MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Lando Norris beat McLaren Racing teammate Oscar Piastri to win the sprint race held Saturday ahead of qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix.
“My luck in Miami seems pretty good at this minute,” said Norris, who will try to defend last year’s Miami victory on Sunday.
The 18-lap sprint was eventful even before it started as heavy rain drenched the course and Charles Leclerc crashed in the wet conditions driving his Ferrari out to the grid for the start of the race. He wasn’t able to compete in the sprint as Ferrari worked to repair his car in time for qualifying.
The start of the race was then delayed because drivers said the rain made conditions too dangerous and visibility was a concern. And when it finally went green, with 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli leading the standing start as the youngest pole-winner in F1 history, his time out front was brief. Piastri beat the Mercedes driver into the first turn and Antonelli drove off the track and slipped to fourth.
He was later hit in the pits by Max Verstappen, who received a 10-second penalty for an unsafe release. Antonelli finished 11th and Verstappen, who had been running third, finished 17th and failed to earn any points for the event.
The race ended under yellow because Liam Lawson ran into Fernando Alonso, causing Alonso to crash with three laps remaining. The safety prevented Piastri from trying to reclaim the lead from teammate Norris, who won the Miami Grand Prix last year for his first career F1 victory.
“I don’t think I’m going to be buying a lottery ticket around this place,” Piastri said. “I feel like I did everything right so a bit disappointed to come in second.”
Lewis Hamilton finished third for Ferrari. He moved ahead of Verstappen before Verstappen served his penalty.
“I’m so happy with that, it’s been a tough year so far,” said Hamilton, who is in his first season driving for Ferrari. “I never thought it would rain in Miami, it’s the first time we’ve all been in the wet here, and what a race it provided us.”
Alex Albon finished fourth for Williams and was followed by George Russell of Mercedes.
Alonso, Carlos Sainz Jr., and Leclerc did not complete the race.
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
