Ferrari locks up front row for inaugural Miami Grand Prix

May 7, 2022, 2:49 AM | Updated: 3:02 pm

From left, second place Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz of Spain, pole position starter Ferrari driver ...

From left, second place Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz of Spain, pole position starter Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco and third place Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands pose for a photo following qualifying for the Formula One Miami Grand Prix auto race at the Miami International Autodrome, Saturday, May 7, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)


              Red Bull Racing principal Christian Horner speaks with Red Bull driver Sergio Perez of Mexico following the third practice session for the Formula One Miami Grand Prix auto race at the Miami International Autodrome, Saturday, May 7, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
            
              Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands races during qualifying for the Formula One Miami Grand Prix auto race at the Miami International Autodrome, Saturday, May 7, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
            
              Red Bull driver Sergio Perez of Mexico races during qualifying for the Formula One Miami Grand Prix auto race at the Miami International Autodrome, Saturday, May 7, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
            
              Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz of Spain races during qualifying for the Formula One Miami Grand Prix auto race at the Miami International Autodrome, Saturday, May 7, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
            
              Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco gives a thumbs up after finishing in pole position during qualifying for the Formula One Miami Grand Prix auto race at the Miami International Autodrome, Saturday, May 7, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
            
              Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco speaks with Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands following qualifying for the Formula One Miami Grand Prix auto race at the Miami International Autodrome, Saturday, May 7, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Leclerc will start in pole position in tomorrow's F1 race and Verstappen in the third. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
            
              Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco salutes spectators after getting pole position during qualifying for the Formula One Miami Grand Prix auto race at the Miami International Autodrome, Saturday, May 7, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
            
              From left, second place Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz of Spain, pole position starter Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco and third place Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands pose for a photo following qualifying for the Formula One Miami Grand Prix auto race at the Miami International Autodrome, Saturday, May 7, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Ferrari stormed to the front of the grid for the inaugural Miami Grand Prix as Formula One championship leader Charles Leclerc and teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. locked up the front row in Saturday qualifying.

It’s the first time Ferrari will lead the field to green in the United States since Michael Schumacher won the pole at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2006. It’s the first front row this season for Sainz, who has been outqualified by Leclerc in all five sessions.

Leclerc has won three poles this year headed into Sunday, the first F1 race at the purpose-built circuit around Hard Rock Stadium. The race marks the first of two this year in the U.S. — which has not hosted two F1 races in the same year since 1984.

Leclerc turned to the roaring crowd and waved while being interviewed by Danica Patrick, the retired IndyCar and NASCAR driver.

“The fans are crazy. It’s incredible to be here in the U.S. and see how much the support has grown over the last few years,” Leclerc said. “I’ve seen so many people in the grandstands. It definitely motivates us.”

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen led the final qualifying segment until the Dutchman made a rare error and both Ferrari’s surged ahead of him in the final seconds. He’ll start third on Sunday; Leclerc and Verstappen have split the first four races, two wins apiece.

“It’s quite slippery outside of the normal racing line, but we’ll see. A lot of things can happen,” Verstappen said.

Sergio Perez was fourth as Red Bull locked out the second row. Earlier Saturday, Red Bull principal Christian Horner denied a rumor the team plans to sign Fernando Alonso for 2023 and said talks on an extension for Perez would begin during F1’s summer break.

“Checo’s doing a great job. He’s driving at a very high level. He’s more comfortable in the team this year,” Horner said. “We’re happy with the job he’s doing. However, we’ve only seen a sample of four races so it’s still early in the year.”

Valtteri Bottas qualified fifth, one spot ahead of former Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton. Bottas was replaced this year at Mercedes by George Russell, leading to speculation at Imola two weeks ago that Bottas holds a grudge based on his late-race battle with Russell for position.

“No, it’s points, were chasing points and always just really trying to maximize every opportunity, every position you can make,” Bottas said. “The target was more points rather than a person.”

Hamilton qualified sixth in a small improvement for Mercedes, which has struggled since the debut of its new car. He outqualified Russell, who was fastest in Friday’s second practice but failed to advance out of the second round and was 12th.

“I just don’t think I have the confidence in the car today,” Russell radioed his Mercedes team.

