F1 Miami Grand Prix 2023 LIVE! Verstappen wins - Race reaction, updates and latest news today

F1 Miami Grand Prix LIVE!

Max Verstappen overcame the boo brigade and Sergio Perez to win the Miami Grand Prix and extend his world championship lead.

Verstappen was subjected to a chorus of jeers by the 90,000-strong crowd at the Hard Rock Stadium as the sport's drivers were introduced by rapper LL Cool J for Sunday's 57-lap race.

But the double world champion put his poor reception to one side by racing from ninth on the grid to pass Perez with nine laps remaining and take his third win from five rounds.

Verstappen increased his championship lead from six points to 14. Fernando Alonso completed the podium places with George Russell fourth. Lewis Hamilton finished sixth after starting 13th.

F1 Miami Grand Prix highlights

• LIGHTS OUT! Perez leads clean start

• OVERTAKE! Verstappen quickly into second

• PITS! Late stop for Verstappen from first

• OVERTAKE! Verstappen gets Perez for the lead

• CHEQUERED FLAG! Red Bull take the 1-2

Thanks for joining us!

22:33 , Marc Mayo

Max Verstappen the top dog again as he leads a Red Bull 1-2 finish in Miami, comfortably ousting pole-sitter Sergio Perez.

Recap the action with Matt’s report from the track!

Next up...

22:26 , Marc Mayo

A three-race triple header across Europe starting with the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola, before Monaco and Barcelona.

The champagne!

22:24 , Marc Mayo

That’s quite probably the biggest LED screen ever positioned behind an F1 podium.

Anyway, Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross hands Max Verstappen his trophy.

A big cheer from the locals for Sergio Perez’s second-place honours, before Fernando Alonso gets a big ovation from his Aston Martin engineers.

Then it’s time for the ticker tape!

Time for the podium

22:20 , Marc Mayo

Round the other side of the Hard Rock Stadium, in front of the long back straight, the national anthems are played out in front of the fans.

More podium celebrations for Fernando Alonso

22:15 , Marc Mayo

A bit of a wait for the podium

22:14 , Marc Mayo

Tuned-up golf carts, that look like a kid’s toy car to be honest, are currently escorting our top three across the Hard Rock Stadium to the podium - which isn’t exactly near to parc ferme.

Fernando Alonso up next

22:12 , Marc Mayo

“The car is amazing, a little bit of a lonely race. Maybe we expected a strong opposition but the Ferraris were worse than expected.

“The started on the wrong side of the grid, we were a bit worried but everything was fine.

“At the beginning of the year a podium was amazing, after four we want more. But the Red Bull is unbreakable and super fast. Maybe Monaco or Barcelona we’ll have a possibility.”

Sergio Perez gives his take on the race

22:10 , Marc Mayo

“I gave it my all, the first stint was really poor with the graining we had.

“That compromised our race, Max was particularly fast so well deserved win for him.

“I think the Medium was worse than expected, then in all honesty Max had tremendous pace on the Hard tyre. I have to analyse what went wrong today.”

Max Verstappen gives his reaction

22:09 , Marc Mayo

“It was a good race, I stayed out of trouble at the beginning then had a clean race.

“I could stay out really long on the Hard tyres, that made the difference. A good little battle with Perez, we kept it clean.

“Yesterday was a setback but today we kept it calm, winning from P9 is very satisfying.”

That winning moment

22:05 , Marc Mayo

Another podium for Fernando Alonso!

22:04 , Marc Mayo

Here’s the points positions for the Miami Grand Prix

1. Verstappen

2. Perez

3. Alonso

4. Russell

5. Sainz

6. Hamilton

7. Leclerc

8. Gasly

9. Ocon

10. Magnussen

Max Verstappen wins the Miami Grand Prix

22:02 , Marc Mayo

From ninth on the grid to total supremacy for Verstappen!

A supreme drive from the two-time world champion, reminding us all why he’s the big favourite to do it all again in 2023.

Final lap!

22:01 , Marc Mayo

That fastest lap point looks to be heading Verstappen’s way as he goes even quicker having already bagged the best time of the day.

Hamilton looks to be settling into sixth place, he’s 14 seconds behind Sainz so that five-second penalty won’t really impact the Ferrari.

F1 Miami Grand Prix: Lap 55/57

21:59 , Marc Mayo

Hamilton throws it down the inside on Turn 11 and he wrestles sixth place off Leclerc!

