F1 Miami GP LIVE: Race start time and updates as Verstappen starts on pole with Hamilton in 12th – UK Times

The pit lane is well and truly open in Miami – and the track is bone dry!

You could’ve swam around the circuit a couple hours ago, but for now, we’ve good racing conditions.

Pierre Gasly, who qualified 18th, will start in the pit lane.

This comes after Alpine made changes to his suspension, taking the car out of parc ferme, which is against the rules.

The weather has been temperamental in Miami, to say the least.

It was chucking it down ahead of the F1 Academy race, which was called off due to the deluge.

Conditions have since improved – it’s dried up significantly as we edge closer to lights out at 9pm. We’ve getting very lucky at the moment, with radars showing torrential rain passing either side of the track.

However, there is still a threat of more rain, and even lightning, in the area over the next couple hours.

We’ve got 57-lap race to come in half an hour, and I would be surprised if we make it through that without the heavens reopening.

Lando Norris claimed his maiden F1 triumph of his career at the Miami GP last year, and he celebrated in style!

He followed it up by reigning victorious in the sprint yesterday – the question is, can he keep up his winning form in Miami today?

Lando will certainly be hoping for a repeat as he hunts down McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in the drivers rankings…

Lewis Hamilton’s former boss Toto Wolff insisted the Ferrari driver has not lost any of his magic and backed him to recapture his form.

“We have seen that magic in the sprint race in Shanghai. He dominated that race, and it is not like you have that magic in one race, and then suddenly you lose it in the following one,” said Wolff ahead of Sunday’s Miami GP.

“I very much believe it is still there. If he aligns his performance contributors, is in the right space, and the car is to his liking, he will be stellar, and I have no doubt about that.”

We are just 60 minutes away from lights out in Miami!

Here’s a reminder of how the grid will shape up:

1) Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

2) Lando Norris (McLaren)

3) Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)

4) Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

5) George Russell (Mercedes)

6) Carlos Sainz (Williams)

8) Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

10) Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)

11) Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)

12) Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)

13) Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)

15) Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)

16. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)

17. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

18. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

19. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

When asked if he fears the championship momentum is moving in teammate Oscar Piastri’s direction, Norris replied: “No, I am not worried at all.

“He (Piastri) is doing a good job and he deserves it.

“I don’t believe so much in momentum. Clearly I have made some mistakes, and not been at the level I need to be at. But I believe I can get there soon enough.”

You don’t see this every grand prix – fully drivable Lego cars will replace the usual drivers parade truck for the Miami GP!

Each team will have its own custom car in their own colours and liveries and will drive the 5.4km track in front of all the fans ahead of the race.

Landon Norris took advantage of a safety car period to claim the maiden triumph of his career at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium last year – and followed it up with a sprint win yesterday, his first of any note since the opening round in Melbourne.

“My luck in Miami seems pretty good,” Norris said.

“It has worked for me two years in a row now. I would have preferred if that happened tomorrow rather than today but I will take it.”