07/05/2023
NEWS STORY
There's good news... and then there's bad news.
The good news is that heavy overnight rain has washed away almost all the rubber laid over the previous couple of days, which means that what was already promising to be a tense start just got that little bit more so.
On the other hand, the bad news is that not having learned its lesson at COTA in 2017, when boxing announcer Michael Buffer introduced the drivers to the crowd ahead of the race, a ceremony ahead of today's event will see American rapper LL Cool J introduce the boys... in five groups of four. After which will come the national anthem.
Swiftly moving on, as a precaution Ferrari opted to change the gearbox in Leclerc's car following his crash yesterday, the change having been made without penalty.
A couple of hours ago there was some light drizzle but nothing of any significance and it is thought that the rain previously being this afternoon predicted will not now arrive until long after the chequered flag.
LL Cool J aside, quite a few of the teams will be happy to get today's race out of the way and move on to Imola and the triple-header, not least Mercedes which plans the first stage of its update programme.
Both the drivers and team boss Toto Wolff have made no secret of how they feel about the W14, and today is likely to be about damage limitation.
Damage limitation is also likely to be the name of the game at McLaren, while Alpine, which got both drivers into Q3, will simply be hoping for an incident free afternoon.
With overtaking a major risk - even before last night's rain - the start was always going to be crucial, and other than the fact that we have Alonso very much in the mix, it's worth noting that neither he nor Perez or Sainz has a teammate close by to give support.
However, should that wily old fox Alonso get the jump on his rivals it could be an interesting afternoon.
Of course, Leclerc and Verstappen, starting from seventh and ninth are going to be worth watching, but this is a track that punishes the slightest mistake, as the Ferrari driver will testify.
Indeed, we've had offs, near misses and other incidents all weekend, following the merest deviation from the racing line.
Of course, the ever evolving track conditions, not to mention the red flag mean that we have some surprises at the front of the grid, not least Magnussen and Bottas, and, to a lesser extent, Gasly.
There is little room in F1 for sentiment, especially these days when it is all about money, but surely nobody would begrudge these three heading home with a few points.
Sick to death as were are of "the vibe", Miami is an interesting track. Yes, it is as featureless as many of the other new additions to the calendar, whilst also clearly intended for the corporate guest and celebs so beloved of Stefano and his team, but the temperatures, combined with that track surface and some challenging corners, make it an interesting track.
That said, one cannot help but shudder at the news that officials are in talks to turn the event into a night race, a move which would surely be purely about "the vibe".
According to Pirelli, as was the case last year, the fastest race strategy is a one-stopper, starting on mediums and switching hards between laps 12 and 20. A two-stopper is also worth considering: starting on the mediums, switching to hards between laps 10 and 16, and finishing on the softs from laps 35 to 43. An alternative could be with the softs for the last 11 to 16 laps of the race.
Of course, bearing in mind what we have already said, the teams will have to consider the strong possibility of a safety car, given that last year's Grand Prix was stopped twice.
The pitlane opens and the drivers begin to head out. Other than being overcast, it is noticeably windy.
An early lock-up for Hamilton, while Alonso is the first to take his place on the grid, the Spaniard clearly can't wait to get on with it.
Air temperature is 27 degrees C, while the track temperature is 36 degrees. There is a 10% chance of rain.
There's late drama in the shape of a water leak in the pitlane near the Aston Martin garage which has resulted in a large wet patch in the middle of the pitlane.
Needless to say, the pre-race ceremony is every bit as cringe as expected. And as for the national anthem... even the Pitpass cats covered their ears.
"Feels like a headwind into Turn 1," reports Hamilton.
OK, Perez, Alonso, Sainz, Magnussen, Gasly, Russell, Leclerc, Bottas, Albon, de Vries and Sargeant start on mediums. Ocon, Verstappen, Hulkenberg, Hamilton, Zhou, Tsunoda and Stroll are on hards, while Norris and Piastri are on softs. Alonso is on used mediums, while Stroll is on used hards, all the other tyres are brand spanking new.
