Miami [US], May 9 (ANI): Red Bull's Max Verstappen passed the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz to win the inaugural Miami Grand Prix on Sunday.

A late Safety Car saw championship leader Leclerc put the defending champion Verstappen under intense pressure in the closing stages of a thrilling race at the new Miami International Autodrome.

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Red Bull's reigning champion took P2 off Carlos Sainz into Turn 1 at the start, and soon began to close in on Leclerc. The Ferrari driver lost the lead to his rival on the main straight at the start of Lap 9 of 57 and pitted from mediums to hards on Lap 24, causing Verstappen to react with his stop two laps later.

The Dutch driver Verstappen took his third win of the season, and the point for fastest lap, almost four seconds ahead of Leclerc, while Carlos Sainz managed to hold off Red Bull of Sergio Perez to take his ninth career podium with third place.

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Rounding out the top five was George Russell, who started 11th and pitted during the VSC, using the benefit of newer tyres to pass teammate Lewis Hamilton on Lap 54. Hamilton lamented the fact that he couldn't pit during the VSC but was promoted to P6 when Valtteri Bottas went wide at Turn 17 on Lap 49.

Alpine's Esteban Ocon benefited from a free stop under the Safety Car to rise from the back of the grid to eighth at the flag ahead of team-mate Fernando Alonso and the final point went to Williams' Alex Albon. (ANI)

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