The Latest Breaking News from Mercedes

1'27.241

After another difficult qualifying session in the Miami Grand Prix, as Russell and team-mate Lewis Hamilton could manage no better than seventh and eighth on the grid, the team is now clear about how far off the pace it is.

Verstappen posted a 1m27.241s to lead Leclerc by 0.141-seconds on the first runs in Q3, where they were trailed by Carlos Sainz in the other Ferrari.

Verstappen will start ahead of the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz after the one-hour qualifying session, which is split into three segments with five cars each being knocked out in Q1 and Q2 before the top-10 shootout of Q3.

Norris retired at the start of Saturday's 19-lap contest after tangling with Aston Martin's Lance Stroll, with the second Aston of Fernando Alonso and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton also caught up in a four-way melee.

The seven-time world champion and his Haas rival had some fraught moments during their fight for eighth place in the sprint.

The seven-time world champion and his Haas rival had some fraught moments during their fight for eighth place in the sprint.

Magnussen was handed three 10-second time additions penalties for repeatedly leaving the track and gaining advantages, plus one five-second penalty and a black-and-white warning flag for additional track limits abuse during the 19-lap contest around the Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Verstappen beat Leclerc and his Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez in the 19-lap race, the second sprint event of the season.