Miami Grand Prix: Sprint Qualifying Recap

SQ1 brought mixed fortunes for Ocon and Bearman. Ocon clocked a 1:31.258 on his opening run on the mandatory Pirelli P Zero Yellow medium tire. Ocon’s second timed run was faster, a 1:31.245, but it wasn’t enough to graduate into SQ2 – the Frenchman out in P18. Bearman opened his account with a 1:30.843 and then bettered that with a 1:30.614 to progress into SQ2 in P13.

With just one timed run set in SQ2, Bearman once again went faster on the medium rubber – the British racer logging a 1:30.116 to finish his qualifying run in P13, with only the top 10 advancing into SQ3.

Prior to Sprint qualifying, Friday’s solitary practice outing was an extended session – lengthened to 90 minutes from the usual 60 to afford teams more time to dial in following the gap since March’s Japanese Grand Prix, Sprint weekend considerations and to acknowledge the technical adjustments introduced this weekend. Bearman and Ocon tested the full dry compound choice on their VF-26s, starting on the hard rubber then working through the medium and soft compounds. Bearman posted a best lap of 1:31.091 on softs to place P13, while Ocon’s fastest lap, a 1:31.635, also on softs, landed P16 at the checkered.

Ollie Bearman:

“It’s been a tough day, as it’s been the hottest conditions we’ve driven these cars in, and it’s posed a few challenges. It’s been challenging to put the car on the limit and it’s been a bit unpredictable, plus with the abundance of low-speed corners, I’ve been struggling to have a balance that I can trust and push. We made a big step from FP1 to Sprint Quali, I’m really happy about that, and we need another step of that magnitude for tomorrow.”

Esteban Ocon:

"Unfortunately, it's been a rough day. We had an untidy FP1 with some deployment issues and we weren't able to get a clear low fuel run. We also didn’t have a great car underneath us, so it was quite difficult to put a lap together. Obviously there was the lock-up as well and it's not the first one of the day. There's plenty to work on.”

Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal:

“I think the first day back running, in FP1, our operations weren’t great, but the car hasn’t been easy to drive either. Both drivers struggled to put a lap together in the hot temperatures. In Sprint Quali, on Ollie’s side, we almost maximized everything – he had one oversteer moment, but other than that he was very close to getting into SQ3. With Esteban, he should be close to Ollie, but he had a lock-up in SQ1, and we’re looking into why. I think tomorrow, if we get everything out of the car and we operate cleanly, we should be looking at the top 10. Even though we didn’t bring an upgrade here, other than Alpine being quick, in terms of the midfield, we can still fight with everyone. We need a clean Sprint, and improve a bit more for qualifying on Saturday afternoon.”