2024 Miami Grand Prix: Full Weekend Report & Highlights

Round six of the 2024 F1 season continued for the first race in the US at the Miami International Autodrome for the officially titled Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix 2024.

Ben

By Ben Bush
Updated on October 10, 2024

Reviewed and checked by Lee Parker

Lando Norris Mclaren No 4 Wins 2024 Miami Grand Prix
Lando Norris celebrates with his Mclaren crew after winning the 2024 Miami Grand Prix, his first F1 win.

The 2024 Formula 1 season marched on to round six crossing the Atlantic to the US. The three days held another Sprint weekend, this time at the Miami Grand Prix, marking the debut of this format in the city. Following the thrilling wet Sprint in China, the anticipation was high for yet another exciting weekend of racing, kicking off the trio of races scheduled in the United States for 2024.

Race Guide

Date: 3rd May 2024 – 5th May 2024
Circuit:
Miami International Autodrome
Laps: 57
Circuit length: 5.412km
Previous Winner: Max Verstappen (2023)

At the Miami International Autodrome, the Sprint format would add a fresh twist to the Miami weekend action for the first time, with a venue that nestles the paddock inside the grounds of the Miami Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium, instead of the norm of behind the pitlane.

For the second out of six Sprint weekends in 2024, teams and drivers faced the challenge of maximising their performance with just a single 60-minute free practice session (FP1) on Friday at midday before adjusting to a competitive mindset on Friday late afternoon for Sprint Qualifying. The action-packed weekend unfolded with the 100-kilometre Sprint race on Saturday, followed by full Qualifying later in the day, setting the stage for the main event—the Grand Prix—on Sunday.

Weekend schedule
DateSessionLocal Time
3 May 2024Free Practice 1 (FP1)12.30 pm local time
3 May 2024Sprint Qualifying4.30 pm local time
4 May 2024Sprint Race12:00 pm local time
4 May 2024Qualifying4:00 pm local time
5 May 2024Race4:00 pm local time

During Friday’s Sprint qualifying, at first glance, Red Bull’s pole position seemed like business as usual, with Max Verstappen securing P1 for the Sprint Race. Yet, McLaren surprised everyone, including themselves, by closing the gap. The papaya cars demonstrating impressive speed on the Medium tyres, suggesting that the reigning world champions might face tougher competition during the weekend. Despite a slightly shaky start in SQ1 and SQ2, Red Bull rallied when it counted. Verstappen delivered pole position in the final part of the session ahead of Charles Leclerc in second and Max’s teammate Sergio Perez in third.

On Saturday, Max Verstappen emerged victorious in an intense Sprint race, withstanding pressure from Charles Leclerc. Verstappen, starting from pole position, faced an early challenge from Leclerc but managed to maintain his lead. The race saw a Safety Car intervention due to an incident involving Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, and Lance Stroll in the first corner. Sergio Perez secured third place after an early battle with Daniel Ricciardo, who achieved his strongest result of the season so far, finishing fourth.

After securing pole on Saturday, Max Verstappen started the race on the front row with Charles Leclerc. Carlos Sainz lined up in third with Sergio Perez in fourth on the second row. However, the race wouldn’t go Verstappen’s way for the second time in 2024 with Lando Norris in the McLaren, who started in sixth, catapulting himself into the ranks of F1 winners with a remarkable first win in Formula 1. Verstappen settled for second place, struggling with his performance throughout the race, while Charles Leclerc claimed third, leading his Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz in fourth, who had a late collision with Oscar Piastri. Piastri fell back to 13th by the race end after needing a new front wing, and the stewards penalised Sainz with a five-second time penalty for his role in the collision, which demoted him to fifth, and Perez lifted to fourth.

Championship background

Max Verstappen was aiming to continue his pursuit of a fourth consecutive drivers’ title following dominant wins in Japan and China, and with second place in China, Lando Norris was looking to capitalise on his season-best finish, with his chances potentially enhanced by new upgrades to his McLaren.

After a disappointing weekend in China, where they failed to secure a podium for the first time in 2024, Ferrari was looking to rebound. Similarly, Mercedes hoped to boost their performance with new upgrades for the W15.