Meanwhile, a moment of hope for Russell as he spots a blue car ahead of Alonso about eight or nine seconds up the road.

“Are we that close to Perez?!” he asks. “No, that’s Sargeant,” team radio reminds. “Was gonna say...”

Lewis Hamilton takes seventh!

21:57 , Marc Mayo

Gasly is dropping back through the order at some pace as first Leclerc and then Hamilton gets past the Alpine!

Nicely done into Turn 11, with the Ferrari also in his crosshair.

F1 Miami Grand Prix: Lap 53/57

21:56 , Marc Mayo

Christian Horner tells Sky F1 that Verstappen’s “outstanding” pace from lap 20-40 on worn Hard tyres is why he’s the heavy favourite to win this race.

Another satisfying day at the office is almost done for the Red Bull boss.

F1 Miami Grand Prix: Lap 52/57

21:53 , Marc Mayo

“Is Max struggling?” Perez asks, with just the slightest air of desperation!

The answer: no, not really. The gap is now 2.3 seconds.

F1 Miami Grand Prix: Lap 50/57

21:51 , Marc Mayo

So, where are the scraps left to take place out on track?

Leclerc has a 1.3-second gap to make up on Gasly in the fight for sixth.

Bottas is catching Magnussen with the final point up for grabs. But Tsunoda may fancy a run at the Alfa Romeo, on quicker tyres in 12th.

F1 Miami Grand Prix: Lap 49/57

21:50 , Marc Mayo

Immediately, Verstappen clocks the fastest lap and breaks the one-second DRS gap on Perez.

This race is as good as won for the Dutchman!

Max Verstappen leads!

21:48 , Marc Mayo

As the final ten laps begin, Verstappen hones into Perez but is rebuffed into Turn 17!

DRS is back on for the start-finish straight and Verstappen gets it done around the outside into Turn 1!

Matt Majendie in Miami

21:46 , Marc Mayo

This is so Max Verstappen’s race now.

Fresher tyres, flying down the straights, hopes of a thrilling final few laps finale rapidly evaporating. A Red Bull one-two after all.

F1 Miami Grand Prix: Lap 46/57

21:45 , Marc Mayo

The Mediums are out and it’s a mildly steady, 3.1-second stop.

Perez swoops into the lead and comes out barely a second behind!

It’s time...

21:43 , Marc Mayo

Verstappen has been called into the pits!

F1 Miami Grand Prix: Lap 44/57

21:42 , Marc Mayo

No safety car to play into Stroll’s strategy as he pits, returning to the track 15th.

Top ten as things stand:

1. Verstappen

2. Perez

3. Alonso

4. Russell

5. Sainz

6. Gasly

7. Leclerc

8. Magnussen

9. Hamilton

10. Ocon

Not looking good for Sergio Perez

21:40 , Marc Mayo

After a Leclerc-esque moment almost put his Red Bull in the wall, the Mexican is a whole 18.1 seconds behind Verstappen.

Pitting loses around 20 seconds, so on quicker tyres it may be a bit of a done deal later in the race - that is, presuming he comes out second!

F1 Miami Grand Prix: Lap 42/57

21:38 , Marc Mayo

Only Verstappen and Stroll yet to pit now, in first and seventh respectively.

Lewis Hamilton pits

21:36 , Marc Mayo

After his first and only stop of the race, Hamilton gets Albon and Bottas on his out lap to go 11th.

Ocon comes in soon after, and returns to the track behind Hamilton - he’s now in the points!

F1 Miami Grand Prix: Lap 39/57

21:35 , Marc Mayo

Still no stop from Verstappen, who would come out around three seconds behind Perez when he straps on the Mediums.

Meanwhile, Leclerc finally gets Magnussen - with some expert expectation management by the Haas social media team.

F1 Miami Grand Prix: Lap 37/57

21:32 , Marc Mayo

It’s not been Leclerc’s day at all, with his move on Magnussen into Turn 17 instantly undone by the Haas’ DRS assisted overtake down the start-finish straight. They’re fighting for tenth place.

A bad minute for Ferrari is compounded by Russell grabbing fourth off Sainz.

Fastest lap for Max Verstappen

21:30 , Marc Mayo

The Dutchman is using up his old Hard tyres with some glee as he maintains his lead on Perez.

