Team by Team Review of the F1 Miami Grand Prix

 Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, of Monaco, steers into a turn during the Formula One Miami Grand Prix auto race Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP)
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, of Monaco, steers into a turn during the Formula One Miami Grand Prix auto race Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP)
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Team by Team Review of the F1 Miami Grand Prix

 Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, of Monaco, steers into a turn during the Formula One Miami Grand Prix auto race Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP)
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, of Monaco, steers into a turn during the Formula One Miami Grand Prix auto race Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP)

Team by team review of Sunday's Miami Formula One Grand Prix, round six of the 24-race season (listed in current championship order):

RED BULL (Max Verstappen 2, Sergio Perez 4)

Verstappen was beaten, in a race he finished, for the first time since Singapore last September. The triple champion, who started on pole and won Saturday's 100km sprint, stretched his lead over Perez to 33 points. Red Bull said he ended the race with a damaged car, possibly due to hitting a bollard. Perez almost took out Verstappen at the start, when he misjudged the first corner and careered across the track. He moved up to fourth post-race when Sainz collected a five second penalty.

FERRARI (Charles Leclerc 3, Carlos Sainz 5)

Leclerc, who started second on the grid, took his third podium in six races. The Monegasque struggled with rear grip early on, with Sainz itching to get past, and pitted on lap 19 from third, coming back out in seventh before moving back up. Sainz started third and pitted a lap before the safety car and was summoned to stewards after the race for a clash with McLaren's Piastri, dropping from fourth to fifth.

MCLAREN (Lando Norris 1, Oscar Piastri 13)

Norris celebrated his first F1 win in his 110th race, cashing in when the safety car was deployed on lap 28 before he had pitted, giving him a cheap stop. The Briton was able to pit from the lead and stay ahead of Verstappen before pulling away. He is the 114th F1 driver since 1950 to win a race. Piastri set fastest lap but without a bonus point. He dropped to last after pitting for a new front wing following a clash with Sainz. The win was McLaren's first since Monza 2021 and 184th in total.

MERCEDES (Lewis Hamilton 6, George Russell 8)

Russell started seventh on medium tires and Hamilton eighth on hards. Russell dropped to 10th at the start and struggled for pace on the hard tire later on. Both drivers were jumped by Tsunoda who pitted during the safety car period, but Hamilton took the place back and ran Perez close at the end.

ASTON MARTIN (Fernando Alonso 9, Lance Stroll 17)

Alonso pitted for medium tires on lap 23 when the virtual safety car was deployed after Verstappen hit a bollard and left it on the track in a dangerous position. The Spaniard passed Alpine's Ocon for ninth on lap 48. Stroll pitted before the safety car was deployed, compromising his strategy. He was then penalized 10 seconds for leaving the track and gaining an advantage in a battle with Williams' Alex Albon.

RB (Yuki Tsunoda 7, Daniel Ricciardo 15)

Tsunoda did a long first stint and added to RB's haul after Ricciardo finished fourth in Saturday's sprint, the first points of the Australian's season. Ricciardo started last on the grid after qualifying 18th with a three-place penalty from China.

HAAS (Nico Hulkenberg 11, Kevin Magnussen 18)

Magnussen collected two more time penalties totaling 30 seconds, one for entering the pits during a safety car period and not changing tires and the other for causing the collision with Sargeant that triggered the safety car. The Dane was also handed two penalty points, taking his 12-month tally to 10 and leaving him only two from a race ban. Hulkenberg overtook Hamilton on lap two but was passed again on lap 10.

ALPINE (Esteban Ocon 10, Pierre Gasly 12)

Ocon scored Renault-owned Alpine's first point of the campaign, starting from 13th on medium tires and pitting on lap 22 for hards. Gasly started 12th and pitted on lap 12. The Alpine pair went wheel to wheel early on.

WILLIAMS (Alex Albon 19, Logan Sargeant retired)

Sargeant crashed backwards into the barrier after contact with Magnussen, who was trying to overtake, and became the race's only retirement. Albon picked up floor damage as he defended on older tires than rivals had, running off in the closing laps. He was the first to pit on lap 10.

SAUBER (Zhou Guanyu 14, Valtteri Bottas 16)

Still no points for the Swiss-based team, who mixed up their strategies with Bottas switching from softs to hards on lap 11 and then mediums on lap 29. Zhou did one stop on lap 28 with mediums to softs.