Away from the track, Thursday’s media day was eventful following the news of legendary designer Adrian Newey’s departure from Red Bull and the confirmation of Nico Hulkenberg’s move from Haas to Sauber for the 2025 season on a multi-year deal that would see him there as the team transitioned to the Audi works team in 2026.

Race entries

As it was in round five at the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix there were no reserve drivers or upcoming talent taking part in free practice. That meant every driver from the start of the season made an appearance in FP1, Sprint Qualifying, the Sprint Race, Qualifying and the Race.

Tyre choices

Pirelli, the official F1 tyre supplier, chose its midrange compounds for this race: C2 as the hard option, C3 as medium, and C4 as soft. These tyres would navigate the 5.412-kilometre circuit surrounding the Hard Rock Stadium and were the same selection used in the previous round at Shanghai.

With the return of the Sprint format, the usual dry tyre allocation decreased from 13 sets to 12, comprising two sets of C2 hards, four sets of C3 mediums, and six sets of C4 softs. The allocation for wet-weather tyres remained unchanged with five sets of intermediates and two sets of wets.

Pirelli also predicted that the Miami Grand Prix would involve a one-stop strategy, with teams favouring the hard and medium compounds as their primary choices.

FIND OUT MORE

Free Practice

Similar to the previous Sprint weekend in China, the Miami International Autodrome provided just 60 minutes of track time for drivers and teams to get familiar with the 5.412-kilometre circuit ahead of Sprint Qualifying.

Max Verstappen delivered a crucial late lap to lead the pack for Red Bull, just edging out McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in the only practice session ahead of the competitive sessions during Formula 1’s first consecutive Sprint weekend.

The season’s in-form Dutchman secured P1 with a time of 1:28.595 on soft tyres in the closing moments of the session. For the first time in 2024, the competition was tight, with McLaren’s Piastri and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz finishing just a little over a tenth of a second behind Verstappen in second and third places, respectively.

Full Free Practice Reports

Free Practice 1 Classification

FP1 was held on 3 May 2024, 12:30 pm local time.

PosNoDriverCarTimeGapLaps
11Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing Honda RBPT1:28.59525
281Oscar PiastriMcLaren Mercedes1:28.700+0.105s24
355Carlos SainzFerrari1:28.711+0.116s24
463George RussellMercedes1:28.784+0.189s26
518Lance StrollAston Martin Aramco Mercedes1:28.817+0.222s25
611Sergio PerezRed Bull Racing Honda RBPT1:28.868+0.273s23
744Lewis HamiltonMercedes1:29.012+0.417s24
822Yuki TsunodaRB Honda RBPT1:29.056+0.461s25
931Esteban OconAlpine Renault1:29.163+0.568s23
1010Pierre GaslyAlpine Renault1:29.175+0.580s27
113Daniel RicciardoRB Honda RBPT1:29.178+0.583s27
1220Kevin MagnussenHaas Ferrari1:29.189+0.594s26
1327Nico HulkenbergHaas Ferrari1:29.314+0.719s25
1423Alexander AlbonWilliams Mercedes1:29.393+0.798s24
1524Zhou GuanyuKick Sauber Ferrari1:29.445+0.850s24
164Lando NorrisMcLaren Mercedes1:29.495+0.900s21
1777Valtteri BottasKick Sauber Ferrari1:29.636+1.041s23
182Logan SargeantWilliams Mercedes1:29.891+1.296s23
1914Fernando AlonsoAston Martin Aramco Mercedes1:30.023+1.428s22
2016Charles LeclercFerrari1:32.099+3.504s3

Sprint Qualifying

Max Verstappen clinched P1 at the second Sprint Qualifying of the 2024 season, while Charles Leclerc secured second with a strong performance. Sergio Perez, in third, joined Daniel Ricciardo in fourth, who pulled out a remarkable performance in the RB for a second-row start.

Carlos Sainz finished fifth, followed by Oscar Piastri in sixth, leading the Aston Martin duo of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso. Lando Norris and Nico Hulkenberg completed the top 10.

Sprint Qualifying Report

Sprint Qualifying Classification

Sprint Qualifying was held on 3 May 2024, 4:30 pm local time.

