Max Verstappen can win the Miami Grand Prix for the third time in a row on Sunday, a race that he has never started from pole position before. That is now the case and once again the Dutchman is the top favorite. However, Ferrari is not completely without a chance.
Charles Leclerc kon Verstappen in de negentien ronden tellende sprintrace op zaterdag aardig bijbenen. “Pas in de laatste paar ronden liep Max wat weg”, blikte de Ferrari-coureur later terug. Verstappen moest zelfs in de verdediging bij de start, waar Leclerc vanaf de tweede plaats een bedreiging vormde.
De Monegask begint in de hoofdrace weer vanaf de tweede plaats, maar Verstappen verwacht nu wel goed te starten. “Ik weet wat we daar fout deden en wat ik verkeerd deed. Dus ik weet ook dat het goed komt als ik gewoon alles doe zoals het zou moeten. De laatste tijd gingen de starts juist erg goed.”
Only scenario Ferrari can hope for
It’s actually the only scenario Ferrari can hope for. Unlike the last few races, both Leclerc and teammate Carlos Sainz are right behind Verstappen. Ideally, the Italian team will be able to get one and preferably even two cars in front of the World Cup leader at the start.
That is the first condition for even thinking about winning, and at the same time not very realistic given the current form in which Verstappen is with his Red Bull. He normally gets away well and can then go on to his 59th victory.
It is more likely that the Ferraris will have to look to the back, where Sergio Pérez starts fourth in the second Red Bull. Behind it is the third row for McLaren, which has a major update this weekend (although it is only on Lando Norris’ car). Norris and his teammate Oscar Piastri can also get involved in the battle for the podium places.
Tires have a hard time on hot asphalt
The weather plays a big role in Miami. The scorching sun makes the asphalt very hot, which is also very rough. The tires are therefore having a hard time. Tire degradation really bothers the drivers, the phenomenon that the pools become so hot that they lose grip and the cars start to slide more.
Verstappen suffered from this, just like most drivers. There was too much oversteer, which in turn affected the rubber. But Red Bull was still able to adjust its car for qualifying. “If the balance is a little better now, everything will be fine,” was his conclusion on Saturday afternoon.
‘Little challenging’ one-stopper guaranteed
If the safety car remains calm, Pirelli expects a one-stop. “There is little doubt about that,” says Mario Isola. “But it is more difficult to say which tires are used and in what order. The soft tire turned out to be an option for the race in the sprint. The hardest tire is undoubtedly the favorite for the drivers, but that can be combined with a stint on soft or on mediums.”
The drivers grumbled about Pirelli’s tire choice, which was said to be too conservative. “With softer tires, more variation would have been possible,” Sainz thought. Verstappen agreed. “I would like more races with two or three pit stops, that is much more fun than a simple one-stop. It is not really a challenge. We will have to talk to Pirelli about that.”
The Italian tire manufacturer cannot change anything about its choice for Miami. The drivers have to make do with the rubber flown in.
The Miami Grand Prix starts at 10 p.m. (Dutch time).
Tags: Miami preview Verstappen completely level Ferrari Formula
