2023 Formula 1 Preview & Review.

[Fortitude]

Verstappen tops Miami GP FP2 as Leclerc crashes late in session.
Max Verstappen beat the Ferraris to top spot in the second practice session at the Miami Grand Prix, as Charles Leclerc brought out the red flag with a late crash.
May 5, 2023
By Andrew Wright
Total Motorsport

The Dutchman laid down an ominous marker in FP2 at the Miami GP. The Dutchman had some minor issues with his headrest early in the session, but returned to the track to post a 1:27.930 and eclipse Carlos Sainz in second by nearly four tenths.

Leclerc finished third, a further tenth back, but came unstuck on the Miami International Autodrome circuit with 10 minutes left on the clock. The Monegasque had a snap of oversteer before locking up and hitting the barrier at Turn 8. Sergio Perez continued to struggle and could only manage fourth, nearly half a second of the pace set by his teammate and championship rival.

Lando Norris took an encouraging sixth for McLaren, although Oscar Piastri finished well down in 16th. After setting the pace in FP1, Mercedes struggled, with Lewis Hamilton seventh and George Russell 15th. The pair both lost the rear at various points throughout the session, which will be a concern ahead of what is likely to be a dry qualifying.

‘Ominous marker in FP2’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/ver...te-in-session/


(FP2) Second Practice Results – 2023 Miami Grand Prix
5th May 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -1:27.930
2. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.385
3. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.468
4. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.489
5. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.730
6. Lando Norris McLaren +0.811
7. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.928
8. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +1.000
9. Esteban Ocon Alpine +1.007
10. Alex Albon Williams Racing +1.116

‘Miami Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the second practice session ahead of the first of three US races for the 2023 F1 World Championship’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp2-second...and-prix-82052


AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from second practice for the Miami Grand Prix
05 May 2023
Becky Hart.
Special Contributor.
Formula One - Official Site

‘AS IT HAPPENED’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...thwAISYLv.html


How Friday practice for the 2023 F1 Miami GP unfolded
18:41 Fri, 05 May 2023.
Crash.Net

‘How Friday practice unfolded’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/live/2023-f...e-live-updates


What happened in second F1 practice at Miami GP
May 5 2023
By Jack Cozens
The Race

Championship leader Max Verstappen put his Red Bull well clear of the chasing pack in second Formula 1 practice at the Miami Grand Prix.

Key moments:
> Verstappen almost four tenths clear
> Ferraris next best ahead of Perez
> Third-fastest Leclerc later crashes at Turn 6
> Russell’s Mercedes “three-wheeling” and 15th

Verstappen issued more complaints about his headrest during the session, akin to the ones he had during the Azerbaijan GP weekend, but that didn’t slow his progress as he was regularly at the top of the times.

‘What happened’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/what-...e-at-miami-gp/


FIA official visits Red Bull garage at Miami Grand Prix after Max Verstappen complaint
Max Verstappen faced a major concern at the Miami Grand Prix.
00:06, Sat, May 6, 2023
By Luke Chillingsworth
Daily and Sunday Express

FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer was spotted in Red Bull’s garage after Max Verstappen demanded an urgent change at the Miami Grand Prix. The Dutchman identified a major problem with his headrest and HANS device which helps keep drivers' necks safe behind the wheel.

"I'm just stuck all the time my head." Moments later, Red Bull mechanics were seen frantically working on the car in a bid to get Verstappen out for some afternoon running.

Red Bull’s chief engineer Paul Monaghan was then spotted in conversation with Bauer. Team boss Christian Horner later admitted the team had made a “quick fix” to the issue in the garage.

‘FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer was spotted’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ami-grand-prix


Leclerc admits he simply ‘pushed too much’ before his crash in FP2
06 May 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Charles Leclerc brought out the red flags with a crash in second practice in Miami and explained afterwards he was simply pushing too hard behind the wheel when he went off line and into the barriers.

‘Pushed too much’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...488522733.html

[Fortitude]

Hamilton calls Mercedes’ Miami practice pace “a kick in the guts”.
Lewis Hamilton said it felt like a “kick in the guts” to realise how far away from the pace Mercedes are at the Miami Grand Prix.
2023 Miami Grand Prix
Posted on 6th May 2023, 0:226th May 2023, 0:23
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans


“It’s the same as every weekend,” he (Lewis Hamilton) said after the session. “We’re a second down. It’s a great weekend, it’s a great place to be, lots of positives. It’s just we’re not particularly quick. It’s a struggle out there, we’re just trying lots of different things.”

“P1 looked quite good and then to come into P2 and the true pace comes out, it’s just this kick in the guts. So it’s a little bit difficult to take sometimes. But it’s okay, we’ll just keep on working on it and we’ll regroup tonight and try and see if we can make some set-up changes and get the car in a sweet spot.”

“I think maybe the heat or maybe it’s just the balance we have at the moment. So I’m going to stay optimistic and I’m going to stay hopeful that we can get the car in a better place tomorrow and maybe be a couple of steps up. But it feels like apart from last year we had hardcore bouncing, it generally feels like we’re racing pretty much the same car, and so that’s the difficult thing.”

“It’s the same as every weekend”;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/05/06/...k-in-the-guts/


Lewis Hamilton ‘desperate’ for Mercedes upgrade after ‘kick in the gut’ in Miami
06 May 2023 1:11 AM
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com

Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes “desperately need” upgrades after another “kick in the gut” in Friday practice for the Miami Grand Prix.

“As I said, I’m trying to stay positive with it. We’re working as hard as we can, we’re dying [for], desperately need those upgrades, that’s for sure.”

“Just got to keep our head down for one more race and hopefully we’ll start a new path [at the] next race.”

‘Upgrades’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/lewis-...upgrade-miami/


Russell expecting difficult Miami GP – "There’s no grip whatsoever!"
06 May 7:50AM
Author Michael Butterworth
Co-author Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365

George Russell says he is expecting Sunday's Miami Grand Prix to be difficult for everyone, citing the lack of grip available offline at the Miami International Autodrome.

"We'll go into Sunday a bit of an unknown," Russell said after FP2 on Friday. "The track's been resurfaced. It's still not performing like any other circuit, so it's a true outlier here, which is cool in some regards.”

"I think is going to be really difficult to race because you can't drive offline, and you've seen a few people, myself included, you put one wheel off and there's no grip whatsoever."

‘Grip? What grip?’;

https://racingnews365.com/russell-ex...rip-whatsoever


Drivers fear racing will be “really difficult” in Miami despite new track surface
2023 Miami Grand Prix
Posted on 6th May 2023, 0:43
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Formula 1 drivers are concerned overtaking will remain difficult at the Miami International Autodrome despite the new surface laid for the track’s second race. Lando Norris said the surface has improved in some respects compared to last year. “It’s better because it’s not coming up and breaking up and things,” he said.