Sinner Thumps Shelton for Djokovic Showdown in Australian Open Semis

Italy's Jannik Sinner celebrates a match point against USA's Ben Shelton during their men's singles quarter-final match on day eleven of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 28, 2026. (AFP)
Italy's Jannik Sinner celebrates a match point against USA's Ben Shelton during their men's singles quarter-final match on day eleven of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 28, 2026. (AFP)
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Sinner Thumps Shelton for Djokovic Showdown in Australian Open Semis

Italy's Jannik Sinner celebrates a match point against USA's Ben Shelton during their men's singles quarter-final match on day eleven of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 28, 2026. (AFP)
Italy's Jannik Sinner celebrates a match point against USA's Ben Shelton during their men's singles quarter-final match on day eleven of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 28, 2026. (AFP)

Defending champion Jannik Sinner scorched American eighth seed Ben Shelton 6-3 6-4 6-4 and ​moved into the Australian Open semi-finals, setting up a blockbuster showdown with 10-times winner Novak Djokovic.

The second seed, who is firmly on course for his third title at Melbourne Park in as many years, ‌tightened his vice-like ‌grip on the ‌rivalry ⁠with ​Shelton ‌by sealing his ninth straight win, all of which have been without conceding a set.

Sinner looked to be on his way when he pulled off a stunning winner by gently caressing the ⁠ball around the net post en route ‌to breaking in the fourth ‍game, before claiming ‍the opening set with little trouble.

Shelton ‍went up a gear and earned a breakpoint at 1-2 down in the second set, but Sinner snuffed out the ​challenge to surge into another commanding lead despite looking off-color at ⁠times and he closed out the frame when the American sent a shot long.

A couple of breakpoints came and went in the fifth game of the third set but Sinner benefited from a Shelton double fault to go 5-4 up and wrapped up the win on serve to ensure his ‌meeting with 24-times major champion Djokovic.


A Powerful Rivalry: Sabalenka and Svitolina Set for Australian Open Semi-Final Showdown

Ukraine's Elina Svitolina celebrates after winning against USA's Coco Gauff during their women's singles quarter-final match on day ten of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 27, 2026. (AFP)
Ukraine's Elina Svitolina celebrates after winning against USA's Coco Gauff during their women's singles quarter-final match on day ten of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 27, 2026. (AFP)
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A Powerful Rivalry: Sabalenka and Svitolina Set for Australian Open Semi-Final Showdown

Ukraine's Elina Svitolina celebrates after winning against USA's Coco Gauff during their women's singles quarter-final match on day ten of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 27, 2026. (AFP)
Ukraine's Elina Svitolina celebrates after winning against USA's Coco Gauff during their women's singles quarter-final match on day ten of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 27, 2026. (AFP)

Naturally there'll be attention on the backstory when Aryna Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina meet in the Australian Open women's semi-finals.

Top-ranked Sabalenka, who is seeking a third title in four years in Australia, is a 27-year-old from Belarus. She’s popular on TikTok for her humorous posts and dance routines.

Svitolina is a 31-year-old Ukrainian who will be returning to the Top 10 next week for the first time since returning from a maternity break she took in 2022. She reached her first Australian Open semi-final with a lopsided win over No. 3 Coco Gauff, needing only 59 minutes to end her run of three quarter-final losses at Melbourne Park.

They're both regularly asked questions relating to Russia's war on Ukraine. Both have regularly said they want the focus to be on tennis. Svitolina is trying to bring joy to the people of Ukraine, of course. Sabalenka said she supports peace.

“It's very close to my heart to see a lot of support from Ukrainians,” she said. “So I feel like (I) bring this light, a little light, you know, even just positive news to Ukrainian people, to my friends when they are watching.”

Players from Ukraine don't shake hands with players from Russia or Belarus at the net after matches. It's accepted on both sides.

They're both on 10-match winning streaks so far in 2026 and entered the season's first major with titles in warmup tournaments — Sabalenka in Brisbane, and Svitolina in Auckland, New Zealand, her 19th career title. That was Svitolina's first foray back after an early end to the 2025 season for a mental health break.

Sabalenka, who has 22 career titles including back-to-back Australian championships in 2023 and '24 and back-to-back US Open triumphs in 2024 and last year, is 5-1 in career meetings with Svitolina. She is into the final 4 at a major for the 14th time, and has made the final seven times.

