MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — McLaren driver Lando Norris won the Formula 1 sprint race Saturday in Miami after a rain-soaked contest produced crashes and ended under the “safety car” as marshals collected debris on the track.
Norris started in third place and jumped to second in the first corner, before overtaking fellow McLaren driver Oscar Piastri during a frenzied series of pit stops during the final stretch of the race.
“Lovely job. Well done boys,” a subdued Norris said over team radio.
It was an encouraging victory for Norris after struggling in recent races and losing the championship lead to Piastri. Still, Piastri leads the drivers’ standings and only lost one point to Norris in the Saturday sprint.
“It’s not like I’ve lacked confidence or anything. I’m still happy,” a more upbeat Norris told reporters in the post-race press conference. “I still know my pace is there and the speed is there. But of course it’s a boost.”
Completing the podium in third place was Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton, who is in his first year with the Italian team.
“I’m so happy with that,” Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, said after the sprint race. “It’s been a tough year so far.”
It was a tragic sprint race for Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli, who took a sensational pole position on Friday, becoming the youngest ever pole-sitter in F1 for any race format. But he lost positions in the first corner amid a battle with Piastri and his car was hit by Red Bull reigning world champion Max Verstappen in the pit lane.
-Antonelli accused Piastri of unfairly pushing him off the track in the first corner, but the officials didn’t take any action, deeming his maneuver valid. He classified in 7th place, scoring two points.
Verstappen, who was running in third place for much of the race, was given a 10-second penalty for an “unsafe release” in his pit stop, an error by his team. That dropped him to 17th.
The shortened race, which was delayed by heavy rain, included multiple crashes. Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc slid into the wall on his lap to the grid and failed to start. Williams driver Carlos Sainz failed to finish after puncturing his tire.
In the final laps, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso crashed out after a collision that officials later blamed on Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson. The crash sent Alonso’s car into a wall, which triggered the deployment of a safety car.
The sun came out and the track dried up for the Grand Prix qualifying session later Saturday afternoon, and it was Verstappen who captured pole position. He’s poised to start first on the Miami grid just a few days after his partner, Kelly Piquet, gave birth to their daughter.
Norris was next, less than one-tenth of a second behind him, ahead of Antonelli in third, and Piastri in fourth.
Hamilton’s strong finish in the sprint race was not to be repeated later in the day, as he qualified a disappointing 12th place to continue a season of highs and lows.
The Miami Grand Prix is set to begin Sunday at 4:00 p.m. local time, with the prospect of more rain in the forecast.