“But in terms of grip it was still pretty low. It’s getting better, I think it’s probably just never been used before. It’s got a lot better since this morning, probably a good few seconds’ worth. This morning was pretty sketchy, though, on the first few laps it was like ‘oh, no, it seems a bit like last year’. But I think it’s just a much more use-able surface. It just needs some running, I think.”

The high temperatures at the circuit add to the challenge of extracting the available grip, said Lewis Hamilton. “The grip is really quite low on this new circuit. “It’s interesting to see some of the offs. I mean, it is slippery, particularly for the rear end. It’s very, very high track surface [temperature] today so there’s a lot of sliding for a lot of people, including me and so a lot of overheating of the tyres.”

‘In terms of grip it was still pretty low’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/05/06/...track-surface/


Alonso worried about overtaking chances in Sunday’s race thanks to slippery surface in Miami
06 May 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Fernando Alonso has warned overtaking will be difficult in the Miami Grand Prix given there is so little grip off the racing line on the new track surface.

‘Alonso worried’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...570809224.html


Alonso predicts overtaking will be 'difficult' in Miami
06/05/2023 at 01:42
Andrew Lewin
F1i.com

Fernando Alonso said that he expected overtaking will prove to be difficult this weekend at Miami International Autodrome because of the newly resurfaced track proving more slippery than expected.

"So far I think the new track surface seems to be better, but we were basically just cleaning the racing line today," he continued. "When you move away from it, it’s very slippery so that could make overtaking difficult.”

"Qualifying tomorrow is important, but our strength is normally on Sunday, so we’ll see what we can do.”

‘Alonso predicts’;

https://f1i.com/news/473360-alonso-p...-in-miami.html


Lando Norris's less than subtle jab at Daniel Ricciardo as the McLaren driver says fellow Aussie Oscar Piastri is pushing him harder ahead of Miami GP
• Piastri and Norris are preparing for Miami GP
• Drivers have similar times on the track
• Norris says Piastri is pushing him harder than Ricciardo
Published: 23:50, 5 May 2023
By Josh Alston For Daily Mail Australia
Mail Online

After four rounds and five qualifying sessions, the pair is split by an average of just 0.055 seconds. Only the Mercedes and Alfa Romeo drivers have been split by less. The margin arguably flatters Piastri given he’s outqualified Norris only once this year, at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The Briton crashed out of Q1 that weekend, blowing out the gap to 1.2 seconds for that round.

However Norris said the tight margins showed that the young Aussie was pushing him harder than Ricciardo did during his two-year stint at McLaren. 'He's very fast,' Norris said of Piastri. 'Probably he has been pushing me a little bit more than the past couple years. So yeah, enjoyable.

'He's a lovely guy — down to earth, normal guy, hard worker and so on. So it's good, fun. It's different to Daniel — I feel like a bit of a contrast of Australian — but still good fun.'

‘Tight margins’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...-Miami-GP.html

[Fortitude]

Verstappen fastest ahead of Miami qualifying.
Max Verstappen was well ahead of the pack in the final practice of the weekend, four tenths ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
6th May 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

In the end Verstappen’s 1:27.535 was the best of the session, four tenths quicker than Leclerc in P2 while Perez was half a second off his teammate. Sainz was P4 ahead of the two Alpines of Ocon and Pierre Gasly.
Valtteri Bottas was the best of the Alfa Romeos with a 1:28.456 in P7 while Nico Hulkenberg was the last driver within a second of the reigning champion. Albon ended the practices in P9 while Russell’s 1:28.606 saw him into P10.

‘In the end’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/verstappen...alifying-82117


(FP3) Third Practice Results – 2023 Miami Grand Prix
6th May 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing – 1:27.535
2. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.406
3. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.515
4. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.590
5. Esteban Ocon Alpine +0.872
6. Pierre Gasly Alpine +0.893
7. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +0.921
8. Nico Hulkenberg Haas +0.962
9. Alex Albon Williams Racing +1.026
10. George Russell Mercedes +1.071

‘Miami Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the final practice session ahead of the first of three US races for the 2023 F1 World Championship’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp3-third-...and-prix-82115


LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from final practice for the Miami Grand Prix
06 May 2023
Becky Hart.
Special Contributor.
Formula One - Official Site

‘As it Happened’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...4kPZ09PNZ.html


2023 F1 Miami Grand Prix - Final practice & Qualifying - LIVE UPDATES!
Crash.Net

‘LIVE UPDATES!’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/live/2023-f...g-live-updates


Verstappen comfortably tops Miami GP FP3 from Leclerc
Championship leader Max Verstappen topped FP3 at the Miami GP, despite Charles Leclerc benefitting from track evolution
May 6, 2023
By Nigel Chiu
Total Motorsport

Max Verstappen was fastest in final practice for the Miami Grand Prix as he underlined his status as favourite for pole position later on Saturday. Verstappen‘s 1:27.669 was set with 25 minutes to go but kept him at the top of the timesheets from Charles Leclerc, who jumped into second place in the final minute.

There was a lot of track evolution during the session, yet Verstappen was still 0.406 seconds faster than Leclerc. Carlos Sainz was third with Sergio Perez 0.598 seconds behind his teammate and also set his best time relatively early on.

It’s been downhill for Mercedes since George Russell led Lewis Hamilton in FP1, with both drivers complaining about different issues in final practice. Hamilton thought he was losing a lot more time on the straights compared to normal, whilst Russell was struggling at Turn 2 over the bump, complaining of hopping.

‘A lot of track evolution’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...p-fp3-leclerc/


What happened in final Miami Grand Prix practice
6th May 2023, 18:45
By Jack Cozens
The Race

Max Verstappen was again head and shoulders clear of any of his Formula 1 rivals in the final practice session ahead of qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix.

Key moments:
> Verstappen spends most of session 0.5s clear
> Leclerc gets a Ferrari into second spot
> Alpines impress in tight midfield
> Mercedes struggles continue with Russell best in 10th

Though the order behind chopped and changed as the field continued to rubber-in the Miami track surface throughout FP3, Verstappen was an almost ever-present fixture at the top of the leaderboard and ended the session 0.406 seconds clear.

