F1 STARTING GRID: HOW WILL THE DRIVERS LINE UP FOR THE MIAMI GRAND PRIX SPRINT?
The F1 starting grid is set for the Miami Grand Prix Sprint on Saturday, after a hot Sprint qualifying session in Florida on Friday afternoon.
The drivers were put to the test in the sun after the sole hour of practice in Miami, and it was Max Verstappen who came out on pole on Sunday – though he admitted his surprise at the result.
Lando Norris had been on top throughout both of the first two sessions, but he could not get the soft tyres to work in the same way as the mediums in SQ1 and SQ2 and Verstappen rose to the top.
Charles Leclerc will join Verstappen on the front row, while Sergio Perez and a resurgent Daniel Ricciardo will be on the second row together.
Both Mercedes drivers were knocked out in SQ2, while Logan Sargeant out-qualified Alex Albon for the first time in any qualifying or Sprint session after Albon’s quickest lap was deleted for cutting the Turn 14/15 chicane.
The Williams team-mates were set to line-up P18 and 19 after Valtteri Bottas was hit with a three-place penalty for impeding Oscar Piastri in SQ1 but Williams opted for a pit lane start for Albon as the team made changes to his suspension
Sprint action will get underway at midday local time in Miami (5pm BST) for 19 laps, before full qualifying takes place for Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix.
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F1 starting grid: Miami Grand Prix Sprint 2024
1. Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
3. Sergio Perez, Red Bull
4. Daniel Ricciardo, RB
5. Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
6. Oscar Piastri, McLaren
7. Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
8. Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
9. Lando Norris, McLaren
10. Nico Hulkenberg, Haas
11. George Russell, Mercedes
12. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
13. Esteban Ocon, Alpine
14. Kevin Magnussen, Haas
15. Yuki Tsunoda, RB
16. Pierre Gasly, Alpine
17. Zhou Guanyu, Kick Sauber
18. Logan Sargeant, Williams
19. Valtteri Bottas, Kick Sauber [3 place grid penalty]
20. Alex Albon, Williams [pit lane start]
Read next: F1 2024: Head-to-head qualifying record between team-mates
2024-05-03T21:58:27Z dg43tfdfdgfd