Another McLaren parade in Miami — Norris & Piastri go 1-2 in the F1 Sprint
Other than a fired engine and Saturday’s scalding track, nothing’s hotter at Miami International Autodrome than McLaren Racing.
Of the last four Formula 1 races in Miami Gardens, two Miami Grands Prix and two F1 Sprints, McLaren’s motored to four wins, including three consecutive 1-2 finishes. Completing that hat trick in Saturday’s F1 Sprint race, defending world champion Lando Norris took the 19-lap race from pole followed 3.76 seconds later by teammate Oscar Piastri.
“A good say for us,” Norris said. “Nice to be back on top, even if it is a Sprint.”
Once Piastri slipped past Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli at the start, the main drama concerned whether Piastri could hold off Leclerc. And, how long everyone in the cockpits, pits and stands could stand to be outside shade or air conditioning relief from 89-degree air temperature and 127-degree track temperature.
“I’m more disappointed about our Sprint qualifying yesterday than I am with today,” Leclerc said. “Overall, I think the pace was there.”
Early in the race, Leclerc and Antonelli came together in Turn 4 and 5, causing Leclerc to explode on the radio, “Kimi’s so bad wheel-to-wheel!”
Leclerc acknowledged and Antonelli have “had our moments,” but said he likes Antonelli personally and joked he wished as a Ferrari driver that it were someone other than F1’s only Italian driver.
“Sometimes, it’s a little bit too close for comfort and not really needed,” Leclerc said. “In this case, I was quite angry in the car and the comments were probably too harsh.”
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This was the first race of any kind since the rules changes that came down during the unexpectedly extended April break. The changes were designed to allow drivers to get back to driving as flat out as possible without worrying about energy management; and to cut down on, the FIA said, “excessive closing speeds while maintaining overtaking opportunities.”
After Friday’s Sprint qualifying and Saturday’s race, Norris felt as if “it was a step in the right direction. As much as we could ask for at the minute.”
Leclerc said, “It’s also true we need to have realistic expectations. We cannot change so much. Some of the technical issues we have will remain. We can minimize them and I think the approach was right.”
Zanardi honored
Before the Formula 1 Sprint race, a moment of silence honored former Formula 1 driver and IndyCar champion Alex Zanardi, who died Friday night. His family announced his death Saturday.
Zanardi lost his legs in a 2001 IndyCar crash, but never lost his racing soul. He returned to race successfully in the World Touring Car Championship for BMW, won a gold medal as a handcyclist in the 2012 Paralympics and completed an Ironman Triathlon in 2014.
During a handcycling race in 2020, Zanardi lost his hands. Despite his severe physical injuries, he remained an upbeat, indomitable force, well-liked and admired in the racing world.
Zanardi raced with Jordan, Minardi and Lotus from 1991-94, lean years for those teams. He joined Ganassi Racing in 1996 as it became CART’s premier team during IndyCar’s Indy Racing League vs. CART war known as The Split. Zanardi dominated the 1997 and 1998 seasons with 12 wins in 35 races.
Formula 2 sprint race
Campos Racing’s Nikolai Tsolov, who won the season-opening F2 feature race in Melbourne, took the checkered after a fantastic shootout with Trident’s Laurens Van Hoepen and Rodin Motorsports’ Alexander Dunne.
The first F2 race in the United States proved forgettable for both American-born drivers. Colton Herta, racing for Hitech TGR started 14th and finished 15th, one spot ahead of Miami-born Sebastian Montoya.
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Sunday’s schedule at the Miami International Autodrome
All of this could get scrambled by rain, lightning and threats of rain or lightning.
8:30-9:15 a.m.: McLaren Trophy America race.
11:05-11:50 a.m.: Porsche Carrera Cup North America race.
12:30-1:35 p.m.: Formula 2 Feature race.
2-2:30 p.m.: Formula 1 Drivers’ Parade.
4-6 p.m.: Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix.
