Max Verstappen makes his way back to the paddock after having to settle for ninth on the grid for the Miami Grand Prix. Getty
Max Verstappen makes his way back to the paddock after having to settle for ninth on the grid for the Miami Grand Prix. Getty
Max Verstappen makes his way back to the paddock after having to settle for ninth on the grid for the Miami Grand Prix. Getty
Max Verstappen makes his way back to the paddock after having to settle for ninth on the grid for the Miami Grand Prix. Getty

Max Verstappen insists Miami Grand Prix win 'not impossible' despite starting in ninth


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Formula One world champion Max Verstappen said victory in Sunday's Miami Grand Prix is "not impossible" despite him starting ninth on the grid.

Red Bull's Verstappen, who leads the driver's championship after picking up two wins from the opening four races of the season, was unable to get his late fast lap after Ferrari's Charles Leclerc crashed and qualifying was cut short with around 90 seconds left.

The Dutchman's teammate Sergio Perez, second in the standings just six points behind Verstappen, grabbed pole position after Saturday's qualifying.

Despite the setback, Verstappen, who won the maiden Miami race last year, was not giving up hope of a strong result.

"A podium, for sure, but I want to win, so this is not great. (Winning is) not impossible, but it's not going to be easy," he said.

While Leclerc's crash didn't help, Verstappen had already made life difficult for himself by not getting his full fast lap in earlier. He said he had only himself to blame for having to pull out of his earlier lap after a mistake.

"I was a little bit offline out of (turn) six into seven, I felt a bit of understeer, and I just couldn't get it back on the line," he said. "So I aborted my lap. It was definitely a mistake of mine trying to put it on the limit.

"Then of course, you need a bit of luck, hoping that there won't be a red flag. But of course, when you try to think like that, then it happens. So, it's a bit upsetting."

Sergio Perez, centre, starts the Miami Grand Prix on pole and will be joined at the front of the grid by Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, left. Ferrari's Carlos Sainz qualified third. AP
Sergio Perez, centre, starts the Miami Grand Prix on pole and will be joined at the front of the grid by Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, left. Ferrari's Carlos Sainz qualified third. AP

But Verstappen, winner of the last two Formula One seasons, was keeping a sense of perspective.

"I've been in this position before, you have sometimes a few setbacks but that doesn't mean that it carries on for the rest of the year or whatever," he said.

"It can't always be perfect, you hope that it's going to be perfect. Last year we had a tough start, but you still need to nail a few bits yourself. Today was not great."

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner questioned why the race was only stopped 20 seconds after Leclerc's crash, telling Sky Sports: "Had it been stopped immediately, you could have possibly got around."

Horner has been happy to let Perez compete with Verstappen, with no heavy use of team orders yet, and the Mexican says he is relishing the inner-team competition.

"I'm enjoying it. I'm just thinking race by race. I will go out ... for my team because they've done a tremendous job and see what happens tomorrow (Sunday)," he said.

"It is a new opportunity, starting from pole. We are the ones that have (something) to lose, but we will just go out there and try to enjoy this amazing crowd."

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills

Factfile on Garbine Muguruza:

Name: Garbine Muguruza (ESP)

World ranking: 15 (will rise to 5 on Monday)

Date of birth: October 8, 1993

Place of birth: Caracas, Venezuela

Place of residence: Geneva, Switzerland

Height: 6ft (1.82m)

Career singles titles: 4

Grand Slam titles: 2 (French Open 2016, Wimbledon 2017)

Career prize money: $13,928,719

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3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.

Three tips from La Perle's performers

1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.

2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.

3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries

• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.

• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.

• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.

• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.

• For more information visit the library network's website.

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Voices: How A Great Singer Can Change Your Life
Nick Coleman
Jonathan Cape

Ashes 2019 schedule

August 1-5: First Test, Edgbaston

August 14-18: Second Test, Lord's

August 22-26: Third Test, Headingley

September 4-8: Fourth Test, Old Trafford

September 12-16: Fifth Test, Oval

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

MATCH INFO

Champions League last 16, first leg

Tottenham v RB Leipzig, Wednesday, midnight (UAE)

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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If you go

The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Seattle from Dh5,555 return, including taxes.


The car
Hertz offers compact car rental from about $300 (Dh1,100) per week, including taxes. Emirates Skywards members can earn points on their car hire through Hertz.


The national park
Entry to Mount Rainier National Park costs $30 for one vehicle and passengers for up to seven days. Accommodation can be booked through mtrainierguestservices.com. Prices vary according to season. Rooms at the Holiday Inn Yakima cost from $125 per night, excluding breakfast.

Updated: May 07, 2023, 6:27 AM`