PosNoDriverCarQ1Q2Q3Laps
11Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing Honda RBPT1:28.1941:28.0011:27.64112
216Charles LeclercFerrari1:28.5371:27.9771:27.74917
311Sergio PerezRed Bull Racing Honda RBPT1:28.6811:27.8651:27.87611
43Daniel RicciardoRB Honda RBPT1:28.7001:28.1221:28.04414
555Carlos SainzFerrari1:28.4351:28.2621:28.10316
681Oscar PiastriMcLaren Mercedes1:28.0561:28.1631:28.16116
718Lance StrollAston Martin Aramco Mercedes1:28.8071:28.3231:28.37515
814Fernando AlonsoAston Martin Aramco Mercedes1:28.1921:28.1891:28.41914
94Lando NorrisMcLaren Mercedes1:27.9391:27.5971:28.47212
1027Nico HulkenbergHaas Ferrari1:29.0401:28.3301:28.47615
1163George RussellMercedes1:28.3871:28.34312
1244Lewis HamiltonMercedes1:28.7361:28.37112
1331Esteban OconAlpine Renault1:28.8731:28.37912
1420Kevin MagnussenHaas Ferrari1:28.3771:28.61412
1522Yuki TsunodaRB Honda RBPT1:28.687DNF9
1610Pierre GaslyAlpine Renault1:29.1856
1724Zhou GuanyuKick Sauber Ferrari1:29.2676
1877Valtteri BottasKick Sauber Ferrari1:29.3607
192Logan SargeantWilliams Mercedes1:29.5516
2023Alexander AlbonWilliams Mercedes1:29.8586

Sprint Race

During Saturday’s Sprint race at the 2024 Miami Grand Prix, Max Verstappen capitalised on pole position to secure victory, leading Ferrari rival Charles Leclerc and Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez across the finish line in an eventful race.

Verstappen defended his lead from the start and navigated through an early Safety Car period before establishing a comfortable lead at the front. Meanwhile, Leclerc settled for second place, while Perez battled past fast starter Daniel Ricciardo in the RB to claim third.

Sprint Race Report

Sprint Race Classification

The Sprint Race was held on 4 May 2024, 12:00 pm local time.

PosNoDriverCarLapsTime/RetiredPTS
11Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing Honda RBPT1931:31.3838
216Charles LeclercFerrari19+3.371s7
311Sergio PerezRed Bull Racing Honda RBPT19+5.095s6
43Daniel RicciardoRB Honda RBPT19+14.971s5
555Carlos SainzFerrari19+15.222s4
681Oscar PiastriMcLaren Mercedes19+15.750s3
727Nico HulkenbergHaas Ferrari19+22.054s2
822Yuki TsunodaRB Honda RBPT19+29.816s1
910Pierre GaslyAlpine Renault19+31.880s0
102Logan SargeantWilliams Mercedes19+34.355s0
1124Zhou GuanyuKick Sauber Ferrari19+35.078s0
1263George RussellMercedes19+35.755s0
1323Alexander AlbonWilliams Mercedes19+36.086s0
1477Valtteri BottasKick Sauber Ferrari19+36.892s0
1531Esteban OconAlpine Renault19+37.740s0
1644Lewis Hamilton1Mercedes19+49.347s0
1714Fernando AlonsoAston Martin Aramco Mercedes19+59.409s0
1820Kevin Magnussen2Haas Ferrari19+66.303s0
NC18Lance StrollAston Martin Aramco Mercedes1+0 lap0
NC4Lando NorrisMcLaren Mercedes0+0 lap0
1Hamilton incurred a 20-second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane.
2Magnussen was penalised with three 10-second time penalties for leaving the track and gaining an advantage and an additional five-second penalty for exceeding track limits.

Qualifying

Max Verstappen secured his seventh consecutive pole position at the Miami Grand Prix, clinching P1 on the grid despite failing to improve on his final flying lap. The Dutchman initially claimed pole during the first run of Q3 with a time of 1m 27.241s, a position he maintained until the end. Charles Leclerc started alongside Verstappen on the front row, with his Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz close behind in third.

Full Qualifying Report

Qualifying Classification

Qualifying was held on 4 May 2024, 4:00 pm local time.

