The Miami Grand Prix saw Red Bull driver Max Verstappen secure victory against teammate Sergio Perez. The race was an intense battle between the two Red Bulls, with Verstappen starting from ninth on the grid and Perez on pole. Ultimately, Verstappen emerged victorious, extending his lead in the 2023 title race.

Verstappen’s Comeback on Hard Tyres

The race started with a topsy-turvy qualifying session, giving Perez a golden opportunity to take the lead in the standings. However, Verstappen had other plans. He expertly stretched out his initial stint on hard tyres and rose from P9 to P1, passing Perez in the race’s closing stages. Verstappen’s strategic move paid off, as he emerged just behind his teammate with a fresh set of medium tyres, which enabled him to comfortably overtake Perez and secure his victory.

Alonso puts his Aston Martin on the Podium

While the Red Bulls dominated the race, it was left to Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin to claim the “best of the rest” spot in third place, making it four podium finishes in five races for the new partnership. Alonso’s podium finish was a welcome result for Alpine after their disappointing performance in Baku. Meanwhile, George Russell was the lead Mercedes driver in fourth place, with teammate Lewis Hamilton moving out of his way on a different strategy earlier in the race.

Sainz’s Penalty and Double Points Finish for Alpine

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz had a difficult race, receiving a five-second time penalty for speeding in the pits during his tyre swap. However, he finished in fifth place, ahead of Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc. Alpine bounced back from their Baku nightmare with a double points finish, Pierre Gasly leading home teammate Esteban Ocon.

Tsunoda Misses Out on Points

Yuki Tsunoda just missed out on another point in his AlphaTauri, having scored in Australia and Azerbaijan, taking P11 ahead of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll with some defensive driving to the finish line. Alfa Romeo driver Valtteri Bottas ran inside the points early in the race but dropped back to 13th as the various tyre strategies played out, followed by the Williams of Alex Albon, Haas of Nico Hulkenberg, and teammate Zhou Guanyu.

McLaren Drivers Struggle

McLaren pair Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri had quiet races en route to 17th and 19th, respectively, having been the only drivers to start on soft tyres. They were split by the other AlphaTauri of Nyck de Vries, with Williams rookie and home favourite Logan Sargeant bringing up the rear after an early pit stop for a new front wing.

Upcoming Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

F1 will head to Europe for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, or Imola, from May 19-21. This upcoming race will see Verstappen trying to extend his lead in the 2023 title race while his competitors will be eager to close the gap. It promises to be an exciting race as the drivers battle it out on one of the most challenging circuits on the F1 calendar.