The Red Bull driver notched up his second pole of the season in dramatic circumstances, when his first Q3 effort was enough to take top spot as his rivals faltered before Charles Leclerc crashed late on and caused a red flag to prematurely end the session.
With all drivers in the top 10 shootout unable to complete their respective final laps, the order was effectively set after the first runs, to see Perez take pole ahead of Fernando Alonso for Aston Martin – a repeat of the front row from the Saudi Arabian GP.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was another to profit from the red flag caused by his team-mate with third place, ahead of Kevin Magnussen for Haas who was another surprise result with fourth place.
With Alpine’s Pierre Gasly fifth and George Russell in sixth for Mercedes, Leclerc’s second crash of the weekend left him seventh on the starting grid for Ferrari.
Max Verstappen was the biggest loser in the red flag, having bailed out of his opening Q3 effort after running wide, leaving him without a lap time and he will start ninth behind the Alpine of Esteban Ocon in eighth. Valtteri Bottas was also denied a shot at a lap in Q3 and will start 10th for Alfa Romeo.
Earlier in qualifying, Lewis Hamilton was the shock name to exit Q2 down in 13th place for Mercedes, with Lance Stroll the high-profile dropout in Q1 for Aston Martin who will start 18th.
Top three Qualifiers Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin F1 Team, pole man Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing, and Carlos Sainz, Scuderia Ferrari
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
When is the F1 Miami Grand Prix?
- Date: Sunday 7 May 2023
- Start time: 8:30pm BST, 3:30pm local time
The fifth round of the 2023 F1 season, the Miami GP at the Miami International Autodrome, gets underway at 3:30pm local time (8:30pm BST) on Sunday 7 May.
How can I watch Formula 1?
In the United Kingdom Formula 1 is broadcast live on Sky Sports, with highlights shown on Channel 4 several hours after the race has finished. Live streaming through NOW is also available in the UK.
Sky Sports F1, which broadcasts the F1 races, can be added as part of the Sky Sports channels which costs £24 a month for new customers. Sky Sports can also be accessed through NOW with a one-off day payment of £11.98p or a month membership of £34.99p per month.
How can I watch the F1 Miami GP?
In the United Kingdom, Sky Sports will be live broadcasting the Miami GP, with the race shown live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event. Pre-race…
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