RAce Report: Miami Grand Prix
The first Miami Grand Prix is already in the books. Max Verstappen has cut his championship gap to fewer than 20 points. Verstappen snatched back-to-back wins in great fashion after his Imola triumph, standing on a podium in the shadow of the Hard Rock Stadium, watched by the numerous celebrities in attendance.
Let’s look back at what happened on Sunday at the inaugural Miami Grand Prix.
Verstappen beats Ferrari
Both Ferrari drivers, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz had a fantastic start as they took the lead into turn 1. On the other hand, Verstappen managed to push by Sainz into turn 2 and stayed there for the rest of the lap. By lap 9, Leclerc’s tyres had begun to wear away, allowing Verstappen to pass the leader and demonstrate the strength of this year’s Red Bull. Leclerc appeared unable to match Verstappen’s speed, and the Dutch driver seemed to be on his way to gliding to the finish line.
On lap 41, Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris collided, ending Norris’ day and bringing out a safety car that brought the pack together. Then, with Verstappen back in his sights, Leclerc made a brave attempt to catch him. Still, after a few circuits, Verstappen drew away again and won.
Vettel – Schumacher shunt
Vettel and Schumacher’s friendship is one of the purest in Formula One. The Aston Martin driver is serving as a mentor to the second-year Haas driver, just like Mick’s father, Michael, did for Vettel while he was racing.
Schumacher, who was in the top ten on lap 53 of the 57-lap race, seemed to be on his way to scoring points for the first time in his Formula 1 career.
In a battle for P9 with Esteban Ocon, Schumacher went wide on turn 17, letting Vettel to pass. As both cars reached turn 1, Schumacher attempted to go down the inside to reclaim the lead but crashed with the inside of Vettel’s AMR22 as he entered the corner.
Vettel was forced to retire from the race, and Schumacher was forced to start from the bottom of the field due to a broken front wing.
Vettel’s top-ten finish would have been a fitting reward for a recovery race that he and teammate Lance Stroll had to start from the pitlane because of a fuel temperature issue on both Aston Martins.
Bottas vs Mercedes
Alfa Romeo would have jumped at the chance to finish seventh in a grand prix a year ago. Valtteri Bottas, on the other hand, was frustrated with his performance in Miami, which speaks much about the team’s growth. While rookie Zhou Guanyu was forced to retire early, Bottas continued to lead Alfa Romeo’s 2022 comeback after joining the team from Mercedes. Bottas pulled away from Hamilton in the opening stint, holding a comfortable fifth place, before being caught out by the Mercedes cars behind him on the restart.
Bottas finished seventh due to his blunder, but his displeasure was a tribute to Alfa Romeo’s progress. The team finished ninth last season but is now in a strong fifth place this year, with 31 points, 30 of which came from Bottas.
Redhead Albon
Alexander Albon joked that something was in his hair during the Miami Grand Prix. The Williams Formula 1 driver ascribed his second points-scoring finish to a spray of red dye.
He ended P10 and then moved up to P9 after Fernando Alonso was penalised. It was another successful weekend for the Thai racer, as the team continues to perform well.