They head off on the formation lap, all getting away cleanly.
Perez leads the field on to the grid. Russell already complaining of "lots of vibrations". And they aint good.
They're away. Perez gets the jump on Alonso, and as they head into Turn 1, the Mexican leads the Spaniard with Sainz tucked in behind and Magnussen sandwiched between Gasly and Russell.
At the back Norris runs wide in Turn 1 after being hit by de Vries after the AlphaTauri driver locks-up and collects the unsuspecting McLaren driver.
At the end of Lap 1, Perez leads Alonso, Sainz, Gasly, Russell, Leclerc, Magnussen, Bottas, Verstappen and Ocon.
Piastri has already made up 5 positions and is now running 14th.
Verstappen passes Bottas for 8th, as Perez builds a 1.3s lead.
"Think about the plan," Verstappen is told.
Sargeant pits at the end of Lap 2, the American changing his front wing.
Magnussen has passed Leclerc however, the Monegasque, who has Verstappen right behind, fights back. Courtesy of DRS and a good tow, the Dutchman takes advantage of the squabble to pass both cars as Leclerc struggles and eventually loses out to the Haas river.
Ocon passes Hulkenberg for tenth.
Hamilton complains of an unspecified issue which he feels will prevent him finishing the race. "Everything looks OK at the moment," he is assured."
Norris pits at the end of Lap 4 and his McLaren teammate a lap later. Both switch to hards.
Hamilton is concerned that his front wing might be damaged, but he is told that it might just be the wind.
Sainz is all over Alonso who is now 1.4s down on the leader.
A mistake sees Ocon cut the corner at Turn 5.
"OK, feels Plan A minus 12," reports Alonso.
Lap 7 sees Verstappen post a new fastest lap (32.555) as he closes to within 0.571s of Russell.
Hulkenberg runs wide as he battles Bottas for 10th.
Verstappen makes short work of Russell as the Briton continues to complain of a "big vibration".
The Dutchman makes short work of Gasly as they enter Turn 17, with Russell following through moments later.
Remember, Verstappen is on the hard tyre.
Check out our Sunday gallery from Miami here.
Albon joins the Bottas/Hulkenberg battle for tenth, with Hamilton just behind the Williams.
"My gut tells me it's going to be a Plan A race," reports Russell.
2.7s down on Ocon, Bottas heads a DRS train of 5 cars.
No sooner has Perez posted a new fastest lap (32.478), than Verstappen responds with a 32.251.
The Dutchman is 1.3s down on Sainz, who reports that his fronts are struggling.
Leclerc closes on Magnussen who is currently 7th. Ocon keeps a close watch on the battling pair.
"This DRS train is good, the car ahead doesn't seem to have any deg," reports Hamilton.
As Magnussen makes life difficult for Leclerc - and Ocon - Verstappen has a little look at Sainz.
Verstappen finally nails Sainz in Turn 11, and sets about closing the 0.6s gap to Alonso.
Magnussen pits at the end of Lap 14, rejoining in 17th.
Again, Verstappen makes full use of Turn 11 to pass the Aston Martin, the world champion now just 3.8s down on his Red Bull teammate.
Gasly, Bottas and de Vries all pit at the end of Lap 15, no doubt in reaction to Magnussen's stop. Gasly rejoins in 14th and Bottas 16th, sandwiching the Dane.
"Car behind is now Max," Perez is advised.
Russell pits at the end of Lap 17, as does Leclerc. They rejoin in 12th (Russell) and 15th.
As Sainz pits, locking up at the entrance, Alonso complains of "a lot of deg".
Sainz rejoins in 7th, behind the Hulkenberg/Hamilton scrap.
The Spaniard subsequently passes Hamilton and sets about closing the 0.7s gap to Hulkenberg.
