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      F1 drivers urge FIA to introduce new restart system after red flags as George Russell leads calls for change

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      F1 drivers have called on the FIA to change the restart system after red flags.It comes after the huge pile up at the Australian Grand Prix last month following a red flag.
      There was a huge pile-up at the Australian Grand Prix following a restart after a red flag
      George Russell spoke about drivers’ safety concernsCredit: Splash
      There are ongoing safety concerns surrounding how races are restarted, with claims the marbles on the track creates an unfair disparity between drivers.
      Those marbles were not swept off the track in Melbourne but the FIA has assured they will be in future.
      The FIA also confirmed the safety car will set off earlier to give drivers more time to warm up their tyres ahead of the grid restart.
      The 30-second gap between the safety car and drivers at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix will be increased to 60 seconds in Miami.
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      The F1 Grand Prix Drivers’ Association director George Russell was asked about the safety issues and he revealed the drivers are against a standing start after red flags.
      Russell told Motorsport.com: “I think we’ve all come to a good understanding.
      “I think having a restart at the end of the race is challenging because there’s a lot of marbles off-line.
      “It gives quite an unfair chance for the guys on the inside on the dirty line, and the opportunity for more chaos and unfairness.
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      “So let’s see where we move to.
      “But I think all 20 drivers wouldn’t like standing starts after a red flag with either 50 or 75 per cent of the race completed.” More

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      F1 Miami Grand Prix LIVE RESULTS: Verstappen WINS big race after starting in ninth, Hamilton down in SIXTH – updates

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN has won the F1 Miami Grand Prix after starting the race in NINTH position. Lewis Hamilton finished up in sixth place after starting the day in 13th himself, while Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez finished just behind him.

      Start time: 8.30pm BST
      TV/Live stream: Sky Sports F1

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      Dutch flag flying high in standings
      Max Verstappen now leads Red Bull team mate Sergio Perez by 14 points in the 2023 driver standings.
      With Fernando Alonso in third place some 44 points behind Verstappen.
      It would take some serious effort by anyone to dethrone Verstappen this season.
      Credit: Getty
      Verstappen changing the history books
      Max Verstappen become the first driver to win a Grand Prix from ninth place on the starting grid since Niki Lauder.
      Lauder achieved the same feat back in 1984.
      Verstappen is only the fourth driver in the history of formula one to achieve this milestone.
      Credit: @F1
      Driving to the Max once again
      Defending world champion Max Verstappen spoke about his performance in the 2023 Miami Grand Prix:
      It was a good race. I stayed out of trouble at the beginning and picked off the cars one by one. I had a little battle with Checo at the end but we kept it clean and that is the main thing. The qualifying was a bit of a set-back but winning a race from P9 is always nice.Max VerstappenRed Bull
      Horner all smiles in Miami
      It was a perfect day at the office for Red Bull’s Christian Horner.
      Seeing their drivers once again take the top two places in the race.
      No one could really see anyone else winning the constructor’s championship even at this early stage of the season.
      Red Bull gives you wins.
      Credit: AFP
      The stars were bright, Fernando
      Fernando Alonso is enjoying his drive in the Aston Martin.
      The Spanish driver booked himself yet another podium finish with only the Red Bulls able to stay ahead of him.
      He really is enjoying his racing again and seems at one with the car.
      Being the competitor he is, Alonso will be aiming for his first race win in the Aston Martin but that will take some doing with this Red Bull car outperforming all in the field.
      Credit: AFP
      Double trouble in front of pack
      It is becoming a more regular sight of two Red Bull cars battling it out at the front of the race.
      Verstappen also wins ‘driver of the day’ taking the victory after starting eight places behind his team mate on the grid.
      The choice of starting on hard tyres seems to have made the difference for Verstappen with most drivers opting for medium tyres.
      Credit: EPA
      Red Bull dominates in Miami
      It is a Red Bull one and two in the Miami Grand Prix.

      Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
      Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
      Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
      George Russell (Mercedes)
      Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

      Carlos Sainz manages to hold onto fifth spot despite his five second penalty as he managed to stay far enough ahead of Lewis Hamilton to hold his position.
      Max Verstappen wins Miami Grand Prix
      Lap 57/57 – Verstappen leads, Perez second
      Perez seems to have given up the ghost in catch Verstappen.
      The lead between the two is ever increasing, now at 3.6 seconds.
      Verstappen also has the fastest lap of the day so far.
      Fernando Alonso looks set for yet another podium finish.
      Credit: AP
      Lap 55/57 – Verstappen leads, Leclerc sixth
      The two Ferraris are now in fifth and sixth.
      Lewis Hamilton is their biggest concern right now.
      The British driver takes Pierre Gasly to move into seventh spot.
      Meanwhile, Max Verstappen has opened up his lead to almost 3 seconds.
      Hamilton takes Leclerc in what possibly might be the take of the day.
      Lap 53/57 – Verstappen leads, Perez second
      Lewis Hamilton is now in eighth position, only 1.6 seconds behind Charles Leclerc.
      Leclerc however is setting his sights on Pierre Gasly.
      This would be some rave from Verstappen to win this one, he has managed his tyres well and his one pit stop.
      Lap 51/57 – Verstappen leads, Perez second
      Verstappen now has a 2.3 second lead on Perez.
      Alonso is having a lonely race in third with nobody putting any pressure on his position at all.
      Catching Perez is sadly not an option for the Spaniard.
      Russell is fourth, Sainz fifth and Gasly sixth.
      Lap 49/57 – Verstappen leads, Perez second
      As Sergio Perez shows some brilliant defensive driving on the bends to hold off Max Verstappen.
      The pair come really close together but they are cautious to ensure there is no collision.
      Verstappen is charging his battery well to ensure he is not vulnerable to the fact that Perez now has DRS active.
      Credit: EPA
      Lap 47/57 – Perez leads, Verstappen second
      Max Verstappen is on medium tyres and comes out of the pits with Sergio Perez in his sights.
      This should be some battle now to the end of the race.
      Nobody has won a race from ninth place on the grid since 1984.
      Perez does not have DRS though which will make it difficult for him to hold off his team mate.
      Lap 45/57 – Verstappen leads, Perez second
      Many of the teams were planning for a safety car with some debris on the track but we have not seen one implemented.
      This means that there could be fuel concerns for some cars.
      Perez has been told to manage his better as Verstappen is doing.
      Fernando Alonso is having a comfortable drive in third with George Russell some 7.8 seconds behind him.
      Max Verstappen is the only driver to have not pitted now.
      Lap 43/57 – Verstappen leads, Perez second
      When Verstappen goes onto medium tyres he is going to be lightening quick.
      With an 18 second lead over Perez, he will fancy chasing down his Red Bull team mate.
      The team are telling him his ‘effective track position’ after pitting will actually have him still out in front of Perez.
      This day just keeps getting better and better for the Dutch driver.
      Lap 41/57 – Verstappen leads, Russell fourth
      Lewis Hamilton heads into the pits and returns to the track in twelfth place.
      He immediately takes Botas and goes into eleventh spot.
      Verstappen has still yet to put and has a 17.6 second lead on his team mate but will lose 20 seconds when he decides to pit.
      Lap 39/57 – Verstappen leads, Perez second
      George Russell takes Carlos Sainz and moves into fourth place.
      Leclerc and Magnussen are battling it out for tenth place.
      The Ferrari takes him on the turn but Magnussen uses DRS to take him on the straight.
      Nico Hulkenberg has just set the fastest lap on medium tyres.
      That bodes well for Max Verstappen.
      Credit: Getty
      Lap 37/57 – Verstappen leads, Russell fifth
      George Russell finds himself in an interesting position now.
      With Carlos Sainz to take a five second penalty and Esteban Ocon having to pit, that will put Russell in fourth place.
      He isn’t a million miles away from Fernando Alonso also.
      Russell makes his move and overtakes Ocon.
      Lap 35/57 – Verstappen leads, Perez second
      Everyone in the top ten is running on hard tyres now.
      This will be interesting as when Verstappen pits, he will be coming out on medium tyres.
      His battle will then be to try and catch Sergio Perez.
      Charles Leclerc is back in twelfth place.
      Lap 33/57 – Verstappen leads, Perez second
      Lewis Hamilton has the order from his team to let George Russell pass him.
      Esteban Ocon sits in fifth place but has yet to pit.
      Russell thanks Hamilton as he lets him through.
      Max Verstappen registers another fastest lap.
      Lap 31/57 – Verstappen leads, Alonso third
      After making his decision to pit, Fernando Alonso works his way back up through the field.
      Carlos Sainz has moved up into fourth place.
      Red Bull are trying to get Verstappen to push his tyres as they want him to come out of the pits ahead of Alonso.
      Credit: Getty
      Lap 29/57 – Verstappen leads, Perez second
      This would be some performance by Max Verstappen to win the race having started ninth on the grid.
      Sergio Perez will have something to say about that though.
      Lewis Hamilton will be able to take advantage of Carlos Sainz taking his penalty at some stage too, depending on when he decides to pit of course.
      Lap 27/57 – Verstappen leads, Perez second
      It is a Red Bull one and two now.
      Verstappen will have to pit at some stage too so this is set for an enthralling battle between the two.
      Ocon is still in third place but will need to pit at some stage also.
      Lewis Hamilton moves up into sixth place.
      Lap 25/57 – Verstappen leads, Perez third
      Alonso now has Red Bull cars in front and behind him.
      Perez is now 12.6 seconds behind the Spaniard.
      Fernando Alonso takes the chance to head into the pits.
      Carlos Sainz has been awarded a five second penalty for speeding in the pit lanes.
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      Christian Horner drinks champagne from Daniel Ricciardo’s sweaty race boot as ex-F1 star reveals reason he took year out