Alonso is running pretty cleanly in third, with 3.5 seconds on Sainz - who has a five-second penalty on his record.

Russell gets Ocon for fifth and he’ll feel pretty good about his chances of finishing ahead of Sainz’s Ferrari.

F1 Miami Grand Prix: Lap 34/57

21:27 , Marc Mayo

Verstappen has managed to hold a 16-second gap to Perez in recent laps, he’ll end up second once he pits but will have quicker tyres and a bit of time deficit to make up at the end of the race.

Mercedes team orders

21:24 , Marc Mayo

Mercedes team radio dials into Hamilton to let Russell by for sixth place, with the veteran told he’s fighting Ocon who’s 1.7 seconds up the road.

“I’m not backing off though,” he reminds the team.

F1 Miami Grand Prix: Lap 31/57

21:22 , Marc Mayo

Red Bull tell Verstappen to use up his Hard tyres with a potential pit stop coming up for a final run on the Mediums.

Ocon now dropping off with his Hards as Alonso and Sainz drop him down to fifth.

F1 Miami Grand Prix: Lap 29/57

21:20 , Marc Mayo

Top ten at halfway:

1. Verstappen

2. Perez

3. Ocon (yet to pit)

4. Alonso

5. Sainz

6. Hamilton (yet to pit)

7. Russell

8. Hulkenberg (yet to pit)

9. Tsunoda (yet to pit)

10. Gasly

F1 Miami Grand Prix: Lap 28/57

21:17 , Marc Mayo

Alonso retakes the podium impetus with a move on Sainz into Turn 11.

Perez is 16 seconds off Verstappen, and Christian Horner has just told Sky F1 that their data predicts a shootout over the final three laps!

Matt Majendie in Miami

21:15 , Marc Mayo

From the outset of the weekend, all talk was of a straight head-to-head battle between the two Red Bulls such is their superior pace.

That dampened just a little when Max Verstappen qualified in ninth place but it looks all set to be a race between the two teammates for the win come the final laps.

Should Perez win, he takes the championship lead for what will be the first time Verstappen has not let the championship since the Spanish Grand Prix almost a year ago.

Fernando Alonso pits

21:13 , Marc Mayo

From third place, the Aston Martin returns to the track in fifth place, although Ocon in third is yet to stop.

F1 Miami Grand Prix: Lap 25/57

21:12 , Marc Mayo

A bit of a scuffle between Stroll and Russell in their fight over ninth place, even with the Canadian having not yet pitted.

Mercedes confirm his front wing is fine after Stroll does a decent job holding him up in defence of Alonso up the road. Russell eventually gets the place, though.

Five-second penalty for Carlos Sainz

21:11 , Marc Mayo

A bit of an open-and-shut case for the Ferrari, who will have five seconds added to his race time unless he serves the penalty at his next stop.

F1 Miami Grand Prix: Lap 23/57

21:09 , Marc Mayo

Trouble for Sainz, who’s under investigation for speeding in the pit lane.

A five-second penalty would hamper what has been a very decent day so far for the Ferrari.

Sergio Perez pits!

21:07 , Marc Mayo

A quick, 2.2-second stop for Red Bull as the race leader pits, coming back out ahead of Sainz who overtakes Hulkenberg down the start-finish straight for fifth.

Verstappen will run longer on the Hard tyres then be on a quicker compound later in the race... can Perez stop him?

F1 Miami Grand Prix: Lap 19/57

21:04 , Marc Mayo

Swift move for Ferrari as Sainz pits then returns to the circuit inches ahead of Albon, ensuring he won’t be caught behind some midfield runners straight out the pits.

Alonso must now avoid the undercut in the battle for third...

Out in front, Perez has 1.6 seconds on Verstappen.

George Russell pits

21:02 , Marc Mayo

The first of the top five to come in, Russell comes out in some clean air behind Stroll in 12th. Leclerc follows him through, also for Hard tyres.

F1 Miami Grand Prix: Lap 17/57

21:00 , Marc Mayo

Bottas pits to release that DRS train, Hamilton quickly grabbing ninth off Albon to enter some clean air.

Magnussen and Gasly have also come in from the top ten.

Max Verstappen into second!

20:58 , Marc Mayo

A Red Bull 1-2 is the order of the day again and Verstappen has a four-second gap to make up on Perez.

