Formula One has taken up residence in Miami this weekend but its offering to the USA fans has been less than top drawer now half way through the weekend. The TV coverage of on track action is controlled by F1 and the director for the Sprint race was clearly out of sorts.

The first pass after the frenetic first lap was made by Daniel Ricciardo but the viewers were not privilege to watch this live as the TV director showed cars in line at the back of the field. As the 19 laps of the Miami Autodrome progressed, more crucial action was missed despite the battles at the centre of attention continuing lap after lap.

 

 

 

Stewards busy at F1 Miami Sprint

Next up for ‘below par’ analysis are the F1 stewards who refused to investigate the first corner incident which saw Lando Norris taken out and forced to retire. Lewis Hamilton charged up the inside into turn one and was out of control as he approached the apex. Hamilton then bounced off the kerb into an Aston Martin with the result that Lando Norris on the outside having left plenty of room was hit by Lance Stroll following the Hamilton move and that was the end of the Sprint for the McLaren man.

Sky F1 commentators attributed the fault to the seven times world champion and questioned the stewards interpretation of the first lap leeway often given for incidents when the cars  are chaotically getting away from the line.

Next in the stewards gaze was Kevin Magnussen who was battling to keep Lewis Hamilton behind him for the final points paying position. The Dane missed the apex of the corner prior to the chicane which then meant he was forced to cut the corner something Hamilton pointed out on team radio.

Magnussen was given a punitive 10 second penalty – effectively ending his race – and the Haas F1 driver then attempted a repeat of his race in Jeddah, where he slowed the pack behind him down to give his team mate up ahead an advantageous gap.

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Magnussen racks up the penalties

The Hamilton/Magnussen duel was one of the highlights of the race as for lap after lap they battled right up to the walls around the temporary circuit. Hamilton looked to have overtaken the Danish driver only for him to retake the Mercedes car but was ruled to be off the track.

Another ten seconds penalty was thrown at Kevin, who ow was clearly driving slowly through the corners and then hurtling as fast as possible along the straight.

At the chequered flag, Hamilton had claimed the final points position but soon after the chequered flag came the news he was being investigated for speeding in the pit lane. Given the Sprint is a race without pit stops, the irony of the penalty was plain for all to see.

The F1 stewards awarded Hamilton a post race “drive through” penalty which equates to a twenty second time penalty added to his race time. This relegated Lewis from P8 down to P16 and meant Mercedes as a team failed to score a single point.

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Alonso rounds on Lewis Hamilton

Fernando Alonso was I no doubt who was the culprit for the first corner carnage and the resulting safety car. The Spaniard suffered a puncture in the incident and was forced to pit leaving him plumb last on the track. He described Lewis as “a bull” over team radio and said the seven times world champion was “out of control.”

“I think he ruined the race for a few people, especially Norris, who had a very fast car and he was out in that incident,” Alonso complained in the media pen after the Sprint.

Fernando has been on the receiving end of a number of dubious F1 steward penalties in recent races explained why patience was required at the start of a race.

“I was behind Ocon, I could maybe take a risk and overtake him, but logically I don’t take the risk to avoid being penalised,” he said. “I tried to complete the race, which is 19 laps, and go back to the team to talk about the changes.”

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Fernando ‘no interest in the Sprints’

Alonso sarcastically added he felt the stewards were not being even handed. “Maybe today I didn’t get penalised, but I always get penalised,” he said. 

As for Hamilton not getting a penalty, he said: “We’ll see what they decide. I guess they won’t decide anything, because he’s not Spanish.”

The criticism levied at the F1  Sprint race format is that there’s not enough reward with reduced points and two less points paying places, something Fernando alludes to in his concluding remarks.

“We didn’t have any interest in the sprint race,” said Alonso. “We were just going to check degradation and things for tomorrow. and at the end we managed it. For us it’s a free practice, it’s not really a race.”

Is if to add insult to injury, Hamilton after his speeding penalty was relegated to P16, one place ahead of Fernando Alonso.

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F1 slammed as “elitest” with extortionate Miami food price

Formula One returned to the grounds of the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami for its third visit since the inaugural event held in 2022. In year one, tickets were restricted so as to deliver a ‘soft launch’ to ensure the logistics were all properly in place.

The race sold out in just thirty minutes, with F1 fans complaining over the sky high prices. This year’s event saw ticket prices rise again, with the cheapest three day admission with no seating costing $359. General admission for Sunday alone was $240 and to sit close to the start finish line is $500 a head for race day only…. READ MORE