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      RED BULL chief Christian Horner drank champagne from Daniel Ricciardo’s boot at a charity event this week.The pair entertained a crowd in Miami on Thursday to raise money for Red Bull’s Wings for Life charity.
      A fan bid £12,000 for Christian Horner to do a shoeyCredit: Getty
      Horner drank champagne out of Daniel Ricciardo’s shoe as the Aussie cheered him onCredit: AFP
      And one spectator bid £12,000 to see Horner do a ‘shoey’ – where one drinks alcohol out of a shoe.
      Horner used one of Ricciardo’s boots to gulp down champagne – but the Red Bull reserve driver thinks his boss got off lightly.
      Ricciardo told The Telegraph: “I saw Christian at breakfast. He mentioned he was feeling a bit queasy. To be honest, he got away lightly. Those boots were box fresh.
      “To be fair, Christian did do a real one in Malaysia once, which, I will put my hand up, is probably the sweatiest race I’ve ever done. So he got the full experience that time!”
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      Ricciardo has taken a backseat from racing F1 this season after a difficult campaign last time out for McLaren.
      He has revealed why he decided to take a year out and is confident the spell on the sidelines could serve him well in the long run.
      The Australian, 33, added: “I don’t want it to sound like I’m lacking ambition. Like, of course I want to be racing. That’s a given. But I do feel happy with the decision to take this year off and not pursue a [race] seat for the sake of it.
      “I needed to switch off a little bit. Some people might be like ‘Oh, that’s that’s a weakness. If you can’t handle the heat, get out of the kitchen’.
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      “But I was like, I’m happy to just put all those things – my ego, my pride – aside and just look at myself in the mirror and be like, ‘What do I need in 2023 to kind of get myself back a little bit? To put myself in a happier place? To give myself the best chance of success in the long term?'” More

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      Lewis Hamilton fears bored F1 fans will switch off TVs as Red Bull duo Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez dominate

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      LEWIS HAMILTON fears fans could start switching off F1 if it becomes too boring.Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have dominated this season’s opening four races with the last Grand Prix in Azerbaijan a dull procession.
      Lewis Hamilton could only qualify in 13th for the Miami Grand PrixCredit: Getty
      He revealed fears F1 fans could switch off as Red Bull continue to dominateCredit: Reuters
      The sport arrived in Miami facing accusations that it has lost some of its appeal due to predictable winners.
      And Hamilton – who qualified 13th in Miami – says he has sympathy with TV viewers and insists teams need to adapt to the new rules or warns that it could take YEARS before someone else wins the title.
      He said: “It is not my job to convince people to watch a sport. I’m not watching so it’s not boring for me.
      “I’m challenged every single day to get back to the front so it’s definitely not boring from my perspective.
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      “But as a racing fan watching, I can understand because there’s not as much competition as there perhaps is in the NFL or the NBA at the moment.
      “That’s not my doing. As a sport they have already tried to bring the teams closer but it never seems to work.
      “All I can say is that we’re working as hard as we can to close up and get back and give them more of a fight.
      “It’s good that we’re trying new things. It’s important we continue to move forward and evolve.
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      “It is just unfortunate that we still see the same sort of gaps between the teams.
      “I don’t know what the solution is for the future. But we are going to have to adapt to these regulations.
      “Otherwise it could be the same as it is now for years.”
      Meanwhile, Hamilton says he supports F1’s decision to keep racing in new venues but believes it must not come at the cost of historic race tracks.
      The F1 calendar is currently limited to 24 races and there will be a new GP in Las Vegas later in the year.
      Grands Prix in South Africa, South Korea and a second race in Saudi Arabia are all in the pipeline and Hamilton says a balance is key to achieving a successful championship.
      He added: “I like the direction that F1 is going. I have been here a long time.
      “I like the change that we’re seeing and it’s exciting coming to different parts of the world.
      “We’ve been going to all the other continents so I’m hoping we get to go to Africa soon. And that will be an amazing experience.
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      “But I love all the older tracks, they are always going to be the ones I prefer.
      “It’s important that we continue to have those in the DNA — so a balance between the two.” More

