Max Verstappen was left furious at the Miami Grand Prix – but not because of Charles Leclerc’s ill-timed crash.
During qualifying in 2023, a marauding Leclerc lost control of his Ferrari while weaving through the fast opening section of the track.
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The Monegasques broke away violently and hit the barrier two minutes from the end, leaving a large part of the peloton stranded and unable to achieve their best times.
Lecerlc went directly to the radio to take responsibility.
“I’m sorry guys. I’m sorry,” he offers remorsefully.
The crash then put pressure on the rest of the field and Verstappen, uncharacteristically, let the heat get to him.
The Dutchman had already had a poor start to Q3 in Miami when he was forced to abandon his first flying lap after a series of messy turns.
“F***, I went wide, f***!” Verstappen fumed on the team radio.
The advantage in the final minutes of qualifying was firmly in the hands of teammate Sergio Perez.
The Mexican had managed to set the bar with the fastest time from the start of the final session, which put pressure on those below him, including his teammate.
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Heading into the weekend, Verstappen had a slim 6-point lead over Perez, meaning the onus was firmly on the Dutchman to pull a rabbit out of the hat.
But just as Verstappen was ready for his final shot in a perfect lap, a series of yellow flags followed by a red brought qualifying to a premature end due to Leclerc’s smash.
The abrupt end to the session left the grid in a single order with Pérez on pole, Fernando Alonso second and Leclerc’s teammate Carlos Sainz third.
Haas driver Kevin Magnussen also managed to do the unexpected by taking fourth place.
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After qualifying, Verstappen expressed his frustration.
He said: “It was my mistake, I tried to take it to the limit and I had to give up. Then we rely a little on luck but it can happen. The race is going to be difficult, yes, I made it difficult for myself but I am aiming for a minimum of P2.
Red Bull and Verstappen, however, managed to beat this prediction.
The Dutch slalom star powered his way past rivals, including teammate Perez, to claim a stunning victory in Miami.
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And you wouldn’t bet against a similar result this weekend, although perhaps without the crash.
