Charles Leclerc on pole ahead of Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen with Lewis Hamilton sixth and George Russell only 12th for Mercedes; Watch inaugural Miami GP live on Sky Sports F1 tonight at 8.30pm, with build-up from 7pm
Sunday 8 May 2022 18:53, UK
Charles Leclerc has a huge chance to extend his championship lead over Max Verstappen as he lines up on pole for Sunday night's Miami GP, the star-studded new race that is set to provide another 2022 thriller amid a boom in Formula 1 popularity and excitement in the United States.
Lewis Hamilton meanwhile insists he has done a "damn good job" to qualify sixth for the maiden Miami event given Mercedes' continued struggles.
The Miami GP is live on Sky Sports F1 at 8.30pm, with build-up from 7pm, and the season and the title race could well take another twist as the sport hits an unforgiving street track specially built for fine racing.
Leclerc will start on pole ahead of Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz for the race, with Max Verstappen only third after a costly error robbed him of momentum following his victory in Round Four. Leclerc, on the other hand, couldn't have asked for a better opportunity to build on a 27-point lead as he chases his first world championship.
"Carlos is very competitive too so hopefully we can have both of us in front of the Red Bull," Leclerc told Sky Sports F1, with Ferrari also leading the constructors' standings after a superb start to the season,
"Let's see if our performance is enough."
Leclerc and Verstappen's title rivalry - which has already produced incredible wheel-to-wheel racing and skill - is poised to dominate the F1 2022 campaign and it also headlines F1's latest race in America, much to the delight of a bumper Miami crowd who have generated a wild atmosphere through the weekend.
There is a feeling that F1 - with two and soon to be three races Stateside - has finally cracked the USA, and as well as a huge fan presence there will also be several A-list celebrities in attendance.
David Beckham, LeBron James and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson are just a few of the stars that will be watching on from a track that, surrounding the Miami Dolphins' Hard Rock Stadium, aptly has a Super Bowl feel.
"We don't know about race pace, especially with Max because he didn't run in P2, but with more laps I am sure he will only be more competitive," added Leclerc.
"It is going to be tight, but it is great to have Carlos by my side."
Despite not being in contention at the front, Mercedes will once again be a major talking point for the race after a topsy-turvy weekend. Mercedes started the Miami GP by hinting they were back, topping Friday practice, but Saturday experiments with downforce led them back to where they have been for much of the season, fighting in the midfield.
Hamilton qualified sixth and George Russell only 12th.
With their porpoising issues seemingly returning it could be a tough race for Mercedes, and Russell admitted the "flip-flopping of performance" meant a prediction was impossible. Hamilton, however, should be able to score strong points and, after a couple of tricky weekends, is proud of his work so far.
"I am generally really happy with the job I did," Hamilton said after qualifying. "I did the best I could with the car that I have. It's a very hard car to drive."
Hamilton added that a French reporter had told him he was "not performing so well". He responded to media in Miami: "I did a damn good job today and I'm happy with it."
There is also an undercurrent of discontent heading into the race, specifically from drivers who have crashed over the weekend and feel F1's governing body the FIA are not listening to their safety concerns.
Sainz and Alpine's Esteban Ocon, who both crashed heavily into the Turn 14 wall during practice in Miami - with Ocon missing qualifying altogether because of it - and argued that a Tecpro barrier should have been erected to soften the blow of the impact against concrete.
"I am sorry to be critical but I told the FIA yesterday that my crash in second gear should not feel that hard but today my neck was in pain a bit," said Sainz.
"I told them 'let's put Tecpro there' because it's a very hard concrete wall. I'm pretty sure Esteban felt it too.
"It's one of those things that I will never understand."
Sainz said he had brought the matter up in Friday's drivers' briefing but nothing had changed.
Ocon's crash cracked his car's chassis and meant he could not take part in qualifying.
The Frenchman said it had been a 51G impact and painful, although he was cleared to race.
"The impact has been so hard in comparison to what it should have been. We've discussed it with Carlos yesterday, with the race directors, to say that we should probably put a Tecpro barrier there and it hasn't been listened to," he added.
"That is not acceptable, and the FIA should push harder for our safety."
There was no immediate comment from the governing body.
