McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo put in a stunning performance to qualify fourth for the inaugural Miami Grand Prix sprint race, just behind the top three of Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, and Carlos Sainz.
Ricciardo, who has struggled for much of the season so far, looked revitalized under the lights of the Miami International Autodrome as he set the fourth-fastest time in Q3, just 0.176s off Leclerc’s pole position lap.
It was a remarkable turnaround for the Australian, who had been 14th fastest in Friday’s practice sessions. He had also struggled in the early stages of qualifying, but he found something extra when it mattered most, putting together a great lap to secure a spot on the second row of the grid for Saturday’s sprint race.
Ricciardo was delighted with his performance, saying: I’m really happy with that. It’s been a tough weekend so far, but we made some changes to the car and it really came alive in qualifying. I’m feeling confident for the sprint race and I’m hoping to score some good points for the team.
McLaren team boss Andreas Seidl echoed Ricciardo’s positive sentiments, saying: It was a great performance by Daniel today. He’s been working hard all weekend and it’s great to see him rewarded with a strong qualifying result. We’re hoping for a good result in the sprint race and we’re confident that Daniel can challenge for a podium finish.
If Ricciardo can maintain his form in the sprint race, he will be in a good position to challenge for a top-five finish in Sunday’s main race. It would be a much-needed boost for the Australian, who has had a difficult start to the season.
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
- Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren)
- George Russell (Mercedes)
- Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
- Lando Norris (McLaren)
- Fernando Alonso (Alpine)
- Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
- Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
Kind regards,
E. Thompson