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      Lewis Hamilton suffers WORST US qualifying session of his career as he starts a miserable 13th for Miami GP after Q2 KO

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      LEWIS HAMITON will start in a disappointing 13th place for the Miami Grand Prix after blasting his Mercedes team.And in more drama, a late red flag caused by Charles Leclerc’s slide into the barriers meant that F1 championship leader Max Verstappen could only qualify down in ninth place.
      Lewis Hamilton will start 13th for the Miami Grand PrixCredit: AFP
      Charles Leclerc went into the barrier as Q3 was red-flaggedCredit: Getty
      To make matters worse for the Dutchman, his team-mate and championship rival Sergio Perez took pole.
      Hamilton was eliminated during the second session and failed to make the top-ten shootout.
      And he blamed his team for putting him out on track at the wrong time as he got caught in traffic, which meant he was unable to set a quick lap time.
      He told them over the radio after getting the boot from qualifying: “We got out way too late guys.”
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      He later added: “It was a difficult session. We’re not that quick so we really needed perfect laps. It was difficult to get into a rhythm for us.
      “There were a couple of decent moments in there where I thought the car was good but then we were at the back end of the top ten.
      “I was the last one in the pack. I tried to get temperatures into the tyres but I was in a queue of cars and everyone slowed down into the last corner so I lost all temperature in the tyres and I couldn’t do the lap.
      “We need to be better with our time. It is done. I will get my head down and see what I can do from 13th to God knows where.”
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      Perez had taken provisional pole but just when Verstappen was on his flying lap, Leclerc spun off, causing the race stewards to stop the race.
      And with one minute and 36 seconds left of the session, the stewards decided not to restart.
      Fernando Alonso qualified in second and Carlos Sainz will line up in third.
      Kevin Magnussen completes the second row of the grid in fourth.
      Hamilton’s Mercedes team-mate George Russell will start in sixth.
      McLaren had another underwhelming qualifying session with both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri eliminated in Q1.
      Both drivers had struggled all weekend and Norris will line up on 16th on the grid while Piastri was 19th.
      It was a huge embarrassment for the team’s boss, Zak Brown, who was hosting Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos as a guest of the team.
      Meanwhile, Logan Sargeant, Williams’ US racer, who comes from Miami, qualified in last place for his home race.
      Sergio Perez, centre, will start on pole with Fernando Alonso, left, second and Carlos Sainz thirdCredit: Reuters More

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      Jeff Bezos joined by glamorous girlfriend at F1 Miami Grand Prix as fellow billionaire Elon Musk enjoys family day out

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      JEFF BEZOS was joined by his glamourous girlfriend at Miami Grand Prix qualifying.And fellow billionaire Elon Musk took his son for a day out at the Formula One.
      Jeff Bezos and girlfriend Lauren Sanchez headed to the qualifying day at the Miami GPCredit: Getty
      Elon and X AE A-XII Musk got to meet the Red Bull teamCredit: Getty
      Bezos, 59, and partner Lauren Sanchez, 53, walked hand in hand through the paddock at the Hard Rock Stadium.
      The Amazon founder and TV personality Sanchez – who left little to the imagination with her revealing crop top – were VIP guests of McLaren.
      Bezos was also pictured chatting with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and McLaren chief Zak Brown.
      And he even got a chance to sit on the pit wall with a headset to listen in to the team communications with drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
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      World’s richest man Musk, meanwhile, was given special access to the Red Bull team.
      The 51-year-old Tesla and Twitter boss, worth £135billion, carried his kid X AE A-XII Musk – born in May 2020 – with him during the trip to Florida.
      The Musks enjoyed chatting and posing for photos with Red Bull team principal Christian Horner as well as drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
      Red Bull hope to continue their dominance of this 2023 F1 season in Miami by securing another pole position for tomorrow’s Grand Prix race.
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      Verstappen and Perez have shared the four race wins evenly so far – in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Australia and Azerbaijan.
      Verstappen, who finished second in both of Perez’s wins, leads the drivers’ championship on 93 points – six more than his team-mate.
      Fernando Alonso is third, way back on 60, with Red Bull opening up a commanding lead in their constructors’ title defence.
      Bezos sat on the McLaren pit wall to get involvedCredit: Getty
      Musk carried his son around with him in MiamiCredit: Splash More

