F1 in Miami: That's what it looks like when an upgrade works

Antonelli got a much better start than the sprint but was the man on the outside as he, Leclerc, and Verstappen went into the first corner, and he ran wide and resumed third. The two McLarens were next, then Russell and Hamilton’s Ferrari, which was damaged in a tussle with Franco Colapinto’s Alpine. The midfield team has also made clear progress and may well trouble the top four a lot more this year. Lap six was eventful. Hadjar misjudged the apex at turn 13 and destroyed his front left suspension. At about the same time, the other Alpine of Pierre Gasly diced with the Racing Bulls of Liam Lawson before they made contact, rolling Gasly and depositing him partially on the tire barrier at turn 17. Norris got past Antonelli before the safety car came out, then a lap later took the lead from Leclerc. Antonelli also passed the Ferrari quickly, and by lap 22, Leclerc’s race was looking pretty mediocre, stuck behind Russell after both had made relatively early pit stops for the mandatory tire change. Verstappen was on a different trajectory. After falling to ninth with his spin, he stopped for hard tires and was maneuvering his way back up the running order. As the leaders stopped, they rejoined on track just behind his Red Bull, Antonelli beating Norris to be the one in the middle. …