Race recap: Charles seventh, Lewis eighth

It’s time for the Miami International Autodrome to host the sixth Grand Prix of the season. After rain unexpectedly arrived for yesterday’s Sprint race, today it is unexpectedly dry for the race start. Air temperature is 26 degrees, the track is at 40 and there are clouds in the sky. Charles Leclerc lined up eighth on the grid on Medium tyres, while his Scuderia Ferrari HP team-mate Lewis Hamilton is in twelfth place on Hards. 

Start. Charles maintains his position, as does Lewis, but a Virtual Safety Car is called almost immediately because of debris on track following a turn 1 collision between Jack Doohan and Liam Lawson.

Lap 3. Hamilton passes Isack Hadjar for eleventh.

Lap 22. Lewis passes Esteban Ocon for tenth.

Lap 25. Kimi Antonelli and Carlos Sainz pit. Charles and Lewis are now sixth and eighth.

Lap 26. Now Max Verstappen and Alex Albon pit. Ferrari are fourth and sixth but the Dutchman passes Hamilton who claims sixth once more when Yuki Tsunoda pits.

Lap 27. Oliver Bearman has a problem: Virtual Safety Car. Hamilton chooses the moment to pit and rejoins twelfth. 

Lap 28. Several drivers pit, including Charles. The Monegasque rejoins seventh, with Lewis tenth.

Lap 30. Sainz passes Leclerc who drops to eighth.

Lap 33. Gabriel Bortoleto stops with a problem. Another Virtual Safety Car.

Lap 34. As the VSC ends, Charles sets off in pursuit of Sainz and passes him, which allows Lewis to also slip by the Spaniard. The Ferraris are seventh and eighth.

Lap 40. Leclerc and Hamilton swap positions

Lap 53. They swap back. Leclerc is now ahead of Hamilton.

Finish. There are no more changes, Charles is seventh, Lewis is eighth at the end of what was a very difficult race.