“It's no secret that she’s a very powerful player. I watched a little bit of her (quarter-final) match. She was playing great tennis, and I think, the power on all aspects of her game is her strengths,” Svitolina said of Sabalenka. “She’s very consistent. For me, I’ll have to ... try to find the ways and the little holes, little opportunities in her game.

“When you play the top players, you have to find these small opportunities and then be ready to take them.”

Svitolina is playing her fourth semi-final at a major — 2019 and 2023 at Wimbledon and the 2019 US Open — and aiming for her first final.

Sabalenka played her quarter-final against 18-year-old Iva Jovic before the searing heat forced organizers to close the roof of the Rod Laver Arena stadium on Tuesday. She was long gone before Svitolina and Guaff played under the roof at night. At that stage, she didn't know who she'd next be playing, but was sure “it's going to be a battle.”

“Because whoever makes it there, it’s an incredible player,” she said. “I think my approach going to be the same. Doesn’t matter who I’m facing.

“I’ll just go, and I’ll be focused on myself and on my game.”


Pegula Must ‘Crack the Code’ in Melbourne Semi-Final Against Rybakina

Jessica Pegula of the USA celebrates match point during the women’s quarter-finals against Amanda Anisimova of the USA on day 11 of the 2026 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, 28 January 2026. (EPA)
Jessica Pegula of the USA celebrates match point during the women’s quarter-finals against Amanda Anisimova of the USA on day 11 of the 2026 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, 28 January 2026. (EPA)
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Pegula Must ‘Crack the Code’ in Melbourne Semi-Final Against Rybakina

Jessica Pegula of the USA celebrates match point during the women’s quarter-finals against Amanda Anisimova of the USA on day 11 of the 2026 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, 28 January 2026. (EPA)
Jessica Pegula of the USA celebrates match point during the women’s quarter-finals against Amanda Anisimova of the USA on day 11 of the 2026 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, 28 January 2026. (EPA)

Jessica Pegula said she will have to "crack the code" of Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open semi-finals after dismantling error-strewn Amanda Anisimova on Wednesday in an all-American showdown.

The sixth seed won 6-2, 7-6 (7/1) to end fourth-seeded Anisimova's hopes of a third Grand Slam final in a row.

Anisimova racked up 44 unforced errors to Pegula's 21.

Pegula is yet to drop a set in Melbourne and is arrowing in on her first major crown at the age of 31.

The closest she has come was losing the 2024 US Open final to Aryna Sabalenka.

The other semi-final at Melbourne Park is between world number one Sabalenka and Ukrainian 12th seed Elina Svitolina.

"It's awesome," Pegula said of reaching her first Australian semi-final, having beaten defending champion Madison Keys in the previous round.

"I thought it's got to be coming (a semi-final), I feel like I play really good tennis here, I like the conditions here.

"I've been waiting for the time when I can break through."

Next up is Kazakh fifth seed Rybakina, who defeated second seed Iga Swiatek in their quarter-final.

Pegula and Rybakina have faced off six times previously, with their head-to-record split at 3-3.

"She's really tough to play, she has a massive serve, big groundstrokes, cool as a cucumber, you get nothing out of her," said Pegula.

"She's been playing some great tennis since the end of last year but I'm going to do my best to hopefully crack the code on her."

- Head in hands -

Pegula and Anisimova had met three times previously, with the more experienced player winning all of them.

Pegula made a scintillating start at Rod Laver Arena, breaking Anisimova's serve to love and surging into a 40-0 lead on her own serve.

Anisimova belatedly won her first point of the match but Pegula comfortably held for 2-0, then had her flustered opponent under pressure once more.

Anisimova, who enjoyed a breakout 2025 to emerge as a major force in women's tennis, defiantly held serve.

The reprieve was short-lived, Pegula reeling off the next three games for a 5-1 lead inside 20 minutes.

Anisimova, beaten in last year's Wimbledon and US Open finals, showed the first signs of frustration as she whacked the soles of her trainers with her racquet.

Pegula's serve was proving a major weapon and she nailed the first set in 30 minutes as she fired down her sixth ace.

The dueling Americans went with serve in the second set but the 24-year-old Anisimova cut an increasingly frustrated figure as her unforced error count mounted.

Anisimova had her head in her hands as the quarter-final threatened to get away from her.
She reset to break Pegula's hitherto dominant serve, but was broken back straight away with her fourth double fault of the contest.

Three more double faults quickly followed and they exchanged breaks to go into a tiebreak, where Pegula raced away and Anisimova's temper boiled over.