‘Head and shoulders clear’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/what-...prix-practice/

[Fortitude]

Perez on pole, Verstappen ninth as Leclerc crash ends qualifying.
Sergio Perez secured pole position for the Miami Grand Prix after Charles Leclerc crashed in the final lap of qualifying, leaving Max Verstappen down in ninth place.
2023 Miami Grand Prix qualifying
Posted on 6th May 2023, 22:216th May 2023, 22:43
Written by Will Wood
RaceFans

With Leclerc’s Ferrari the closest to Verstappen’s fastest Q2 lap, it seemed that Red Bull would face stiff competition in their efforts to secure a front row lockout. When the green light appeared to begin the final, Verstappen was the first driver out on the circuit, soon followed by team mate Perez – both on fresh sets of soft tyres. Verstappen was the first over the line to begin his lap, but a mistake through the long turns six, seven and eight led him to abandon his first flying lap, while Perez set a provisional pole position time of 1’26.841.

Alonso went second fastest on a used set of tyres, three tenths slower than the Red Bull driver, with Sainz sitting third after his first lap on a new set of softs. Verstappen returned to the pits without setting a time, waiting until just over three minutes remained until venture back out with team mate Perez right behind him. The two Ferraris were the first over the line with just over two minutes on the clock to start their final laps, Leclerc first ahead of Sainz.

As Leclerc made his way around turn six, he lost the rear of his Ferrari and spun through 360 degrees, ending up in the barrier for the second time in consecutive days. The yellow flags flew, ruining the laps of all over drivers following behind him, including his team mate.

‘Leclerc crash ends qualifying’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/05/06/...ds-qualifying/


Qualifying Results – 2023 Miami Grand Prix
6th May 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
Q3
1. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing -1:26.941
2. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.361
3. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.508
4. Kevin Magnussen Haas +0.926
5. Pierre Gasly Alpine +0.945
6. George Russell Mercedes +0.963
7. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +1.020
8. Esteban Ocon Alpine +1.094
9. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing NC
10. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo NC

‘Miami Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from qualifying ahead of tomorrow’s 2023 F1 World Championship race from Miami’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/qualifying...and-prix-82123


AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix
06 May 2023
Becky Hart.
Special Contributor.
Formula One - Official Site

‘AS IT HAPPENED’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...Gu4olFRti.html


How qualifying for the F1 Miami Grand Prix unfolded
6th May 2023, 17:14
Reporting By: Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net

‘How qualifying for the F1 Miami Grand Prix unfolded as Sergio Perez took a surprise pole position thanks to the red flag caused by Charles Leclerc's crash’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/live/2023-f...g-live-updates


Leclerc SMASH hampers Verstappen as Hamilton hits new US low – Miami GP Qualifying
Saturday 6 May 2023 23:11
Dan Davis
GPFans

Red Bull's Sergio Perez took pole position for the Miami Grand Prix while Max Verstappen's last-gasp charge was halted by another Charles Leclerc crash. After Leclerc collided with the barriers for the second time of the weekend in Q3, the red flags were waved, bringing an end to an incident-packed session.

Lewis Hamilton endured his worst-ever qualifying result on US soil. The superstar exited in Q2 and will start the main event in 13th.

‘SMASH’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...mi-grand-prix/


Lewis Hamilton suffers new F1 low in Miami GP qualifying as Sergio Perez takes pole
Max Verstappen was favourite for pole position in Miami but was thwarted by a late red flag, while the big story was a horror show for Lewis Hamilton who failed to even reach Q3
22:00, 6 May 2023
By Daniel MoxonF1 Writer
The Mirror

Lewis Hamilton suffered his worst ever Formula 1 qualifying on US soil in another session to forget for Mercedes.

Prior to this weekend, he had never qualified outside of the top six in America. But the Brit will be starting 13th on the grid for Sunday's race in the Sunshine State, Sergio Perez took pole position thanks to a helping hand from Charles Leclerc.

An eventful Q1 saw several driver hampered by traffic ahead of them and almost saw Hamilton crash. He had to swerve to avoid hitting the back of the dawdling Kevin Magnussen and clipped the wall with his front wing as a result, putting his qualifying plan out of sync.

‘Worst ever Formula 1 qualifying on US soil’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...ilton-29914443


Perez: My 'worst weekend' up until Miami F1 pole
06 May 11:22PM
Author Jake Nichol
RacingNews365

Sergio Perez feels his Formula 1 pole position has come "after my worst weekend" at the Miami Grand Prix - presenting him with chance to lead the Drivers' championship for the first time.

Perez had been a chunk of time behind title rival Max Verstappen in the sister Red Bull, but a mistake from the World Champion on his first lap in Q3 allowed Perez to sneak onto provisional pole.

However, before the second runs could be completed, Charles Leclerc crashed at Turn 7, and with just 1:36 left on the clock, the session was not restarted, leaving Verstappen down in ninth and Perez on a third career pole - and first not in Saudi Arabia. If the Mexican out-scores Verstappen by seven points, he will lead the standings, but says the pole position comes after a tricky weekend for him.

'Worst weekend';

https://racingnews365.com/perez-my-w...-miami-f1-pole


'It's painful' | Max Verstappen disappointed with P9 for Miami GP
6th May 2023, 22:59
Sky Sports

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen reacts to an immediate P9 finish after Charles Leclerc brought out the red flag to end qualifying early.

‘Painful’;

https://www.skysports.com/watch/vide...9-for-miami-gp

[Fortitude]

Perez relieved to take Miami pole after enduring 'worst weekend up to qualifying'.
Sergio Perez took his third career F1 pole position with P1 for the 2023 Miami Grand Prix, and the Red Bull driver exuded relief and excitement after a dramatic qualifying session on Saturday.
23:07 Sat, 06 May 2023.
Formula One - Official Site

Perez took provisional pole while team mate Max Verstappen had to abort his first flying lap due to a snap of oversteer, which left the reigning champion scrambling to set another lap.

Unfortunately for the Dutchman, Charles Leclerc spun off in the dying moments of Q3 and left the championship leader ninth on the grid for Sunday’s race. For Perez, it was a first pole position at a Grand Prix venue other than Jeddah.

“I think it’s been my worst weekend up to qualifying,” he said. “I just couldn’t figure out how to pull those tenths that I was missing all the time to Max and to the Ferraris. I was just re-setting everything. We did a small change into qualifying that really made everything became more alive. I think with this tarmac we were just playing a bit with the tools, and we put the lap in when it mattered.”

‘I was just re-setting everything”;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...bTQh63U6Z.html


Sergio Perez after surprise pole: ‘It was my worst weekend until qualifying’
06 May 2023 10:28 PM
Sam Cooper
PlanetF1.com

Sergio Perez said it had been his worst weekend of the season so far up until he took a surprise pole in Miami. Speaking moments after hoping out of his RB19, Perez seemed as surprised as anyone with the final result, admitting it had been his worst weekend of the season until qualifying.