Alonso’s hopes of lasting to lap 25 have, indeed, proven optimistic.

F1 Miami Grand Prix: Lap 15/57

20:56 , Marc Mayo

DRS and Turn 11 the deadly combination this time for Verstappen, he’s into third!

F1 Miami Grand Prix: Lap 14/57

20:56 , Marc Mayo

Fastest lap of the race from Perez, who now has 3.1 seconds on Alonso, as he looks to build a gap on Verstappen before he gets second place.

Sainz right on the nose of Verstappen now.

F1 Miami Grand Prix: Lap 13/57

20:54 , Marc Mayo

Bottas in tenth, three seconds off Ocon, is holding up a DRS train of Hulkenberg, Albon, Hamilton, Tsunoda and Zhou.

Albon is the only runner on the Medium tyre so may fancy the undercut, with the Hards looking good.

F1 Miami Grand Prix: Lap 11/57

20:51 , Marc Mayo

Top ten after the opening laps:

1. Perez

2. Alonso

3. Sainz

4. Verstappen

5. Russell

6. Gasly

7. Magnussen

8. Leclerc

9. Ocon

10. Bottas

Pierre Gasly up next...

20:49 , Marc Mayo

It’s been a very solid start for the Alpine, running in fourth, but not for much longer as Verstappen beats Gasly into Turn 17.

The Frenchman was not putting up too much of a fight there, just as Russell didn’t.

But Russell then pounces on Gasly to take fifth!

F1 Miami Grand Prix: Lap 9/57

20:48 , Marc Mayo

On the long back straight into Turn 17, Verstappen swoops past Russell with DRS assistance and it’s a done deal for fifth place!

F1 Miami Grand Prix: Lap 8/57

20:46 , Marc Mayo

Alonso tells team radio he wants Plan A minus-12, aka a one-stopper with a much earlier tyre change?

Verstappen clocks the fastest-lap as he closes in on Russell for fifth.

Matt Majendie in Miami

20:44 , Marc Mayo

In the build-up to the race, Fernando Alonso had suggested that Max Verstappen would pass him by lap 25.

It might yet be sooner after the Dutchman’s delightful move to get past both Kevin Magnussen and Charles Leclerc in a single move.

Verstappen starting in P9 (now P6) definitely makes it a more mouth-watering prospect of a race than just the usual Red Bull one-two procession.

F1 Miami Grand Prix: Lap 6/57

20:44 , Marc Mayo

A bit of a slow stop for Norris, who has pitted from the Softs to Hards with Piastri following through momentarily. McLaren are having to gamble on strategy from the back today.

Hamilton had a bit of contact in the first-lap scramble and fears he may not last the race with front-wing issues...

F1 Miami Grand Prix: Lap 4/57

20:41 , Marc Mayo

Magnussen grabs sixth off Leclerc!

They’re tussling with Verstappen right on their tail, and he has to sit back and watch as the Ferrari nabs the place back... but Leclerc a sitting duck down the next straight!

Magnussen AND Verstappen go through, the Red Bull now up to sixth.

F1 Miami Grand Prix: Lap 3/57

20:38 , Marc Mayo

Perez has already put 1.5 seconds on Alonso as DRS becomes enabled, with barely a toothpick between the rest of the pack.

Verstappen gets Bottas to go eighth, but he’s six seconds off the lead - and growing.

Sargeant pits first in the Williams, his front-wing needs replacing.

F1 Miami Grand Prix: Lap 2/57

20:37 , Marc Mayo

Gasly, Russell and Leclerc all past Magnussen but Verstappen is stuck in ninth, having got Ocon but lost out to Bottas!

Hamilton running in 13th.

F1 Miami Grand Prix: Lap 1/57

20:35 , Marc Mayo

Perez starts well as Magnussen gets swallowed by the pack!

A McLaren goes wide at Turn 1 but no huge danger as Piastri and De Vries made contact.

LIGHTS OUT!

20:34 , Marc Mayo

The Miami Grand Prix is underway!

Sergio Perez starts on pole position with a six-point championship deficit to Max Verstappen, who is ninth on the grid.

Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz and the Haas of Kevin Magnussen complete the front two rows...

Formation lap

20:31 , Marc Mayo

Right then, one go around the circuit before we get racing.

Tyre choices revealed

20:31 , Marc Mayo

The tyre blankets come off and it’s Mediums for the top seven. Ocon and Verstappen start with the Hards, and the two McLarens in 16th and 19th on Softs!

