Alexandra Hainer clinches class podium on McLaren Trophy return
- RACERS
- May 4
- 4 min read
Reigning ProAm champion Alexandra Hainer made her return to the McLaren Trophy North America at the Miami International Autodrome, stepping up to the Pro class and immediately securing a class podium finish in a dramatic, single-race weekend in support of the Miami F1 GP.
Reigning ProAm champion Alexandra Hainer made her return to the McLaren Trophy North America at the Miami International Autodrome, stepping up to the Pro class and immediately securing a class podium finish in a dramatic, single-race weekend in support of the Miami F1 GP.
The Miami round, second event of the championship and third race of the season following the Sonoma double-header, marked the series’ first appearance on the Formula 1 support bill. It also introduced a new strategic element with the addition of a push-to-pass system.
The weekend featured a competitive grid, including fellow female driver Kaia Teo, winner on debut at Sonoma, now paired with Jon Miller due to a scheduling clash for her regular teammate with the Michelin Pilot Challenge at Laguna Seca.
Teo had already established herself as a front-runner and entered Miami needing strong Pro class points to remain in championship contention.
In second practice, Teo and Miller confirmed their pace by finishing second in Pro class and fourth overall. Meanwhile, Hainer, returning alongside fellow ProAm champion Jesse Lazare in the #43 Motorsports In Action entry backed by cosmetics brand Starface, set the fourth-fastest time, indicating podium potential in the Pro category.
Qualifying saw Teo take the wheel of the #8 car for Q1, posting a 2:00.355 to secure third in Pro and tenth overall. Hainer followed with a 2:01.233, placing fifth in Pro class.
For the race, Kaia Teo and Alexandra Hainer both started in their respective cars. Drama unfolded immediately at Turn 1, where an incident involving multiple cars saw Erik Behrens stranded and Edmond Barseghian eliminated after contact. Both Teo and Hainer avoided the chaos: Teo emerged third in Pro and seventh overall, while Hainer climbed to fourth in class and twelfth overall after gaining several positions on the opening lap.
The race remained green and Teo settled into her rhythm, maintaining her class position despite Ryan James overtaking her on lap 2 for eighth overall. Hainer, meanwhile, began an impressive charge: capitalizing on a spin by Sorbaro, she gained a position before executing clean overtakes on AM-class entries MacPherson and Harrison to move up to eleventh overall, while holding fourth in Pro.
Hainer’s pace continued to improve as she dipped below the 2:02 barrier, applying pressure to Bill Fenech while defending from Pro rival Stockard. On lap 6, Stockard attempted a move but failed to complete it and spun, allowing Hainer to consolidate her position with a clearer track ahead.
As the pit window approached, Teo completed a clean and controlled first stint, pitting from third in class on lap 8 and handing over to Jon Miller. Hainer also pitted on lap 8, running close to the overall top ten, as Jesse Lazare took over.
The pit cycle proved crucial: Lazare emerged ahead of Miller, moving into third place in the Pro class, but the battle was far from over. Miller immediately applied pressure, with both drivers trading competitive lap times: Lazare posted a 1:59.9, while Miller responded with a quicker 1:59.0, matched again by Lazare on the following lap.
With 15 minutes remaining, the pair ran eighth and ninth overall, separated by just three tenths of a second as they fought intensely for the final podium position in Pro. On lap 13, Miller found a way past Lazare to take third in class and began to build a small gap, consistently lapping in the 1:59s and extending his advantage to over a second.
However, the closing minutes brought further drama. With four minutes to go, Joe Osborne’s #52 car came to a halt, triggering a yellow flag situation. At the same time, Miller attempted to pass the AM-class car of Grecco for seventh overall, but the two made contact. Lazare capitalized immediately, passing both cars just before the Safety Car was deployed for Osborne’s stranded machine.
The race ultimately ended under caution, with Lazare reclaiming third place in Pro class and thus securing a podium finish for Hainer on her return to the championship and in her first outing in the Pro category.
Teo and Miller crossed the line ninth overall and fourth in Pro, still collecting valuable championship points after a competitive showing.
Originally scheduled for Sunday morning, the second race of the weekend initially underwent a schedule change due to adjustments in the Formula 1 timetable, which had been brought forward by three hours due to incoming inclement weather. Despite being rescheduled earlier, persistent rain in the area ultimately led to the cancellation of the second McLaren Trophy race, a common occurrence for support series on F1 weekends.
As a result, Miami became a single-race weekend, with Hainer’s podium finish standing as a strong result in her step up to the Pro class.
The series will return to the track on 12-14 June at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