“I think it’s been my worst weekend up until qualifying really,” the Red Bull man said. “I just couldn’t figure out how to put [in] those tenths that I was missing all the time to Max and to the Ferraris. I was just resetting everything. We made a small change going into qualifying and really everything became more alive.”

‘Surprise pole’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/sergio...pole-reaction/


Perez makes 'TERRIBLE' admission despite clinching Miami pole
Sunday 7 May 2023 00:26
Dan Davis
GPFans

Sergio Perez admitted his surprise after sealing pole position for the Miami Grand Prix, insisting he endured a 'terrible' weekend before drama struck in qualifying.

Perez: 'Nothing worked for me'. "I've had a terrible weekend, nothing worked for me," he said. "After FP3 we made an adjustment and that really helped me for the Q3 lap – which we had only one. It's pretty easy to make mistakes here. The power line has very little grip.

"We have to focus on our own race and not making mistakes. It’s a race that will certainly bring a lot of yellow flags and safety cars. I’m not thinking about Max, I’m thinking about tomorrow already, there’s a lot of variables we can’t control – like rain, which is a possibility tomorrow," he added.

‘Focus on our own race and not making mistakes’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...pole-terrible/


Miami crowd in RAPTURES as Perez admits qualifying 'came alive'
Sunday 7 May 2023 06:57
Chris Deeley
GPFans

The Miami crowd chanted Sergio Perez through his post-qualifying interview after the Mexican claimed pole position on Saturday. Perez even had to ask former NASCAR and IndyCar driver Danica Patrick to repeat interview questions to him as a delighted crowd cheered him on.

"I’m enjoying (fighting Max), I’m just thinking race by race, and I will go out, cheer for my team, because they have done an amazing job, and we’ll see what happens tomorrow. Tomorrow is an amazing opportunity...we will just go out there and try to enjoy this amazing ground."

‘RAPTURES’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...lifying-crowd/


Perez on pole for the Miami Grand Prix, Verstappen 9th: 'I'm enjoying the battle'
7th May 2023, 08:34
Wheels24

Duel provides drama. With Red Bull consistently the fastest this season, the duel between their two drivers is so far the source of the most drama. Perez said he had been struggling in practice before finding his pace when it counted. "It wasn't coming together. I was struggling for balance, confidence," he said. "It has been my worst weekend up to qualifying. I was just resetting everything we did, we made a small change into qualifying that really everything became more alive. We put in the lap when it mattered," added the Red Bull driver.

Verstappen was left frustrated that he had not been able to complete a peak lap before the red flag. "I was trying to put it on the limit and then I made a mistake and had to abort the lap," Verstappen said. "Then you rely on a bit of luck that there is not going to be a red flag, but that can happen on a street circuit. I'm just a bit upset with myself. "It's going to be difficult. I made it difficult for myself, so I have to accept that," he said.

Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, enjoying a strong season, claimed second place and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz will start in third in an all-Spanish speaking front row of the grid.

‘We put in the lap when it mattered";

https://www.news24.com/sport/motorsp...attle-20230507


Perez vs Alonso off the line, and a chance of rain – What To Watch For in the Miami Grand Prix.
From the chance of a change in the championship lead to Max Verstappen on the comeback trail, and from multiple drivers out of position to a tricky track facing potential rain, we highlight some key things to look out for when the lights go out at the Miami International Autodrome…
07 May 2023
Chris Medland
Special Contributor
Formula One - Official Site

1. Perez chasing the championship lead. Much of the talk leaving Azerbaijan was of Sergio Perez’s impressive performances on street tracks and how he was maintaining a strong challenge to Max Verstappen in the title race at this early part of the season.

2. Verstappen looking to limit the damage. The championship leader ran wide in the first sector and ended up aborting his lap, giving him just one attempt in the final part of qualifying… … but he never got the chance to rectify his mistake… Asked what his target is from there, the Dutchman replied: “Minimum P2.”

3. Out of position drivers throughout the grid. Kevin Magnussen who stands out in fourth for Haas who will be hoping to hold on to as many points as possible. 4. Grip versus no grip. Even small errors can be punished heavily, as a driver running slightly wide will find themselves struggling to regain control and fighting to limit the amount of time that they lose. 5. Rain in the air. And it could be made even tougher if the track surface becomes wet.

‘What To Watch For’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...LTOOwrNQi.html


HEAD-TO-HEAD: How Perez edged ahead of Alonso to take pole for the 2023 Miami Grand Prix
06 May 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Watch to see how pole-sitter Sergio Perez and P2 Fernando Alonso compared in qualifying at the 2023 Miami Grand Prix.

‘HEAD-TO-HEAD’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...711051307.html

[Fortitude]

Christian Horner 'delighted' with Sergio Perez pole but frustrated with Max Verstappen's ninth.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner was thrilled for Sergio Perez after he secured pole but is disappointed for Max Verstappen after Charles Leclerc's red flag meant he'll start ninth for Sunday's race.
22:29 Sat, 06 May 2023.
Sky Sports

‘Thrilled’;

https://www.skysports.com/watch/vide...stappens-ninth


Miami Grand Prix: Max Verstappen targets 'minimum P2' after qualifying ninth
Last Updated: 07/05/23 7:29am
Sky Sports

Max Verstappen has his sights firmly set on at least a second-place finish in Sunday's Miami Grand Prix despite having to settle for ninth on the grid in qualifying.

The reigning world champion was left to rue an error while on a hot lap in Q3 and was then left aghast when the session was red flagged and ultimately curtailed with 1min 36sec remaining when Ferrari's Charles Leclerc crashed heavily at Turn Seven.

Verstappen shouldered the blame for his failure to qualify higher up the grid, but the drivers' championship leader is targeting at least finishing on the second step of the podium after winning the inaugural race in Miami last year.

'Minimum P2';

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/37...alifying-ninth


Max Verstappen 'upset' as Christian Horner questions F1 bosses decision
Max Verstappen will face a difficult Miami Grand Prix after a miserable qualifying session for the championship leader.
00:01, Sun, May 7, 2023
By Luke Chillingsworth
Daily and Sunday Express

Max Verstappen was “upset” after a late Charles Leclerc crash left him languishing near the bottom of the top 10 in qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix. The Dutchman made a mistake on his first flying run in Q3 which left him in P9.

He was expected to improve on his second lap but an accident from Leclerc brought the session to an early end. Verstappen said: “I was trying to put it on the limit and then I made a mistake and had to abort the lap. Then you rely on a bit of luck that there is not going to be a red flag, but that can happen on a street circuit. I'm just a bit upset with myself. It's going to be difficult. I made it difficult for myself, so I have to accept that."