We have 57 laps ahead of us around the 19 turns of Miami.

Some final words of inspiration...

20:26 , Marc Mayo

F1 Miami Grand Prix countdown

20:24 , Marc Mayo

Just over five minutes until we get underway in Florida.

Are you sitting comfortably?

Tyre strategy

20:21 , Marc Mayo

It’s set to be a one-stopper starting on the Mediums unless the tyre degradation is rough in the slightly unusual conditions.

Expect a two-stopper in the case of safety cars or for late throws of the dice if overtaking is possible as the race goes on.

F1 Miami Grand Prix countdown

20:18 , Marc Mayo

LL Cool J asks Max Verstappen if he can be unstoppable in this grand prix.

“I’ve made it a bit more difficult for myself but we’re gonna have fun,” he says.

Will.i.am then introduces Gale for the national anthem.

Matt Majendie in Miami

20:16 , Marc Mayo

This is utterly surreal. We have an orchestra on the grid being conducted by Will.I.Am complete with cheerleaders, LL Cool J announcing the drivers and more celebrities than you can throw a stick at.

Not sure what to make of it but the fans seem to be lapping it up.

Time for the big boys

20:16 , Marc Mayo

Impressive French-ness to LL Cool J’s reading out of Charles Leclerc, before Carlos Sainz enters the grid.

Huge cheers for “royalty” Lewis Hamilton before Fernando Alonso and the two Red Bull drivers.

A lot of drivers are wearing ice jackets to keep cool in the Miami heat despite the sun largely being hidden behind clouds.

F1 Miami Grand Prix countdown

20:14 , Marc Mayo

This ceremony has been going on for a few minutes and I’ve only just noticed that Will.i.am is conducting the orchestra from a podium.

F1 Miami Grand Prix countdown

20:12 , Marc Mayo

Kevin Magnussen is introduced as the “bad boy turned good” and Yuki Tsunoda as “small in stature but a mighty racer”.

Time for the grid announcement

20:10 , Marc Mayo

LL Cool J is out with a live band to introduce all the drivers on the track.

Buckle up...

F1 Miami Grand Prix countdown

20:07 , Marc Mayo

Michael Andretti reveals on the grid to Sky F1 that he’s pressing full-steam ahead to get his new team on the grid for 2025.

Lights out in just over 20 minutes...

Matt Majendie in Miami

20:03 , Marc Mayo

Toto Wolff has been riding around all weekend on an electric scooter to cover the spacious paddock, which sees the hospitality suites laid out on the Miami Dolphins pitch some way away from the new garages, built at great expense for this year’s race.

He nearly came a cropper in one particularly high-speed to Mercedes’ hospitality suite. And he was the most scathing about the W14 he’s been all season long after a tough qualifying session.

The Austrian said: “The car is a nasty piece of work. We have no comprehension of why. I take no joy in being sixth. It is unacceptable.”

Why Sergio Perez is the only man who can topple Max Verstappen

20:00 , Marc Mayo

Red Bull’s utter dominance may be about to provide a thrilling intra-team title fight.

To preview this weekend’s race, Matt wrote about the state of the championship and how Sergio Perez may keep us on - Max Verstappen included - on our toes in 2023.

Read the full story!

Miami blowing a bit of a gust

19:57 , Marc Mayo

Lance Stroll discusses the conditions on Sky F1 as he prepares on the grid.

With a fair dose of cloud cover, it’s “quite windy” out on track and “pretty different” under the wheels following heavy rain this morning in Miami.

It should make for a testing race for the drivers. Mistakes may well be prevalent in such moments...

‘Questions’ need answers for George Russell

19:54 , Marc Mayo

Sixth and 13th is the order of the day for Mercedes, with George Russell unhappy after yesterday’s qualifying.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say quite pleased, of course I’ll take the result,” he said.

“It’s a very flattering result for the performance that we showed. I did a really decent lap in Q2 to just scrape through, just to get into Q3 and that’s not where we should be.

“Everybody is working so, so hard to bring more performance to the car, it’s definitely not for a lack of effort and it’s just not coming to us at the moment. So there’s a lot to think about. A few questions that need answering.”

Tom Cruise gets stuck in at Mercedes

19:47 , Marc Mayo

F1 Miami Grand Prix countdown

19:42 , Marc Mayo

The pit lane is open in Miami!

