Max Verstappen goaded his forlorn rivals by challenging Red Bull to pointless “pit-stop training” during his exhibition win in Belgium on Sunday.
Verstappen started sixth by virtue of a grid penalty for a gearbox change, but he assumed the lead on lap 17 of 44 before taking the chequered flag 22.3 seconds clear of Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez.
Charles Leclerc finished third for Ferrari. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton started third and crossed the line in fourth.
Verstappen’s triumph was his eighth in a row – leaving him just one short of Sebastian Vettel’s record.
It also marked his 10th victory from 12 rounds so far this season, his 19th from his last 23 outings and Red Bull’s 22nd in that period. The team from Milton Keynes head into Formula One’s summer break unbeaten this season.
Verstappen is riding on a wave of invincibility – a staggering 125 points clear in the championship – and with nine laps remaining here, his supreme confidence was expressed in a message to his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase.
“I could also push on and we do another stop?” he said. “A little bit of pit-stop training?”
“Not this time,” replied Lambiase.
“He has reason to be cheeky because he is just driving circles round everybody else on merit,” was the verdict of Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff following another so-so afternoon for the Silver Arrows.
“The stopwatch never lies and there is one guy in one car above everyone else.”
From sixth to fourth at the end of the first lap, Verstappen dispatched of Hamilton at 210mph on the Kemmel Straight on lap six, and then Leclerc three laps later following a fine move round the outside of the Ferrari pole-sitter at Les Combes.
Then came the first of a series of sharp-edged radio exchanges with Lambiase which would provide some entertainment on a one-sided afternoon in the Ardennes.
Trailing Perez, Verstappen wanted Red Bull to perform a double-stack tyre-stop in order not to lose any time to his team-mate on fresh rubber. But his request was rebuffed by the Red Bull pit wall.
“So don’t forget Max, use your head please,” said Lambiase. “Are we both doing it (stopping) or what?” replied Verstappen.
“You just follow my instruction,” came Lambiase’s response. “No, I want to know both cars do it,” fired back Verstappen.
“Max, please follow my instruction and trust it, thank you,” said Lambiase.
Lambiase was promptly back on the radio to ask Verstappen if he could make his dry rubber last for the next nine minutes with fine drizzle anticipated.
“I can’t see the weather radar,” was Verstappen’s spiky response.
A lap after Perez stopped for tyres, Verstappen came in. He left the pit-lane 2.8 sec adrift of the Mexican but he required only two laps before he was crawling all over the back of his team-mate’s identical machine.
Verstappen tracked Perez through the fearsome Eau Rouge-Raidillon section before he applied DRS and roared round Perez along the Kemmel Straight. By the end of that 17th lap, Verstappen had already established a 1.6 sec gap over his team-mate.
It then began to drizzle, and Verstappen endued a hairy moment through Eau Rouge as the back end of his Red Bull stepped out at 180mph.
“F***, I nearly lost it,” said the championship leader after he regained control.
On lap 29, Perez now trailing Verstappen by nine seconds, stopped for a second time, with Verstappen following in on the same lap and then building on his lead.
Lambiase returned to the airwaves. “You used a lot of the tyre on the out-lap, Max,” he said. “I am not sure if that was sensible.”
Verstappen responded by producing the fastest lap of the race.
Verstappen’s back-and-forth with Lambiase, known as GP, came 48 hours after they squabbled over the radio in qualifying.
But Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said: “GP and Max have been together since the first race that Max stepped into the car. Max is a demanding customer. And you’ve got to be a strong character to deal with that.
“GP is our Jason Statham equivalent, certainly a lookalike, and he deals with him firmly but fairly.
“There’s a great respect between the two of them and that comes out of a mutual trust, which you must have between an engineer and a driver. There’s no counselling required.”
The sport will now head for a four-week shutdown before Verstappen’s home race in the Netherlands on August 27.
Jamaican fans embrace Formula One at Miami Grand Prix viewing event
Jamaican Formula One enthusiasts turned out in force on Sunday at the AC Hotel Conference Room to witness the Miami Grand Prix, with the venue packed to capacity as patrons enjoyed a thrilling race-day experience as Lando Norris took his maiden F1 victory at the Miami International Autodrome, racing from fifth on the grid to finish seven seconds clear of three-time world champion Max Verstappen
The event, organized by Heineken Jamaica, drew a full house of fans who relished drinks and a lavish all-you-can-eat buffet, complemented by exotic Heineken-infused concoctions like "Heineken brewed passion" and "Heineken Brujitos." Prior to the race, attendees engaged in virtual racing on consoles, adding to the excitement and anticipation.
One of the standout attractions was a Ferrari displayed at the venue, owned by Member of Parliament Hugh Graham, which drew admiring looks and photo opportunities from attendees.
Rising young racer Tommi Gore, son of Jamaica's racing icon Doug Gore, was also present, adding a touch of local motorsport flair to the event.
