Verstappen wins inaugural Miami Grand Prix over Leclerc

Bivol won by unanimous decision, all three scorecards saw the same: 115-113.

Max Verstappen won the first ever Miami Grand Prix, having pried the lead off Ferrari’s pole-sitter Charles Leclerc early in the race, and defended it in an enthralling late-race battle.

Red Bull’s reigning champion took P2 off Carlos Sainz into Turn 1 at the start, and soon began to close in on Leclerc. The Ferrari driver lost the lead to his rival on the main straight at the start of

Lap 9 of 57 and pitted from mediums to hards on Lap 24, causing Verstappen to react with his stop two laps later. It seemed that Verstappen would cruise to victory in front of Miami Gardens’ marina…

That was until the Lap 41 caution, a Vsc-turned-safety Car triggered by a clash between Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris, which sent the Mclaren driver into a spin as his right-rear tyre ripped off. Perez took the opportunity to pit for new mediums from P4, emerging there, with hardshod Verstappen, Leclerc and Sainz ahead.

The Lap 47 restart saw Verstappen lead away but struggle to build up a gap to Leclerc. It was equally difficult for Sainz, who was being hounded by medium-shod Sergio Perez for the final podium place.

Perez attempted to pass Sainz on Lap 52 but locked up, both drivers avoiding contact, while Leclerc was under half a second behind Verstappen in the chase for the lead. But neither Perez nor Leclerc could make headway, and the win – narrow as it was over the Ferraris – would be Verstappen's.

Alonso was given a further five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage on the penultimate lap, promoting Alex Albon to P9, Lance Stroll to P10, and demoting the two-time champion to 11th.

Despite starting on the front row, Ferrari couldn't convert their advantage to a Miami Grand Prix win – while Max Verstappen has now made it two wins in a row.

What's next?

The championship continues in Catalunya with the Spanish Grand Prix on May 20-22, Red Bull now only six points behind Ferrari – and Verstappen 19 points behind Leclerc.

The Mexican Saul Canelo Alvarez lost for the second time in his career, the Russian Dmitry Bivol proved to be a solid champion, dominated the Mexican from the fifth round, retained the undefeated and the World Boxing Association light heaviweight world title at the Tmobile in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Canelo could not achieve the feat, he went up to 175 pounds and found a well made boxer, well trained and who knew he had everything to gain and nothing to lose, he proved it in the ring and will return home with the belt in his hands.

Although in the end the judges’ scorecard was close, the Russian looked better than the challenger and took the victory fairly and by unanimous decision, all three scorecards saw the same: 115-113.

Canelo made no excuses

The Mexican did a good job, but in the end the effort was not enough, he accepted the defeat

“I felt I won, I did enough, but that’s boxing, you win and you lose. He’s a good fighter, I felt his weight a lot, I couldn’t connect him that easy. I made a great fight and in the end the people are the ones who win.

There are no excuses, he is a great fighter, you have to accept defeat”.

Canelo wants a rematch

The Mexican had already made plans for September, he was sure to defeat Bivol and then face Gennady Golovkin for the third time, but the plans fell through and now he is looking for a second fight against Bivol.

“He goes in or out, he uses his distance well, I did enough to win, but that’s the way it is.

CANELO ALVAREZ: ‘I want a rematch, it’s not going to stay like this’