Red Bull boss Christian Horner questioned if the session could have been restarted. The red flag was shown with just over 90 seconds remaining with Perez’s pole lap a 1:26.8.

‘Put it on the limit and then I made a mistake’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...rix-qualifying


Red Bull’s Christian Horner asked if race director’s call was “legit” in F1 Miami Grand Prix qualifying
7 May 2023
F1 Desk
Crash.Net

Christian Horner was seeking answers about whether the race director had correctly applied the rule in the barmy end to F1 Miami Grand Prix qualifying that left Max Verstappen in P9. Verstappen was scuppered by a red flag caused by Charles Leclerc, which ended the session early. His teammate Sergio Perez will start the grand prix in pole position.

Sky’s Ted Kravitz reported afterwards: “Why couldn’t we get it going again? Time was ticking down. Once he saw Leclerc’s crash, arguably had he pressed the red flag right then with [approximately] 1m 38s to go, possibly that would have been enough for an out-lap for a 1m 28s lap. Ten seconds for an out-lap. Arguably not, but possible.”

“But that’s not what happened. [Race director Niels] Wittich had to go through his procedures, which he did, check that the situation merited a red flag, which it did, and by that time there was only [1m 36s] left. It wasn’t possible to do the out-lap. That’s why he said the session will not resume.”

‘Ted Kravitz’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/102575...ami-qualifying


Red Bull “go to pains to provide equality” between Verstappen and Perez at all times
2023 Miami Grand Prix
Posted on 6th May 2023, 9:206th May 2023, 2:28
Written by Will Wood and RJ O'Connell
RaceFans

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says that his team go to “pains” to ensure parity between drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. As Red Bull enjoy a healthy advantage over their rivals, this year’s world championship is likely to be won by one of their drivers. Horner said the team have therefore worked hard place to avoid giving either driver preferential treatment.

“I think that it’s a luxury problem, first of all,” Horner said. “I think any team principal in the pit lane would hope to have that issue. It’s something we’ve experienced before and I think the most key thing is to ensure that paranoia doesn’t creep in, that both drivers are treated equally.”

Red Bull make every effort to ensure both their drivers are treated as equally and fairly as possible, Horner said. “You go to pains to provide equality to the point of who drives out the garage first each weekend, it alternates,” he said. “It even alternates in the debrief who talks first. But it’s racing, it’s Formula 1, and occasionally something will happen like a Safety Car or a pit stop.”

‘Ensure parity’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/05/06/...-at-all-times/

[Fortitude]

Mercedes car 'a nasty piece of work,' blasts Toto Wolff.
A FURIOUS Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff labelled his team’s car as a “nasty piece of work” and expressed frustration at the lack of improvements made to the vehicle in the past year.
7th May 2023, 10:56
Author AFP
The42

Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton finished 13th in qualifying on Saturday at the Miami Grand Prix and George Russell narrowly made it into sixth place on the grid as Mercedes again failed to keep pace with the dominant Red Bull.

Last year the Mercedes struggled at Miami with bouncing but Wolff said he said he expected more improvement from the past year’s work. “It is worse than I thought, we have had 12 months since we were last in Miami and the car is just marginally better.

“Maybe it is not bouncing on the straight but that is the only thing that is better than last year. The car is not fast enough and we haven’t got any comprehension why that is. It is just not acceptable,” he said.

‘W14: Not acceptable’;

https://www.the42.ie/mercedes-car-a-...62018-May2023/


Toto Wolff slams Mercedes W14 after Miami GP qualifying.
Toto Wolff called the Mercedes W14 a 'nasty piece of work' after qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix.
7th May 2023, 16:40
George Dagless
Give Me Sport

Lewis Hamilton will line up in 13th for today's race whilst George Russell goes from sixth, but both had their struggles during the session on Saturday.

Indeed, the team is clearly hoping that their upgrades for Imola, in a couple of weeks from now, will make their car a little more consistent in terms of its performance but, for the time being, Wolff has labelled the W14 a 'nasty piece of work' ahead of Sunday's race.

"[There's a] lack of comprehension of what it is that makes this car such a nasty piece of work. I think that the car is not a nice car, not a good car, and I wouldn't even be able to point out where the issue is because it's everywhere. The performance is just really bad."

‘W14: 'nasty piece of work'

https://www.givemesport.com/toto-wol...gp-qualifying/


Mercedes baffled by 'unacceptable' inconsistency of W14
07/05/2023 at 10:27
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

Toto Wolff says Mercedes is at a loss to understand the abrupt performance changes from one day to the other of its W14 car, calling the fluctuations "unacceptable". Mercedes enjoyed a positive start to its Miami Grand Prix weekend, with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton topping Friday's opening practice.

But hours later in FP2, the pair had dropped into the thick of the midfield, well adrift from their front-running rivals, while Saturday's final practice delivered a similar depressing verdict. In qualifying, Russell was sixth fastest while Hamilton failed to make the Q3 cut after his crews mistimed the Briton's final run.

"I think that the car is not a nice car, not a good car," Wolff added. "It's everywhere. It’s the pace, the performance of the car, it’s the lack of understanding of the car [about why] it is not delivering. It is the full spread of activities. I would say the performance is just really bad."

‘W14: 'Unacceptable' inconsistency;

https://f1i.com/news/473614-mercedes...cy-of-w14.html


Mercedes in the dark over what makes the W14 a ‘nasty piece of work’
07 May 2023 8:40 AM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

From a 1-2 in Friday’s opening practice to narrowly avoiding a double Q2 elimination on Saturday, Toto Wolff has labelled Mercedes’ W14 a “nasty piece of work”. Despite kicking off the Miami Grand Prix weekend with a 1-2 in the opening practice hour where George Russell was ahead of Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes were aware by the end of Friday’s running that they were in trouble.

Falling a second behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in FP2, Hamilton called it a “kick in the gut” and admitted there “isn’t just one” specific area where the car was struggling. 24 hours later it had gone from bad to worse with the Briton out of qualifying in Q2, the seven-time World Champion down in 13th place.

It was almost a double elimination for Mercedes with Russell sneaking into Q3 by 0.052s. He went onto qualify in sixth place but was still a second down on pole-sitter Sergio Perez. Worryingly for the Mercedes team-mates, Wolff admits the team has no idea why the car is slow. “It’s worse than I ever thought it would be,” he said as per Racingnews365.com.