Patrons enjoying the Miami Grand Prix at the AC Hotel Conference Room in Kingston on Sunday.
Amoye Phillpotts-Brown, Brand Manager for Heineken Jamaica, highlighted the motivation behind the activation, emphasizing the aim to bring the electrifying Miami Grand Prix experience directly to Jamaican fans.
"Heineken is a global partner for F1, and this year, we decided to bring the Miami Grand Prix to Jamaicans," explained Phillpotts-Brown. "We wanted to create a high-end, premium event similar to what you'd experience at the race itself. Miami Grand Prix is known for its energy, and we wanted to capture that for our fans here."
Phillpotts-Brown also emphasized the importance of responsible consumption and showcased Heineken's innovative product, Heineken 0.0, catering to those looking for a non-alcoholic option.
Reflecting on the event's success, Phillpotts-Brown noted the overwhelming response from fans: "It's a really good crowd, and we actually had to close out our list due to the high level of interest. Within hours of sending out invitations, we had over 150 sign-ups, highlighting the enthusiasm for Formula One in Jamaica."
Amoye Phillpotts-Brown (left) with Tommi Gore and Hanna Turner Junior Brand Manager at Heineken.
Looking ahead, Phillpotts-Brown expressed intentions to continue fostering interest in Formula One through similar events, with plans to potentially activate around the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix in June.
The Miami Grand Prix viewing event exemplified the growing passion and excitement for Formula One racing among Jamaican fans, fueled by immersive experiences crafted by Heineken Jamaica.
Hamilton delighted to see McLaren back on top as Norris claims maiden F1 win
Lewis Hamilton was delighted to see his former team McLaren back on top as Lando Norris claimed his first Formula One victory at the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday.
Norris raced from fifth on the grid to beat Max Verstappen by seven seconds at the Miami International Autodrome, becoming just the second driver – after Ferrari's Carlos Sainz – to overcome the three-time world champion this year.
Norris' victory made him the 21st British driver to win an F1 race but the first since George Russell took the honours at the 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix, while Russell's Mercedes team-mate Hamilton has not recorded a victory since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Hamilton won the first of his seven drivers' championships with McLaren in 2008, and he is pleased to see his former team challenging the dominance of Red Bull.
"I'm really happy for Lando," Hamilton told Sky Sports after the race. "I just told him he needs to stay tonight, he's got to change his flight home – he just won a race!
"It's a special moment to win your first Grand Prix. I started at McLaren and I'm really happy to see them back at the top. It's been a long time."
McLaren are third in the constructors' championship standings with 124 points through six races of the season, 63 behind Ferrari in second and 60 clear of fourth-placed Mercedes.
A gap of over 18 seconds separated the two Silver Arrows on Sunday as Russell finished eighth, two places behind Hamilton, and he was at a loss to explain his lack of pace.
"I don't think it caught us off guard. I just had no pace at all. It was just a lot worse than expected," Russell said.
"My race pace has been pretty strong this year but compared to Lewis I was nowhere. We need to check and see what happened and go from there.
"We lost even more points but as I said yesterday, we know where we are as a team. We're a long way from where we want to be."
Verstappen says Norris is destined for more wins following Miami triumph
Max Verstappen believes Lando Norris' victory at the Miami Grand Prix will not be his last in Formula One, having been unable to match the McLaren star's pace in Florida.
Norris took his maiden F1 victory at the Miami International Autodrome, racing from fifth on the grid to finish seven seconds clear of three-time world champion Verstappen.
Verstappen started on pole but struggled to match Norris' pace on the hard tyres as he failed to win a race for just the second time this season.
The Red Bull driver has four victories in six outings in 2024, having retired at the Australian Grand Prix in March as Ferrari's Carlos Sainz took the spoils.
Speaking after Sunday's race, Verstappen said: "You win, you lose. We're all used to that in racing, right? Today was a bit tricky.
"I think already on the medium tyres it didn't feel fantastic, we were pulling away but not like it should be. Then once we made a pit stop I heard the lap times McLaren were doing and I was like, 'Well, that's pretty quick!'
"Once they also switched onto the hard tyre, they just had more pace, especially Lando – he was flying. It was incredibly difficult for us on that stint, but if a bad day is P2 I'll take it.
"I'm very happy for Lando, it's been a long time coming and it's not going to be his last one, so he definitely deserves it today."
Some have suggested McLaren may be the most likely team to challenge Red Bull's dominance this year, having arrived in Miami with a raft of upgrades to their MCL38 car.
Asked whether Sunday's race was a true representation of McLaren's pace, Verstappen said: "I hope not!
"They came with an upgrade, for sure it looks like it works so we have a bit of work to do from our side.
"I think it definitely wasn't our strongest weekend in terms of race pace, but we'll analyse it all and try to come back stronger."
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