s slip in turn 5 indicates the car is still on the edge. The upgrades did not provide an immediate improvement in this aspect. Mercedes appeared relatively stronger during FP1 on a low grip track, but as the circuit got faster, their performance decreased.
The victory of Lance Stroll over his Aston Martin teammate, Fernando Alonso, in the sprint qualifying is a much-needed boost for him after a recent drop in performance. Alonso expressed indifference towards the sprint race, stating that it means nothing to him due to the penalties he receives regardless of his performance. Stroll’s seventh place and victory within Aston Martin did not result in an extensive post-session interview, but it may help him secure points for the first time in over a month.
Valtteri Bottas had a major clash with Oscar Piastri during the first segment of the sprint qualifying, coinciding with a change in his race engineer and the hiring of Nico Hulkenberg by Sauber/Audi, which poses a threat to his future in F1. Bottas seemed shaken during discussions about the team changes and drove erratically on Friday. Although Sauber’s performance was not impressive, Zhou Guanyu outperformed Bottas in both practice and qualifying. Both drivers made significant changes to their cars between sessions in search of better lap times. Bottas may find an improvement by Sunday, but the start of the last 19 race weekends of the season was not promising.
There is speculation about whether Daniel Ricciardo’s recent improvements are due to a different chassis or his growing familiarity with the RB 2024. Regardless of the cause, his fourth position on the grid is a significant difference from the start of his season and reminiscent of his strong performance in Mexico last year. Red Bull believes that Ricciardo’s current form is a trend and not an isolated event. A definitive answer can only be obtained in Imola in two weeks, as Ricciardo’s success in Mexico last year proved to be specific to the track.
While Ricciardo regained his pace, Red Bull seems to be struggling to have two competitive cars simultaneously this year. Yuki Tsunoda’s 15th place in qualifying, along with his difficulties in China, suggests a lack of consistency. Red Bull attributes Tsunoda’s qualifying result to an anomaly, as he attempted a single fast lap in Q2 while most drivers completed two laps. The team hopes Tsunoda will show a similar pace to Ricciardo with a cleaner lap throughout the rest of the weekend.
Max Verstappen’s performance once again solidifies his status as Red Bull’s most valuable asset. His ability to consistently deliver strong results, even when facing competition like Lando Norris, showcases his talent and reliability. Verstappen’s leap ahead of Norris in crucial moments of qualifying seemed inevitable, further reinforcing his position as one of the best drivers in modern F1.
In a direct competition during an F1 qualifying session, Logan Sargeant managed to surpass his teammate at Williams, Alex Albon, for the first time. However, Sargeant seemed to have mixed emotions about his achievement, struggling to find words during his post-session interview. Albon initially set a faster lap time before it was invalidated for exceeding track limits. Sargeant had his own difficulties, describing a “big slide” that affected his qualifying performance. Despite this, Sargeant showed more optimism about the car’s potential on the day and was ahead of Albon by three tenths after the first laps of SQ1. Albon believed that Williams had made excessive compromises with the changes between practice and qualifying sprint, and he anticipated more adjustments once the parc fermé was reopened. His invalidated lap time would place him 16th on the grid, making the sprint race a likely futile effort.
REVEALED: New details on the sports doping scandal
New information has emerged about the doping scandal that has rocked the world of sports. According to reliable sources, several renowned athletes are involved in a scheme of using prohibited substances to enhance their performance.
The scandal came to light after a thorough investigation conducted by sports authorities. It was discovered that these athletes were using illegal methods to gain a competitive advantage, compromising the integrity of the sport.
The consequences for those involved could be severe. In addition to facing suspensions and disqualifications, they may also have their reputations tarnished forever. The world of sports is in shock with these shocking revelations.
Sports authorities are taking strict measures to combat doping and ensure that sports are fair and clean. More rigorous tests are being implemented and harsher punishments are being discussed.
These revelations raise questions about ethics in sports and the pressure faced by athletes to achieve success at any cost. It is important that measures are taken to ensure that doping is eradicated and that athletes are encouraged to compete fairly.
The sports world is on high alert and more details about this scandal are expected to be revealed in the coming days. Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.