Time for the drivers to head around the circuit, get a feel for the conditions, and form up on the grid for some last-minute tweaks.

Sergio Perez worrying Max Verstappen, says F1 legend

19:41 , Marc Mayo

Emerson Fittipaldi believes Max Verstappen will be getting very worried about Sergio Perez’s pace - particularly with street circuits prominent in this part of the calendar.

“We're in Miami and soon we'll be in Monaco - two tracks that Checo could be very fast,” he told MyBettingSites.

“There will be a lot of competition between Max and Checo in Miami. Checo has a good chance to win. If he wins again, he'll make Max very concerned.

“Max will think that he's there and he's very strong. It will be very interesting. I'm sure Max is starting to get worried.”

Plenty of Medium tyres left for the frontrunners today

19:38 , Marc Mayo

Lando Norris foresees tough evening

19:33 , Marc Mayo

Speaking of McLaren, Lando Norris admitted he saw his early exit from qualifying coming.

“I think it was as expected to be honest,” he told F1.com. “It was a little bit hotter on the track so that makes the balance go away from us a little bit. It makes it a lot tougher inside the car.

“It makes our issues bigger and to a bigger extent so tougher to put laps together and execute what you need to execute in qualifying.

“But the underlying issue is we just don’t have the pace in the corners or down the straight. Just a struggle.”

Matt Majendie in Miami

19:28 , Marc Mayo

I spoke to McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown here in Miami about the team’s chances.

Despite a dreadful qualifying session in which neither Lando Norris nor Oscar Piastri made it out of Q1, the American team boss was bullish about their chances going forward particularly in the long term.

That said, they are expecting this race to be a horror show for them, a track where their initially promising upgrades just don’t appear to be working. There’s more upgrades and pace to come at the next race in Baku.

Points the target for fourth-placed Magnussen

19:23 , Marc Mayo

Kevin Magnussen starts fourth today after bagging Haas’ best-ever grid position for a race, while also avoiding a penalty for obstructing Lewis Hamilton earlier in qualifying.

“We’ve been looking good,” he said. “I don’t think we are fourth quickest but we’ve been looking competitive – actually, in the really high fuel yesterday looked very good.

“It’s nice to be starting all the way up there. I don’t think our car pace is good enough to stay there but at least we’re starting up there in a good position.

“The aim is to get points home tomorrow and I think that should be possible from where we’re starting.”

Confident chat from Sergio Perez

19:18 , Marc Mayo

Sergio Perez says his fight with Max Verstappen is “all about delivering when it matters” having suffered on a “very tricky weekend” before his pole position in qualifying.

All being well, the Mexican tells Sky F1 he “shouldn’t see” his team-mate, who starts ninth, if able to pull clear and away from the pack.

Verstappen’s best hope is a kind safety car or similar falling his way, just as it did for Perez last week.

Highlights: Charles Leclerc bins his Ferrari in qualifying

19:12 , Marc Mayo

Key test looming for Lewis Hamilton’s future

19:08 , Marc Mayo

This grand prix is Mercedes’ last until a vital set of upgrades for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell’s cars.

Matt wrote in the week to preview where the seven-time world champion’s future is currently at.

Read the full story!

All smiles from Lewis Hamilton

19:02 , Marc Mayo

A big day ahead for the Mercedes veteran, who starts 13th on the grid.

Classic American convertibles wheeled out for the drivers’ parade

18:57 , Marc Mayo

Matt Majendie in Miami

18:52 , Marc Mayo

Miami very much seems to be the go-to grand prix on the calendar for celebrities.

There’s the billionaires – Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Larry Ellison, who were all on Saturday all spotted chatting together in the Formula 1 paddock.

The sporting world is well represented with the likes of Roger Federer, Patrick Mahomes, Serena Williams, Lindsey Vonn, Mike Tyson and Sergio Aguero.

Of the musical talent there’s Will.I.Am, the Jonas Brothers and Shakira among others.

Famous faces in Miami

18:47 , Marc Mayo

Jake Paul is one of the celebrities at today’s race. Good for him.

The drivers are in situ

18:43 , Marc Mayo

Matt Majendie in Miami

18:38 , Marc Mayo

Miami seems to have well and truly bought into Formula 1.