PosNoDriverCarQ1Q2Q3Laps
11Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing Honda RBPT1:27.6891:27.5661:27.24118
216Charles LeclercFerrari1:28.0811:27.5331:27.38221
355Carlos SainzFerrari1:27.9371:27.9411:27.45521
411Sergio PerezRed Bull Racing Honda RBPT1:27.7721:27.8391:27.46018
54Lando NorrisMcLaren Mercedes1:27.9131:27.8711:27.59421
681Oscar PiastriMcLaren Mercedes1:28.0321:27.7211:27.67519
763George RussellMercedes1:28.1591:28.0951:28.06721
844Lewis HamiltonMercedes1:28.1671:27.6971:28.10721
927Nico HulkenbergHaas Ferrari1:28.3831:28.2001:28.14621
1022Yuki TsunodaRB Honda RBPT1:28.3241:28.1671:28.19221
1118Lance StrollAston Martin Aramco Mercedes1:28.1771:28.22215
1210Pierre GaslyAlpine Renault1:27.9761:28.32415
1331Esteban OconAlpine Renault1:28.2091:28.37115
1423Alexander AlbonWilliams Mercedes1:28.3431:28.41315
1514Fernando AlonsoAston Martin Aramco Mercedes1:28.4531:28.42715
1677Valtteri BottasKick Sauber Ferrari1:28.4636
172Logan SargeantWilliams Mercedes1:28.4878
183Daniel RicciardoRB Honda RBPT1:28.6179
1920Kevin MagnussenHaas Ferrari1:28.6199
2024Zhou GuanyuKick Sauber Ferrari1:28.8249

What happened in the 2024 Miami Grand Prix?

Following a thrilling double-header of Sprint racing and Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday, which saw reigning champion Verstappen dominate, all eyes turned to Sunday’s main event: 57 laps around the Miami International Autodrome.

Only one alteration was made to the starting lineup after the grid-deciding session. Ricciardo slipped from 18th to 20th due to a three-place penalty incurred at the previous race in China for breaching Safety Car regulations.

As the field lined up on the grid and the tyre blankets were removed, it became clear that most drivers would start on the medium compound. However, Hamilton, Alonso, Magnussen, and Ricciardo opted for hards, while Bottas chose softs, anticipating a one-stop race according to Pirelli’s expectations.

Pole-sitter Verstappen successfully defended his lead off the line for the second time during the weekend. He managed to stay ahead of the battling Ferraris of Leclerc and Sainz, who had to take evasive action when Perez dramatically locked up and darted into the first corner.

Perez’s error, coupled with the close encounter between the Ferraris, allowed Piastri to pull off an impressive move from sixth to third at the exit of Turn 1, slotting in just behind Leclerc. Meanwhile, Sainz fell back to fourth, followed by the recovering Perez, Norris, Hamilton, and Hulkenberg.

Further back in the pack, the Alpine duo of Ocon and Gasly engaged in a tense battle, trading positions for several corners. Hulkenberg seized the opportunity to pass the hard-shod Hamilton at the start of Lap 2, claiming seventh place.

A couple of laps later, Piastri closed the gap to Leclerc and utilised the Drag Reduction System on the long straight between Turns 16 and 17 to snatch second place from the Monegasque. Meanwhile, race leader Verstappen extended his lead to two seconds.

As the race settled into a rhythm, replays of the opening laps, including onboard footage from Perez, revealed a close call where the Mexican almost rear-ended teammate Verstappen at Turn 1. The stewards briefly investigated a potential jump for start by Perez but took no further action.

Hamilton, with his hard tyres coming into their own, made a bold move to pass Hulkenberg for seventh at Turn 11, only to lose the position again due to a lock-up at Turn 17. “Nearly had a big crash there,” Hamilton radioed in response to the first overtake, feeling squeezed towards the wall.

Regaining his focus, Hamilton launched another attack on Hulkenberg in the subsequent laps, this time successfully making the move stick under braking for Turn 11. It wasn’t long before Russell in the other Mercedes overtook Hulkenberg for eighth place.