‘W14: No idea why the car is slow. “It’s worse than I ever thought it would be”;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/merced...piece-of-work/


George Russell sends angry "questions" demand to Mercedes after Lewis Hamilton humiliation
Mercedes endured another disappointing qualifying session in Miami on Saturday, with George Russell left confounded by the team's drop-off in performance over the weekend
09:34, 7 May 2023
By Jacob Leeks Sports Reporter
The Mirror

Mercedes star George Russell has demanded answers to his car's struggles this season after another disappointing qualifying session in Miami.

“Everybody is working so, so hard to bring more performance to the car, it’s definitely not for a lack of effort and it’s just not coming to us at the moment. So there’s a lot to think about. A few questions that need answering.”

"The car is just not working for us this weekend. We’re struggling a lot with the balance and it’s bouncing around a little bit. The performance isn’t coming to us which is a shame as everyone is working so hard to achieve it," he added.

‘W14: Angry "questions";

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...fying-29915558


Russell delivers BRUTAL Mercedes verdict after Miami misery
Sunday 7 May 2023 10:57
Graham Shaw
GPFans

Saturday was another tough day at the office for Mercedes and George Russell delivered a BRUTAL verdict on the struggling F1 giant's performance in qualifying at the 2023 Miami Grand Prix.

He said on French TV: "I'm not going to take much pride in qualifying in sixth place. We were one of the slowest cars to finish a lap in Q3. We were lucky. We are working to get more results, we need to be able to do better. We need to understand things better, it's a real challenge. I'm not happy at the moment."

He bemoaned: "No top three for me tomorrow, there is a big question mark over the degradation of the tyres, maybe we can benefit from it... The Red Bulls are far ahead, the Ferraris are constantly ahead of us. I have to sit down to understand this performance .... It's not easy."

‘W14: One of the slowest cars to finish a lap in Q3’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...fying-verdict/


George Russell: P6 grid slot ‘very flattering result’ for Mercedes
07 May 2023 12:14 AM
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com

George Russell admitted his place on the third row for the Miami Grand Prix was a “very flattering result” for Mercedes, given the performance they showed in qualifying.

Mercedes driver Russell acknowledged performance is “just not coming to us” at Mercedes currently, with the team not having brought any upgrades with them to Florida this weekend.

“I mean, I wouldn’t necessarily say quite pleased,” Russell admitted to Sky Sports F1 after the session. “I’ll take the result, of course, it’s a very flattering result for the performance that we showed – a really decent lap in Q2 to just scrape through, just to get into Q3, and that’s not where we should be.

‘W14 performance is “just not coming to us”;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/george...ami-grid-slot/

[Fortitude]

"Unbreakable" Red Bulls vs "Lonely" Alonso - Miami GP 2023 Review 2023.
Max Verstappen shone during the 2023 Miami Grand Prix, blasting from 9th to 1st and holding a significant lead over the rest of the pack for most of the race.
7th May 2023, 02:57
Motorsport.com

Perez's alternative tyre strategy couldn't keep up, whilst Alonso, Ferrari and Mercedes just can't match up... but were there glimpses of hope?

Jon Noble and Martyn Lee talk about everything from the Miami Grand Prix, and even look to how the upcoming Imola / Monaco / Barcelona triple-header may provide some grounds to let Alonso fight Red Bull for real.

"Unbreakable";

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/video/...w-2023/595575/


Race Results – 2023 Miami Grand Prix
7th May 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (classification):
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing – 57 laps
2. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +5.384
3. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +26.305
4. George Russell Mercedes +33.229
5. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +42.511
6. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +51.249
7. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +52.988
8. Pierre Gasly Alpine +55.670
9. Esteban Ocon Alpine +58.123
10. Kevin Magnussen Haas +62.945

‘Miami Grand Prix – Here are the provisional results for today’s 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship race from Miami’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/race-resul...and-prix-82139


AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from the 2023 Miami Grand Prix
07 May 2023
Becky Hart.
Special Contributor.
Formula One - Official Site

‘AS IT HAPPENED’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...h87ghz1fJ.html


2023 F1 Miami Grand Prix - LIVE UPDATES! Verstappen wins from P9
19:53 Sun, 07 May 2023.
Crash.Net

Max Verstappen won the F1 Miami Grand Prix from ninth ahead of his teammate Sergio Perez.
Lewis Hamilton complained via team radio that he might not last the race after first-lap contact with Nico Hulkenberg but he continued.
Follow all of the action from Miami here with the Crash.net live blog.

‘LIVE UPDATES’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/live/2023-f...y-live-updates


‘Max was the fastest’: Perez admits Verstappen was too good in Miami GP
May 7th 2023
Author Dominic Tobin
Motor Sport Magazine

Max Verstappen dealt a hefty blow to his team-mate’s F1 championship dreams as he won the Miami Grand Prix from ninth on the grid, with a peerless display of pace and tyre management that Sergio Perez admitted that he couldn’t match.

After an error in qualifying — compounded when Charles Leclerc’s crash ended the session earlier — Verstappen said he was upset with himself, but was targeting second place in the race at a minimum.

He was there by the 15th of 57 laps and, having started on the hard tyre unlike the frontrunners on much-less durable mediums, appeared to have the advantage. Verstappen took the lead when Perez pitted and, with tyres 20 laps older than those of his team-mate, more than matched his lap times.

‘Max was the fastest’;

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...?nowprocket=1#


Crowd’s boos “absolutely fine as long I stand on the top” – Verstappen
RaceFans Round-up
Posted on 8th May 2023, 0:508th May 2023, 0:27
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Verstappen was booed by some in the crowd before the start of the Miami Grand Prix and during the podium ceremony following his victory. The Red Bull driver was unbothered by the reaction. “I think if I would be driving in the back, nobody would be even doing anything in terms of reaction, right?” he said. “I think it’s normal when you are winning and they don’t like who is winning.”

“So this is something for me which is absolutely fine as long I stand on the top that’s for me, the most important. I take the trophy home and they go back to their houses and they can have a nice evening.”

‘Crowd’s boos absolutely fine’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/05/08/...nd-up-08-05-6/


'After 4 podiums we obviously want more' says Alonso after taking P3 in Miami
07 May 2023
Formula One - Official Site

Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso scored his fourth podium in five races with a consummate performance in the 2023 Miami Grand Prix, but the two-time champion was clearly itching for a win…

“The car is amazing, and [it was] a little bit of a lonely race, today," he said. "Nothing really to do in front of us with the Red Bulls and behind us. We did expect a little bit stronger opposition, but the Ferraris, they were a little bit worse than expected. It’s not easy, it’s never easy, but it was a lonely race."

“I think at the beginning of the year a podium was amazing; now after four podiums we obviously want more, at least a second place," Alonso said. "But the two Red Bulls they are always unbreakable, and always super-fast, but as I said, maybe Monaco, maybe Barcelona we have a possibility. “We take the podium going into the triple[-header], Imola, Monaco and Barcelona, which hopefully we can keep on going.”

