Miami, FL
Verstappen expects tough Miami F1 race with McLaren's better tyre management
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen is bracing for a difficult Miami Grand Prix despite defeating his McLaren Formula 1 rival Lando Norris to pole position.
Verstappen took his third pole of the season at the Miami International Autodrome on Saturday, defeating Norris by 0.065s and Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli by 0.067s in a thrilling qualifying session – with the second McLaren of Oscar Piastri in fourth.
Previously, Verstappen expertly used his track position at Suzuka to convert a pole into a hard-fought win, while in Saudi Arabia he was penalised for leaving the track at Turns 1-2 to keep Piastri behind, which likely ended up costing him another pole to flag win.
Miami’s 57-lap race is expected to be another one-stop contest which limits strategic options, but with a powerful DRS zone on the back straight, overtaking is not impossible either.
However, Verstappen felt Saturday’s wet-to-dry sprint race showed McLaren’s superior tyre management will still be an important factor, with both Piastri and Norris driving away from the world champion on the intermediates as the track dried up, reminiscent of a similar situation in the Melbourne season-opener.
“I think that overall they are better in the race,” Verstappen told Dutch media including Motorsport.com. “You saw that on intermediates in the rain as well. As soon as those tyres start to overheat, they have a huge advantage. So, then we are all doing something wrong with the tyres, apart from McLaren.
Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
“What I saw today in the rain was not so great, McLaren was stronger there as well. I think overall they are just a bit better now, so then it’s always going to be a difficult race. But at least we are in front on the grid and hopefully we can make it difficult for them.”
Verstappen also indicated running a higher mileage Honda engine will not help him defend his lead on the straights, admitting it “does quite make a difference this weekend”.
Yet at least Red Bull’s revised floor, which only Verstappen trialled this weekend, appears to have provided the net downforce increase the team had been expecting. But, he felt the true benefit won’t become clear until later in the season due to Miami’s awkward corner profiles.
“On this track it’s always very difficult to really judge something, because everything feels very weird here – both in terms of grip and also the corners are all very weird as well. I think we’ll know more when we go to Imola,” the four-time world champion explained, with Imola being the next stop on the calendar.
“We changed some small things going into qualifying and the car was turning a bit better. That’s positive, but obviously this is still not what we want or where we want to be. But it was actually better than expected.
“Before coming here to Miami, we thought this would be a tricky one with the slow-speed corners and kerbstones that you have to attack. That’s normally not our strongest point.”
Photos from Miami GP – Sprint & Qualifying
In this article
Filip Cleeren
Formula 1
Max Verstappen
Red Bull Racing
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Miami, FL
Crash involving unmarked Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office vehicle impacts morning commute
A crash involving an unmarked Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office vehicle was reported in Northwest Miami-Dade on Thursday morning, and the morning commute was impacted as a result.
Few details have been released, but the crash was reported in the area of Northwest 79th street and Interstate 95.
Video from the scene showed that the vehicles had heavy damage.
The sheriff’s office said the crash also involved a civilian vehicle, and no injuries were reported.
No other information was released.
Miami, FL
Miami Heat-Minnesota Timberwolves Final Injury Update: Anthony Edwards’ status divulged
The Minnesota Timberwolves announced that guard Anthony Edwards is now available to play in Tuesday night’s game against the Miami Heat after originally being listed as questionable with right foot injury maintenance.
Here’s the rest of the injury report and game preview:
INJURY REPORT
HEAT
Tyler Herro: Available – Toe
Jaime Jaquez Jr.: Out – Ankle
Nikola Jovic: Available – Groin
Terry Rozier: Out – Not with team
TIMBERWOLVES
Anthony Edwards: Available – Foot
Terrence Shannon Jr.: Out – Foot
Joan Beringer: Out – G League
Game date, time and location: Tuesday, Jan. 6, 8:00 p.m. EST, Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
TV: TV: Peacock,
Radio: 104.3 FM (Miami/Ft. Lauderdale), ESPN 106.3 FM, (West Palm Beach), FOX Sports Radio 105.9 FM (Ft. Myers/Naples), 1450 AM (Suart), 97.7 FM (Florida Keys), WAQI 710 AM (Spanish-language broadcast, South Florida) 100.3 FM (Minnesota)
VITALS: The Miami Heat (20-16) and Minnesota Timberwolves (23-13) meet for the second and final regular season matchup after just facing off three days ago with Minnesota recording a, 125-115, win in Miami on January 3. The teams split the series, 1-1, last season with each squad winning on the road. The Heat are 36-35 all-time versus Minnesota during the regular season,
including 19-16 in home games and 17-19 in road games.
PROJECTED STARTERS
HEAT
G Davion Mitchell
G Tyler Herro
C Bam Adebayo
F Norman Powell
F Andrew Wiggins
TIMBERWOLVES
G Donte DiVincenzo
G Anthony Edwards
C Rudy Gobert
F Jaden McDaniels
F Julius Randle
Spread: Heat +5.5 (-112), Timberwolves -5.5 (-108)
Moneyline: Heat +166, Timberwolves -198
Total points scored: 239.5 (over -106, under -114)
QUOTABLE
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra on the forced turnovers: “That is and has to be our identity. We have to play with a recklessness and activity level that exceeds our opponent, and thats not to put down our talent level or anything like that, it’s more about we look different when we’re flying around and making plays and making it tough for the opponent.”
For more Miami Heat information and conversation, check out Off The Floor.
Alexander Toledo is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI and producer/co-host of the Five on the Floor podcast, covering the Heat and NBA. He can be reached at Twitter: @tropicalblanket
Miami, FL
Man shot during $22,000 gold chain robbery at Supreme store in Miami’s Design District; Atlanta suspects arrested
Three men were arrested Saturday after a robbery inside a Miami clothing store left a man shot and hospitalized, according to Miami police and arrest affidavits.
The incident happened Friday afternoon in Miami’s popular Design District neighborhood.
Police said officers were dispatched around 4:20 p.m. Friday to the area of Miami Avenue and Northeast 41st Street after receiving reports of a man who had been shot. Officers found the victim, who told them he had been robbed and shot while shopping inside a Supreme store located at 45 NE 41st Street.
According to investigators, the victim said he was approached by three suspects inside the store, including one person with whom he had a prior conflict originating from the Atlanta area. Police said an argument broke out, and one suspect forcibly removed a gold chain from the victim’s neck. The chain was valued at approximately $22,000, according to police.
As the suspect ran out of the store, the victim attempted to chase him, police said. During the pursuit, an unidentified male shot the victim once in the stomach. The suspects then fled the area in a white Mercedes-Benz, according to the arrest affidavits.
Miami Police detectives later located the suspect vehicle parked near Northeast 10th Avenue and Northeast 91st Terrace. Police said they conducted surveillance and observed the suspects abandon the vehicle and walk through a nearby residential area before entering a home in the 800 block of Northeast 90th Street.
A residential search warrant was executed, resulting in the arrest of three suspects. During the search, detectives recovered the victim’s gold chain, keys to the suspect vehicle, and clothing believed to have been worn during the robbery, police said.
The suspects were identified as Jamar McKay, 25, Omarion Phillips, 20, and Kevieon Smith, 21. McKay was charged with armed robbery with a firearm or deadly weapon. Phillips and Smith were charged as accessories after the fact, with Smith also facing an additional firearms-related charge, according to court records.
“This arrest sends a clear message: violent crime will not be tolerated in the City of Miami,” Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales said in a statement. “Individuals who commit acts of violence in our city will be identified, located, and held fully accountable.”
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