Williams and Kick Sauber opted for the first pit stops as the lap count entered double digits. All four cars switched to hard tyres. Meanwhile, Hulkenberg made a similar decision after losing ground to the Mercedes, opting for the white-marked rubber.

The focus then shifted to when the front-runners would pit. Verstappen extended his lead over Piastri to around three seconds, followed by Leclerc, Sainz, Perez, and Norris, who were eager to pass the second Red Bull but couldn’t quite close the gap.

Perez provided Norris with some clean air after being the first among the leaders to pit on Lap 18. He returned to the track in 10th position with hard tyres, trailing Hamilton, Russell, Tsunoda, and Ocon.

Leclerc followed Perez into the pits on Lap 20, also opting for hard tyres. Ferrari’s quick service, clocking under two seconds, added pressure on Piastri and McLaren, who were yet to pit.

Verstappen encountered trouble when he ran over the Turn 14/15 chicane, hitting a bollard which he carried for a few more meters before disposing of it at Turn 16. He radioed his team, requesting a front wing check.

A Virtual Safety Car was deployed to allow marshals to retrieve the bollard, leading to ‘cheap’ stops for Ocon, Alonso, and Magnussen. After the VSC concluded, Verstappen pitted at the end of Lap 23.

Piastri, Sainz, and Norris stayed out rather than immediately following Verstappen into the pits. Meanwhile, a thrilling four-way battle involving Ocon, Hulkenberg, Alonso, and Gasly unfolded as cars filtered back in from their pit stops.

Following Verstappen’s incident, Hamilton reported difficulty seeing the chicane’s kerb. He and teammate Russell pitted on Lap 27, with Hamilton opting for mediums and Russell switching to hards.

Race leader Piastri pitted moments later on Lap 27, followed by Sainz, both opting for hard tyres. This left Norris at the front, with only Tsunoda, Zhou, and Ricciardo yet to pit.

Shortly after, yellow flags were raised, followed by a full Safety Car deployment due to an incident involving Magnussen and Sargeant. This played into Norris’s hands, allowing him to complete his pit stop with minimal time loss.

Tsunoda, Zhou, and Ricciardo also took advantage of the Safety Car period to change tyres. Meanwhile, Perez made a second pit stop. Replays showed Magnussen attempting a move on Sargeant at Turn 2, resulting in contact that sent Sargeant into the barriers and Magnussen back to the pits for repairs.

Sargeant promptly reported over the radio that he was “okay,” but his Williams suffered terminal damage upon impact, marking a disappointing end to his race in the first of three home Grand Prix in 2024.

Following the incident, Norris emerged from his pit stop ahead of Verstappen, with Leclerc maintaining third position ahead of the demoted Piastri, Sainz, and Perez. Tsunoda, Hamilton, Russell, and Ocon rounded out the top ten positions.

The stewards confirmed Magnussen’s 10-second time penalty for the clash with Sargeant, adding to the series of penalties he received during his battles with Hamilton in the Sprint race.

At the end of Lap 32, the Safety Car returned to the pits, and Norris resumed the race lead. However, he immediately faced pressure from Verstappen and had to defend through the first sector to retain his position at the front.

A mistake from Verstappen allowed Norris to extend his lead, setting a series of quick sector times to move out of DRS range. Meanwhile, Piastri became entangled in a battle with Sainz at Turn 11, with Sainz feeling he was forced off the track.

As the laps dwindled, Norris continued to increase his lead over Verstappen, who struggled with his car’s handling. Sainz managed to overtake Piastri, who then suffered damage to his front wing during a tussle with him.

Despite Piastri’s attempts to climb back into the points, lock-ups and close encounters prompted his race engineer to warn him to avoid further drama that could trigger another Safety Car.

Further down the field, Stroll incurred a 10-second time penalty for going off track in his battle with Albon, ending his hopes of scoring points.

Meanwhile, Norris maintained his composure and skillfully navigated the final laps to secure his first-ever Grand Prix victory, also giving McLaren their first win in almost three years.

Verstappen finished in second place, followed by Leclerc in third. Sainz claimed fourth ahead of his investigation alongside Piastri, with Perez rounding out the top five.