'After 4 podiums we obviously want more';

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...zmv0KW4kF.html


‘No other sport does this’ – Miami pre-race show irks F1 drivers
7th May 2023, 00:24
By Josh Suttill and Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race

A number of Formula 1 drivers have criticised elements of the pre-Miami Grand Prix proceedings that included a driver-by-driver introduction 20 minutes before the start of the race. This new procedure, which won’t be a permanent fixture of F1 grands prix, drew the ire of some drivers who found it distracting and unnecessary despite acknowledging the entertainment value it brought.

“None of the drivers like it but it’s not for us at the end of the day,” Norris said after the Miami GP. Third place finisher Fernando Alonso says he’s “not a big fan of those kinds of things just before the race” and wants uniformity in pre-race proceedings across the calendar.

Alfa Romeo driver Valtteri Bottas agreed that it was unnecessary and called it “distracting” right before the race. “There’s no other sport where the athletes do so much stuff before the start of the race or event,” Bottas remarked. There needs to be a limit at some point.”

‘Distracting’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/no-ot...ks-f1-drivers/

[Fortitude]

Leclerc blasts 'inconsistent' problems with SF-23.
The Ferrari driver has blasted the 'inconsistencies' with the SF-23 which restricted any chances of a fightback from a poor qualifying in the Miami Grand Prix.
08 May 2023, 12:30AM
Author Rory Mitchell
Co-author Dieter Rencken
RacingNews365

Charles Leclerc has blasted the "inconsistencies" with the Ferrari SF-23 after a tough Miami Grand Prix. Leclerc was struggling with tyre degradation in the opening stages of the race, making it clear that there are a lot of problems despite the team bringing upgrades to the race this weekend.

"I was just speaking just now with Carlos and what we are lacking is consistency in the car," Leclerc told media. "It's not even from corner to corner, it's just in the same corner I can have a huge oversteer rebalance and then a huge understeer balance; our car is so wind-affected."

Midway through the race Leclerc could be heard describing the "bouncing" on his car over team radio, which also affected his pace relative to Lewis Hamilton, who overtook him for P6 in the closing stages. He added: "I had a lot of bottoming, especially in the high speed, which is something I can't quite explain because I didn't have that yesterday and neither had it before yesterday."

'Inconsistencies';

https://racingnews365.com/leclerc-bl...ems-with-sf-23


Frustrated Sainz says he “cannot push” in races at the moment
2023 Miami Grand Prix
Posted on 8th May 2023, 8:168th May 2023, 2:41
Written by Keith Collantine and RJ O'Connell
RaceFans

Carlos Sainz Jnr said his Miami Grand Prix was “tough” as he was unable to extract the maximum from his Ferrari without taking too much life out of his tyres.

“I was a bit surprised with how much we struggled on the hard tyres after our very strong stint on the medium,” he said. “We tried the undercut on Fernando, obviously it worked but it meant pushing the tyres for three or four laps to get the undercut.

“For some reason with our car right now we have zero flexibility with how much we can push. I had to stay under the limit for the rest of the race if I wanted to make it to the end. With the wind conditions, how tough we are on tyres, that hard stint just became too long for us.”

“Cannot push”;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/05/08/...at-the-moment/


Leclerc's race undermined by Ferrari car's 'inconsistencies'
08/05/2023 at 00:19
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

Charles Leclerc endured a difficult Miami Grand Prix on Sunday, the Ferrari charger struggling all day with his SF-23's "inconsistencies" and an overall lack of pace.

"I was just speaking just now with Carlos and what we are lacking is consistency in the car," he said after the race. It's not even from corner to corner, it's just in the same corner I can have a huge oversteer rebalance and then a huge understeer balance; our car is so wind affected."

Leclerc also unexpectedly suffered from a bottoming phenomenon midway through his race that hindered his effort to defend P6 from Lewis Hamilton. "I had a lot of bottoming, especially in the high speed, which is something I can't quite explain because I didn't have that yesterday and neither had it before yesterday."

'Inconsistencies';

https://f1i.com/news/473773-leclercs...istencies.html


‘It’s very tough for us at the moment’ – Sainz reveals Ferrari struggles with ‘unpredictable’ car
07 May 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Carlos Sainz finished fifth in Miami, but he said his focus was on finding out why Ferrari’s car was so fast in qualifying trim, but a second per lap off the pace on race day.

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...982966204.html


‘We are very, very far away’ – Leclerc despondent at gap to Red Bull after Miami GP
07 May 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Charles Leclerc finished in P7 in Florida, but is baffled as to how Ferrari can have such good pace in qualifying, but not in race trim.

‘Very, very, very, very, very far away’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...052745510.html


Fred Vasseur: We need to make a step forward
23:34 Sun, 07 May 2023.
Sky Sports

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur admits they need to improve in the coming races after seeing his drivers finish fifth and seventh in Miami.

‘Need to make a step forward, need to improve in the coming races’;

https://www.skysports.com/watch/vide...a-step-forward


Ferrari will not copy rivals 2023 cars
MAY 7, 2023
GrandPrix.com

Frederic Vasseur has ruled out simply "copying" the technical solutions of the cars that are faster than Ferrari at present. "It is a mistake to assume that the speed of a car depends only on aerodynamics," said the Frenchman. "In fact, there are many complex factors.”

"If you are going to just be copying someone else's decisions, it means that you will always be late. And now with the budgets so limited, it is almost impossible to copy something during the season anyway. So we have to stick to our original plans and continue to develop the platform we created."

‘Complex factors’;

https://www.grandprix.com/news/ferra...2023-cars.html


Fred Vasseur questioned about Charles Leclerc’s mounting crash tally
07 May 2023 6:00 PM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

With his repair bill growing by the week, in Miami by the day, Fred Vasseur accepts Charles Leclerc has to “push to get ahead” given the pace of his Ferrari. He binned his SF-23 in the final minutes of Baku’s sprint shootout while in Miami he broke his front suspension in a practice crash and then went onto damage the rear of the car in qualifying, both incidents taking place at Turn 7.

It had former F1 driver Martin Brundle asking Vasseur if Leclerc’s mistakes are something he has to ‘tolerate because it’s Charles and his speed or is it too much’. “Well depends on the circumstances,” the Ferrari team boss replied to the Sky Sports commentator.

“If you’re speaking about the crash in Baku, I think it was the right time to push and perhaps he over pushed. He was in pole with the first lap and knew that everybody would do a second lap and that he had to push. It’s not the same thing to crash in the last lap of Q3 in qualy in Baku and to crash in FP2, that’s another story.”