There’s a buzz about the city and no shortage of F1 team shirts being worn all around town, all down to the Netflix/Drive to Survive effect.

Organisers are expecting 90,766 spectators in the Hard Rock Stadium today to make a total number of fans through the turnstiles in excess of 270,000 for the three-day weekend.

Roger Federer backing Mercedes

18:31 , Marc Mayo

One of the many famous faces in the paddock this evening is tennis legend Roger Federer.

He’s revealed to Sky F1 that George Russell and Lewis Hamilton are his favourite drivers on the grid.

He said: “I’ve been to Abu Dhabi, the big race with Hamilton and [Nico] Rosberg, at the time and then I did Barcelona qualifying last year which I really enjoyed as well.

“It was a bit more relaxed away from the big race and then now here so it’s great fun to be back, having finally a bit of time to do things like this as well.”

It’s worth nothing that Federer is sponsored by... Mercedes!

Take a trip around Miami with the live feed of the drivers’ parade

18:26 , Marc Mayo

Grass isn’t always greener, Lewis Hamilton warned

18:21 , Marc Mayo

Lewis Hamilton has been warned by former F1 rival Felipe Massa that it will be a gamble to leave Mercedes.

Hamilton's contract with the Silver Arrows is up for renewal at the end of the year. It is expected that the 38-year-old will extend his stay with the team which has carried him to six of his record-equalling seven world championships.

However, Mercedes' indifferent start to the new campaign has led some to question as to whether Hamilton could shop around, with Ferrari a possible destination.

Massa said: “Anything is possible, but I have doubts that it will happen. The relationship Lewis has with Mercedes is strong and to change that for Ferrari he would need to be sure what he is going to get.

“Ferrari have not proved they have the car to win the championship. Going there would be a bit of a gamble. If he cannot go to Red Bull, which is impossible with Max [Verstappen] there, I would stay at Mercedes.”

Miami Grand Prix race winner odds

18:16 , Marc Mayo

Sergio Perez - 4/6

Max Verstappen - 7/4

Fernando Alonso - 13/2

Carlos Sainz - 25/1

Charles Leclerc - 50/1

George Russell - 50/1

Lewis Hamilton - 70/1

Odds provided by Neue, subject to change.

Miami night race in the offing

18:11 , Marc Mayo

Miami Grand Prix bosses are in talks with Formula One about staging the race at night.

The event is on a 10-year deal with F1 and tonight’s race is the first of three to be staged in the United States this year, with a debut event on the Las Vegas strip in November along with Austin's grand prix at the Circuit of the Americas.

The round in Vegas will take place under lights, and Miami Dolphins chief executive Tom Garfinkel revealed on Sunday that his race could transform to a night event.

“We have had some discussions about a night race and potentially doing that and what it would look like,” said Garfinkel.

“There are a lot of factors that go into that with F1 and television so we have to weigh all those things up, but we are certainly open-minded.”

Weather forecast

18:05 , Marc Mayo

It’s a lovely warm day in Miami with only a seven per cent chance of rain - give or take.

Temperatures are just peaking at 27°C with a bit of a strong wind across the circuit.

That should make for decent, but testing, conditions for today’s race.

Miami Grand Prix starting grid

17:59 , Marc Mayo

How to watch

17:54 , Marc Mayo

TV channel: The race will be shown live on Sky Sports with lights out at 8.30pm BST. Coverage starting at 7pm on Sky Sports F1 and 7.30pm and Main Event.

Free highlights are on Channel 4 at 1.25am BST overnight on Sunday into Monday.

Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers can watch live via the Sky Go app.

F1 Miami Grand Prix - LIVE!

17:49 , Marc Mayo

Hello and welcome to Standard Sport’s live coverage of the F1 Miami Grand Prix.

It’s been a season of some trepidation for Formula One as Red Bull look primed to run away with the title.

But exactly which Red Bull driver will take the crown is now up for some debate, with Sergio Perez on pole position today and Max Verstappen back in ninth.

How the Dutchman fights past the likes of Charles Leclerc, whose crash in qualifying was partly responsible for his low grid position, and Fernando Alonso is one of many subplots in Miami.

The grand prix begins at 8.30pm BST at Miami International Autodrome, where our reporter Matt Majendie is on hand to provide expert analysis.

You can follow all the build-up, race action and reaction right here with our live blog!

Click here to read the full blog on The Evening Standard's website