Miami Race Reaction
Image: Red Bull Content Pool
With Round 5 of the season and the first race without a DNF since the Turkish Grand Prix in 2021 concluded, the drivers will now set their sights on the historic Imola Grand Prix - but let’s cover the highlights of the 57-lap spectacle and delve into why Red Bull are looking completely unstoppable this year:
Verstappen’s driving masterclass
As was mentioned in our qualifying report, Aston Martin star Fernando Alonso predicted on Saturday that he’ll be seeing Max in his mirrors by only lap 25. Well, the Dutchman managed to get it done by lap 15 - a clear statement of intent that shows just how dangerous a weapon Verstappen can be when he’s against the wall.
Starting from P9 on the grid, Verstappen eventually made his way past teammate Sergio Pérez on the dawn of lap 48 after pitting for fresh medium tyres to claim victory, undoubtedly silencing those speculating the possibility of a Mexican World Champion.
It seems difficult to argue that, given the sheer length of this season, Red Bull will drop off in performance. Providing reliability doesn’t become a hindrance, the team will be a truly immovable object. The question is: Will any other team become the unstoppable force to lock horns with Red Bull?
Another podium for Alonso
Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso has yet again proved that age is merely a number in Formula One (for him at least). Qualifying P2, the double world champ did end up losing one net position by race end, but by no means through luck. He drove a mature and solid race, fending off compatriot Sainz and leading the Silverstone-based team to their fourth podium in five races, a truly remarkable achievement for the often-nicknamed “Wily Old Fox” that is Alonso and also for the team that was running in the midfield at best for the last two seasons.
Fernando was interviewed by the media post-race and had an optimistic outlook on the team’s performance so far:
“That probably was our best race of the year in terms of race pace … we are maximising every Sunday so this is the way to go.”
Ferrari face hardship yet again
Despite a double-points finish for the prancing horses, both drivers seem somewhat dejected and deflated after the dust settled in Miami. Carlos was the leading teammate for the race and finished P5, having fought tooth and nail for position with the Mercedes of George Russell - yet went on to comment on the team’s current situation by stating:
“It’s very tough for us at the moment … we are battling inconsistencies with the wind, with the unpredictability of the car … we paid the price [trying] to undercut Fernando”
Leclerc fans had a rough weekend as well, after a big moment in Q3 on Saturday and a mediocre race day for a driver of this calibre. He too complained of the SF-23’s volatility, specifying that there’s a lot of movement from the platform of the car on straights, as well as general difficulties when pushing the car to its limit.
The team’s Twitter admin didn’t seem to have much to say either! See below:
Ferrari will really have to pull their socks up if they want to catch up to Mercedes for 3rd place in the Constructors Championship.
Hopeful Hamilton returns
Coming from P13 on the grid, Lewis Hamilton managed to get his W14 into P6 before the flag fell, sounding rather pleased with both himself and the car’s feel around the Miami circuit. The Brit went 37 laps on the hard tyres in his first stint, lasting not quite as long as others on the same compound, however he was able to overtake the likes of Carlos Sainz in the dying laps to claim 6th position.
Lewis spoke assuredly about the team’s upcoming upgrades for the Imola GP in two weeks’ time, telling the press he’s looking forward to it. Let’s hope we see a heated battle between Mercedes and Aston Martin for P2 in the Constructors Championship!
Teammate George Russell gave the team a better result of P4, just shy of 7 seconds off a podium but 27 seconds off Red Bull’s pace. It seems the 8-time world champions Mercedes will have to play catch-up until they score more points on a consistent basis.
All eyes forward
So, then, with the second running of the Miami Grand Prix wrapped up, it’s off to Imola next.
Drivers like Lance Stroll and Nico Hulkenberg will want to take it up a gear to support their point-scoring teammates and bring their teams up the rankings, teams like McLaren and Alpha Tauri will be looking to make amends for the dreary starts to the season they’ve had so far and R&D teams across the grid will be working around the clock to bring those vital upgrade packages to the next races.
It’s all looking very exciting as we head back to Europe (excluding Canada of course) over the coming months, so you’ll want to keep it with us for all the coverage you’ll need!
Here’s the final chequered-flag order:
1 - Max Verstappen
2 - Sergio Pérez
3 - Fernando Alonso
4 - George Russell
5 - Carlos Sainz
6 - Lewis Hamilton
7 - Charles Leclerc
8 - Pierre Gasly
9 - Esteban Ocon
10 - Kevin Magnussen
11 - Yuki Tsunoda
12 - Lance Stroll
13 - Valtteri Bottas
14 - Alexander Albon
15 - Nico Hulkenberg
16 - Zhou Guanyu
17 - Lando Norris
18 - Nyck de Vries
19 - Oscar Piastri
20 - Logan Sargeant