‘Mounting crash tally, repair bill growing by the week’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/fred-v...g-crash-tally/


Ferrari chief DEFENDS Leclerc after second crash ruins Miami qualifying
Sunday 7 May 2023 15:57
Chris Deeley
GPFans

Ferrari chief Fred Vasseur has defended Charles Leclerc after the Monegasque driver's spectacular crash brought a premature end to qualifying at the Miami Grand Prix.

“Charles was pushing, trying to get to the pole position," Vasseur said after the session. "It is what it is; he had the pace to do well and be in the front row but let's see tomorrow.”

"You have to push when fighting for a pole; you cannot say that he pushed too much. I prefer a driver who finds the limit and tries to get on the pole than one who says at the end of the race, 'If I had pushed more, I would have done better'."

"It is what it is”;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...lifying-crash/

[Fortitude]

Alonso in Aston Martin apology: They were laughing.
EL PLAN: Asked if his 'minus 12' request was genuine, Alonso told Sky Sports F1: "No, I had Plan A and Plan B and I mixed them up, [so] minus 12 was not what I meant.”
08 May 11:40AM
Author Ewan Gale
RacingNews365

The Spaniard's team radio message regarding strategy in the early stages of the Miami Grand Prix has been confirmed as a mix-up. Fernando Alonso has revealed his bizarre radio call regarding strategy during the Miami Grand Prix left his Aston Martin team laughing.

Alonso radioed to his team to request his strategy be altered to "Plan A minus 12", meaning he wished to pit 12 laps ahead of his tactical schedule. Instead, the Spaniard was the last to switch to Hards and would go on to finish third, behind the Red Bull duo led by Max Verstappen.

Asked if his 'minus 12' request was genuine, Alonso told Sky Sports F1: "No, I had Plan A and Plan B and I mixed them up, [so] minus 12 was not what I meant. I said sorry a few seconds later, they understood because they were laughing. It was not possible to do minus 12 because we had already passed that lap."

‘EL PLAN: "Plan A minus 12"!’;

https://racingnews365.com/alonso-in-...-were-laughing


Max Verstappen jokes Fernando Alonso’s a ‘life coach’ after latest Lance Stroll moment
08 May 2023 2:45 PM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

Alonso later stated he wants to build Stroll up into a team leader, the Spaniard explaining: “I know that I will be in the sport for a few more years but not many, and he will lead the team for the next 10 or 15 years, so I hope I can help Lance in the next few years.” He was back at it at the Miami Grand Prix, this time applauding Stroll’s “great move into Turn 1” as the Canadian overtook Alex Albon for position.

But given that position was 13th while Alonso was up in third place, the double World Champion was asked ‘how were you able to see that’ in the post-race press conference. “I think this circuit we have big TV screens out of some of the slow-speed corners so it was very easy to follow the race on TV,” he replied.

That had race winner Verstappen joking: “You’re like a life coach! The last race you’re like ‘try my brake balance!’” Alonso added: “I saw one overtake and I was just curious which position it was. It was a little bit of an unexpectedly lonely race for us. We were thinking to have a more difficult race.”

‘EL PLAN: ‘Life Coach’!’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/max-ve...stroll-moment/


Alonso waiting for ‘unbreakable’ Red Bull to ‘crack’
Monday 8th May, 2023 - 8:43pm
By Ian Parkes
Speedcafe

Fernando Alonso has conceded that frustration is starting to creep in after scoring his fourth third place of the F1 season.

As to whether it was frustrating at being unable to finish higher than third, he added: “It is, it is. Obviously, we want to step higher on the podium for P2, and eventually one day we have an opportunity to win a race.”

“At the moment it didn’t happen because Red Bull is better than us. It’s stronger, faster, and the reliability has always been outstanding for them as well, finishing both cars in every race. If one day there is a crack, if there is an opportunity, we need to make sure we are in that position and we’re still not making mistakes at any point in the weekend.”

‘EL PLAN: If one day there is a crack’;

https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/05/08...l-unbreakable/


Alonso makes HUGE Aston Martin prediction for Monaco and Barcelona
Monday 8 May 2023 07:57
Jack Walker
GPFans

Fernando Alonso has insisted that Aston Martin have a shot at victory in Monaco or Barcelona, after showing impressive pace at the F1 Miami Grand Prix.

Can Aston Martin beat Red Bull? Speaking to Sky Sports after the race, Alonso was in buoyant mood and hinted that the team in green believe they can challenge the Bulls for the win in the upcoming triple-header. “The car is amazing. [It was] a little bit of a lonely race today, nothing really to do in front of us with the Red Bulls,” said Alonso.

El Matador hungry for more. The two-time world champion is evidently thoroughly enjoying being back in the fight towards the front of grid after so many years away, and he isn’t about to relinquish his chance of a win in 2023 any time soon. “It is always [fun] and the start on the wrong side of the grid we were a bit worried but everything was fine, and we take the podium and go into the triple-header Imola, Monaco, and Barcelona which hopefully we can keep on going."

‘EL PLAN: El Matador hungry for more’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...ictory-chance/


Alonso: Aston must be ready to jump on "crack" in Red Bull’s F1 form
7Th May 2023, 12:18
By: Jonathan Noble
Motorsport.com

Fernando Alonso says Aston Martin must stay focused and ready to pounce when there is a “crack” in Red Bull’s form if it wants a Formula 1 victory.

But rather than start setting unrealistic expectations for the battle ahead, Alonso said Aston Martin needed to accept that Red Bull remained a clear step ahead.

However, he believed that at some point a weekend would come when Red Bull got it wrong – and it was essential that Aston Martin was therefore in the position to make the most of it. “Obviously, we want to step one step higher on the podium for P2 and eventually one day we have an opportunity to win a race,” he said after the Miami Grand Prix.

‘EL PLAN: Aston Martin must be ready to jump on "crack"!’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/a...form/10466870/


Alonso calls for changes after Miami pre-race driver introductions
08 May 3:20PM
Author Anna Francis
Co-author Dieter Rencken
RacingNews365

The Miami Grand Prix featured a unique pre-race build-up, including a driver introduction ceremony. This has sparked plenty of reaction, with Fernando Alonso amongst those to explain what he "disagrees" with about the format.

"I understand the point of view of everybody but I'm not a big fan of those kinds of things just before the race," Alonso told media, including RacingNews365.com.

"If we have to do it, I think we need to remove some of the other stuff we are doing like the parade lap or something like that, because it's really in the middle of the preparation with the engineers and the strategy meeting."

‘EL PLAN: Remove some of the other stuff’;

https://racingnews365.com/alonso-cal...-introductions