Mercedes secured points with Hamilton and Russell in sixth and eighth, respectively, with Tsunoda splitting them in seventh. Alonso and Ocon completed the top ten, with Hulkenberg, Gasly, Piastri (recovering after his pit stop), Zhou, Ricciardo, Bottas, and Stroll following behind.

Albon was the final finisher in 19th place, while Sargeant was forced to retire after the collision with Magnussen, who finished 18th after his additional pit stop for repairs.

2024 Miami Grand Prix race results

The 2024 Miami Grand Prix Race was held on 5 May 2024, 4:00 pm local time.

PosNoDriverCarLapsTime/RetiredPTS
14Lando NorrisMcLaren Mercedes571:30:49.87625
21Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing Honda RBPT57+7.612s18
316Charles LeclercFerrari57+9.920s15
411Sergio PerezRed Bull Racing Honda RBPT57+14.650s12
555Carlos Sainz1Ferrari57+16.407s10
644Lewis HamiltonMercedes57+16.585s8
722Yuki TsunodaRB Honda RBPT57+26.185s6
863George RussellMercedes57+34.789s4
914Fernando AlonsoAston Martin Aramco Mercedes57+37.107s2
1031Esteban OconAlpine Renault57+39.746s1
1127Nico HulkenbergHaas Ferrari57+40.789s0
1210Pierre GaslyAlpine Renault57+44.958s0
1381Oscar Piastri2McLaren Mercedes57+49.756s0
1424Zhou GuanyuKick Sauber Ferrari57+49.979s0
153Daniel RicciardoRB Honda RBPT57+50.956s0
1677Valtteri BottasKick Sauber Ferrari57+52.356s0
1718Lance Stroll3Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes57+55.173s0
1823Alexander AlbonWilliams Mercedes57+76.091s0
1920Kevin Magnussen4Haas Ferrari57+84.683s0
NC2Logan SargeantWilliams Mercedes27DNF0
1Sainz was penalized with a five-second time penalty for his role in a collision.
2Fastest lap: Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1:30.634 (lap 43)
3Stroll incurred a 10-second time penalty for track limit violations resulting in an advantage gain.
4Magnussen was handed a 10-second time penalty for his involvement in a collision and an additional 20-second penalty for entering the pits during a Safety Car period without changing tyres.

2024 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings for Drivers’ and Teams after the 2024 Miami Grand Prix.

2024 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings

osDriverNationalityCarPTS
1Max VerstappenNEDRed Bull Racing Honda RBPT136
2Sergio PérezMEXRed Bull Racing Honda RBPT103
3Charles LeclercMONFerrari98
4Lando NorrisGBRMcLaren83
5Carlos SainzESPFerrari83
6Oscar PiastriAUSMcLaren41
7George RussellGBRMercedes37
8Fernando AlonsoESPAston Martin Mercedes33
9Lewis HamiltonGBRMercedes27
10Yuki TsunodaJPNRB-Honda RBPT14
11Lance StrollCANAston Martin Mercedes9
12Oliver BearmanGBRFerrari6
13Nico HulkenbergGERHaas Ferrari6
14Daniel RicciardoAUSRB-Honda RBPT5
15Esteban OconFRAAlpine Renualt1
16Kevin MagnussenDENHaas Ferrari1
17Alexander AlbonTHAWilliams Mercedes0
18Zhou GuanyuCHNStake F1 Team0
19Pierre GaslyFRAAlpine Renualt0
20Valtteri BottasFINStake F1 Team0
21Logan SargeantUSAWilliams Mercedes0

2024 Post-Race F1 Constructors’ Championship Standings

PosTeamPTS
1Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT239
2Ferrari187
3McLaren Mercedes124
4Mercedes64
5Aston Martin Mercedes42
6RB-Honda RBPT19
7Haas Ferrari7
8Alpine Renualt1
9Williams Mercedes0
10Stake F1 Team0

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About The Author

Staff Writer

Ben Bush
Ben

Ben is a staff writer specialising in F1 from the 1990s to the modern era. Ben has been following Formula 1 since 1986 and is an avid researcher who loves understanding the technology that makes it one of the most exciting motorsport on the planet. He listens to podcasts about F1 on a daily basis, and enjoys reading books from the inspirational Adrian Newey to former F1 drivers.

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