Miami: pre-qualifying 2024

 

Major news since the last race broke a few days ago: Adrian Newey, arguably the best designer in F1 history and long term Red Bull chap, is leaving the team. With a year of gardening leave (though his lawyers may get that reduced in negotiation) this will have precisely zero practical implications for 2025. In 2026, this may be another matter, however.

Where will he go?

Most think Ferrari. The outside shot is Aston Martin. Both will be flinging offers his way and Newey can take his pick. He’s on the record as wishing he’d worked with Hamilton and Alonso, and also Ferrari (who have signed Hamilton, of course). Time will tell. This may be the first domino to fall, as regulations shifting in 2026 present a chance to reshuffle the order. Verstappen is highly unlikely to leave the team in 2025 but might well the following year.

 

Quick note: I won’t be watching the sprint race due to a prior commitment.

First, and only, practice, has Verstappen fastest but Piastri just a tenth behind and even smaller margins from the Aussie to Sainz and Russell. Stroll was only four-hundredths off Russell and five-hundredths ahead of Perez, with Hamilton a little further back then Tsunoda, Ocon, and Gasly rounding out the top 10.

Gasly, the Saubers, and Williams were eliminated in the first part of sprint qualifying, which is pretty much what one might expect (except that a lap time disqualification means Sargeant actually beat Albon). Losing Ocon, Magnussen, and Tsunoda in the second session was also fairly standard but both Mercedes failed to progress and comprise the sixth row, Russell leading Hamilton.

Norris has been looking very tasty in the first two sessions but his performance was lacking in the final part of sprint qualifying, with Verstappen moving in the other direction.

The sprint front row is set to be the classic pairing of Verstappen and Leclerc, with Perez and Ricciardo (!) on the second row. Sainz and Piastri form up alongside one another, ahead of Stroll and Alonso, while Norris and Hulkenberg complete the upper half of the grid.

Note: Bottas has a 3 place grid penalty for impeding during sprint qualifying.

 

The sprint starts at 5pm, with qualifying and Sunday’s race both starting at 9pm.

 

Morris Dancer

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