Hamilton, meanwhile, had both former First Lady Michelle Obama and director George Lucas watching from his pit. Hamilton had an eventful opening to the weekend when he arrived at the venue Friday wearing all the jewelry he could fit in protest of the FIA’s new crackdown on wearing bling while competing.

Hamilton said he has piercings he can’t remove and was willing to sign a liability waiver. The FIA, the governing body of F1, claims the jewelry is a safety hazard. On Saturday, it amended the ban to include wristwatches.

“It is clear that regulations are here to protect the drivers; on the other side, we need to keep the possibility on diversity and the means of expression and expressing yourself,” said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. “And we know that this is important for Lewis, so without going into detail where the piercing stayed… I’m sure they will come to a good resolution.”

It’s been a disappointing weekend for Haas F1, the team owned by California businessman Gene Haas, who also owns a NASCAR team with Tony Stewart. The team has been much improved at the start of this season from last year, when Haas was worst on the grid and failed to score a single point all year.

But in qualifying Kevin Magnussen, who has 15 points through the first four races, failed to advance out of the first round. Mick Schumacher did advance into the second round but only qualified 15th, one spot ahead of Magnussen, and the “American F1 team” will have a long Sunday drive to impress an expected 85,000 spectators.

At least half of the IndyCar paddock is in Miami for the event and that includes Michael Andretti and his father, 1978 F1 champion Mario Andretti. Michael Andretti failed last year to buy an existing F1 team and has since applied for expansion to start a new two-car team.

He hasn’t received any word back from the FIA or Liberty Media, the American company that owns F1. Andretti wants to bring Colton Herta, a 22-year-old IndyCar driver from California, to F1 but Herta has been signed to a testing contract by McLaren as Andretti awaits his fate.

The paddock did not sound eager to welcome two new cars to the grid anytime soon, as Wolff said Saturday he was against diluting the purse and other team principals stressed expansion must only be done if the team plans a legitimate effort.

___

More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Associated Press

Ex-Packer Guion gets 1 year for domestic violence assault

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest in a domestic violence assault at his home last fall. Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh also ordered Guion on Tuesday to serve three years’ probation and complete a domestic […]

3 months ago

Joe Jarzynka...

Associated Press

Durant eager for Suns debut vs. Hornets after knee injury

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant has been through quite a bit during his 15-year NBA career — but joining a new team midway through the season is a new one for the 13-time All-Star. The 34-year-old Durant doesn’t seem all that worried. Durant makes his highly anticipated Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night against […]

3 months ago

FILE - Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores stands on the sideline during the second half of an N...

Associated Press

Judge: NFL coach can press discrimination claims in court

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Coach Brian Flores can pursue some of his discrimination claims against the league and its teams in court rather than through arbitration, a judge ruled Wednesday. The written decision by Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan was issued months after lawyers for the league tried to get the lawsuit moved to […]

3 months ago

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock cools off in the first period during an NHL hockey game ...

Associated Press

Kane trade reinforces hard reality of Blackhawks rebuild

CHICAGO (AP) — After days of speculation, the harsh reality of the Chicago Blackhawks’ situation was reinforced by one move in a flurry of transactions ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Showtime is over, at least in Chicago, and a seemingly bright future is, well, way off in the distance. The reverberations of Chicago’s decision […]

3 months ago

FILE -  Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, wearing a protective face mas...

Associated Press

Disgraced ex-Haitian soccer president announces he’s back

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s former soccer federation president whose lifetime ban from sport over sexual abuse allegations was overturned last month announced Wednesday that he is reclaiming his position. Yves Jean-Bart’s defiant announcement could lead to a standoff with FIFA, which already has appointed an emergency management committee to lead the Haitian Football Association […]

3 months ago

FILE - Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after an NFL football game against the ...

Associated Press

Rodgers says decision on future will come ‘soon enough’

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says he will make a decision on his future “soon enough” as the four-time MVP quarterback ponders whether to play next season and if his future remains with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers, 39, discussed his future while speaking on an episode of the “Aubrey Marcus Podcast” that […]

3 months ago

Ferrari locks up front row for inaugural Miami Grand Prix