Miami NICE for Max but Lewis mentally tyred!
Make the decision as you have all the details. I rely on the guys for that, but they gave the decision to me and I didn’t understand it. Lewis Hamilton
MAX Verstappen survived a late onslaught from Charles Leclerc to win Formula One’s inaugural Miami Grand Prix.
The world champion started third, but raced past Carlos Sainz at the opening bend before taking Leclerc in the other Ferrari on lap nine.
A ten-lap shootout following a safety car period provided a dramatic end, but Verstappen held his nerve. Leclerc took the runner-up spot with Sainz completing the podium.
Sergio Perez claimed fourth ahead of George Russell. Lewis Hamilton started sixth and finished in the same position after he was usurped by a freshly-shod Russell with nine laps to run.
“Strategy has not been kind to me, man,” he said over the radio. Russell has now finished ahead of Hamilton at every race bar one, with the seventime world champion 68 points behind Leclerc after just five rounds.
Hamilton said he did not understand why Mercedes wanted him to make a strategy decision.
His race engineer, Peter Bonnington, asked his driver whether he wished to take on new tyres during the late safety car.
Hamilton elected to stay out, while
Russell, who started 12th, took advantage to make his sole tyre switch.
“In that scenario, I have no clue where everyone is, so when the team say ‘it is your choice,’ I don’t have the information to make the decision,” said Hamilton.
“That’s what your job is. Make the decision for me as you have all the details and I don’t. I rely on the guys for that, but they gave the decision to me and I didn’t understand it. When you are given that responsibility it feels like gambling and I don’t like that.”
Hamilton added: “George was on the best tyre to start with and, in hindsight, maybe I could have started on the hard tyre. But he did a great job to recover from his starting position.
“He had fresh tyres so I was a bit of a sitting duck. I am waiting for a change in fortune, but until then I will keep working as hard as I can.”
The stars of sport and showbiz flocked to Florida for F1’s first race at the Hard Rock Stadium, 15 miles north of Downtown Miami.
NBA great Michael Jordan, Grand Slam champions Serena and Venus Williams, former England captain David Beckham, Hollywood’s Matt Damon and pop star Pharrell Williams led the cast on a celebrityfuelled and manic pre-race grid.
“It was very hard physically, but I am incredibly happy with winning in Miami,” said Verstappen following his third victory of the campaign.
Leclerc added: “We struggled with the tyres in the first stint and it made our race difficult.
“I thought I could get Max at one point but he was too quick. It has been tight with Max since the beginning of the season and that has been great to see.”