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      Elon Musk proposes huge new F1 event as he reveals ‘discussions’ held at Miami Grand Prix

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      THE Formula One paddock was greeted by Elon Musk ahead of the Miami Grand Prix.Twitter and Tesla owner Musk was pictured in the Red Bull garage ahead of FP3 as F1 gears up for the first of three races in the United States this season.
      Elon Musk revealed a huge new proposal for an F1 eventCredit: Getty
      Musk also revealed details of a chat with Christian HornerCredit: Getty
      The Twitter and Tesla owner was also joined by his son on the tour of the Red Bull garageCredit: Getty
      Following his visit, Musk revealed details of a discussion he had with Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.
      Taking to Twitter, Musk said: “Fun discussion of aero & battery technology in F1.”
      However, Musk then proposed a huge new F1 event.
      He added: “I proposed a pure EV (Electric Vehicle) vs gas/hybrid F1 race.”
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      However, some fans were quick to point out that an all-electric version of F1 already exists – Formula E.
      One wrote: “There’s Formula E buddy.”
      A second said: “So, Formula E??”
      “There is already a competition like F1 for electric cars,” remarked a third.
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      A fourth joked: “About to invent the Formula E competition 😉.”
      The sport has seen a number of F1 stars try their hand at the format, such as former Alfa Romeo driver Antonio Giovinazzi.
      Current AlphaTauri driver Nyck de Vries also won the world championship for it in 2021.
      Formula E was introduced as a completely electric alternative to F1, and has seen F1 constructor McLaren join this year.
      The British team were joined by their own celebrity in the paddock this week, this being Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
      The tempers in the sport are not far off F1 either, with Dan Ticktum slamming Jake Dennis following a collision earlier this season.
      Red Bull unveiled a special livery ahead of the race, which they hope will not impact Max Verstappen or Sergio Perez as they bid to make it five wins from five for Red Bull.
      Meanwhile, Sir Lewis Hamilton swapped sports as he showed off his skills with a basketball.

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      Sergio Perez labelled ‘the tyre whisperer’ with F1 star expected to pile pressure on Verstappen at Miami GP

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      SERGIO PEREZ has been tipped to pile the pressure onto Max Verstappen at this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix. However, Verstappen still retains the advantage on traditional circuits according to former Red Bull performance engineer Blake Hinsey.
      Sergio Perez has been tipped to challenge Max Verstappen across the seasonCredit: Getty
      But he must overcome a ‘half per cent’ gap on traditional circuitsCredit: AFP
      The Dutchman leads the driver standings over his Red Bull team-mate by six points, with the duo sharing two race wins apiece this season.
      But Perez, who won last week’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, has been tipped to keep up the pressure on Verstappen across the season thanks to his exceptional tyre management.
      Although ahead of the Miami race, Hinsey has declared Verstappen is equal in this regard to “tyre whisperer” Perez.
      Speaking to Channel 4, he said: “There’s the narrative of him [Perez] being exceptionally good on the tyres.
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      “I think the dangerous thing for all the other teams is both Max and Checo are insanely good on their tyres. They have the conundrum. They can do it, go fast and save tyres.
      “That’s the thing, most drivers, you ask them ‘we need you to increase your pace by two tenths, can you look after the tyre?’ They say ‘no’.
      “Whatever it is about the car and combination with these two guys, I’ve seen Checo do it many times, and I’ve seen Max do it multiple times. They’re both monsters.
      “But what is it exactly that he’s [Perez] good at? Yes, the low speed 90-degree corners, great at it, taking risks when he needs to, leaving just enough margin repeatedly over and over in the way that you need to do to do well in a race and qualifying session around the street circuit.
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      “They both can do it. But he’s traditionally been much closer at the circuits numerically.”
      But Hinsey added that to maintain his title charge, Perez, must make up a “half a per cent” gap on traditional circuits.
      He explained: “Traditional circuits, Max was about half a per cent ahead.
      “So I mean he had a clear gap to him on traditional circuits, half a per cent upwards of a one per cent gap to Checo.
      “On street circuits, there was no gap in the qualifying laps they set.
      “Obviously, the context from that is removed, but the numbers don’t lie. He does tend to go well there, he qualifies well there, and he tends to race well there.
      “So I think it’s a little bit of everything, the killer instinct, the adaptability.”
      Despite both drivers prowess, Bulls team boss Helmut Marko also backed Verstappen as being able to execute plans to the optimal level.
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      Last season he said: “Max has gradually become a tyre whisperer.
      “We give him a certain plan and he executes it optimally.”

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