After 19 laps, Verstappen is 1.3s down on Perez.
At the end of Lap 20 Perez pits. Switching to hards, he rejoins the race in 4th as behind Sainz passes Hulkenberg for 5th.
Sainz has been noted for speeding in the pitlane.
"It's all good Nico, keep doing our race. You're doing a good job."
As Stroll tries to go through on the inside of Albon the pair almost touch, as Russell, running behind the pair, keeps a watching eye.
Making short work of Ocon, Perez is now up to third.
Albon pits at the end of Lap 22. The Williams driver rejoins in 17th.
Sainz is handed a 5s time penalty for speeding in the pitlane.
Russell calls on his team to check his front wing after a brush with Stroll as the pair are noted for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.
Out front, after23 laps, Verstappen enjoys a 4.6s lead over Alonso.
Alonso pits at the end of Lap 24, the Spaniard rejoining in 5th, ahead of Hamilton but behind Sainz.
As Verstappen enquires about tyre data, he is told to "focus on the driving".
Gasly passes Stroll for 10th.
Despite the fact that he has a comfort cushion as a result of that 5s time penalty for Sainz, Alonso is all over the Ferrari driver.
Alonso makes a typically bold move on Sainz for 4th.
"For me, pushing this much is not good for the tyres," says Albon. "I don't agree with this." The youngster is currently 16th, 4s down on Bottas.
Matching his teammate for pace, despite the fact that he is on 29-lap old hards, Verstappen is told to be mindful of the increased wind.
"Don't go mad," Russell is told, as he is advised that Hamilton is able to lean on his tyres quite hard. Verstappen is told that he too can lean on his tyres more.
"We are not racing him (Russell)," Hamilton is told, "we are racing Ocon, so let him pass."
"He can go by, I'm not backing off though," replies the seven-time champ.
Zhou pits at the end of Lap 31, as Russell passes Hamilton for 6th. "Thank you very much, much appreciated," says the youngster.
"Factored track position is 5 seconds behind Checo," Verstappen is told, "so the longer we can extend this the better."
Hulkenberg pits at the end of Lap 33, as Leclerc continues to harry Magnussen for 11th.
"The car is jumping all over the place," reports the Monegasque as his teammate finally passes Ocon for 4th.
Russell passes Ocon who appears to be struggling, the Frenchman one of 5 drivers, including race leader Verstappen, who has yet to stop.
Despite the age of his tyres, Lap 35 sees a new fastest lap from Verstappen.
Tsunoda pits at the end of Lap 36, as Magnussen continues to frustrate Leclerc.
Russell makes surprisingly short work of Sainz to take 4th, the Spaniard's afternoon going from bad to worse.
Hulkenberg posts a new fastest lap (30.901).
Hamilton pits at the end of Lap 37, as Leclerc finally nails Magnussen on the run to Turn 1.
Hamilton rejoins in 13th, 2s down on his former teammate Bottas.
"No need to kill the tyres, but an overtake of Bottas will help," Hamilton is advised.
A mistake sees Perez lose a second to the leader, the gap now up to 17.8s.
Ocon pits at the end of Lap 39, rejoining behind Hamilton who had just passed Bottas.
After 41 laps, only Verstappen and Stroll haven't stopped. The Canadian is currently 7th.
"Effective track position now minus 1.7," Verstappen is advised.
As Stroll finally pits at the end of Lap 42, rejoining in 15th, Russell is asked for some tyre feedback.
Now the only driver still to stop, Verstappen continues to set a blistering pace.
"We've got no concern with your tyres to the end," Alonso is told, as Perez posts a new fastest lap (30.897).
Verstappen finally pits at the end of Lap 45, 3.1s later he is heading down the pitlane, rejoining 1.366s down on his teammate. Perez is now on 25-lap old hards while Verstappen is on fresh mediums with just 11 laps remaining.
"Use mechanical grip in Sector 2," Verstappen is told.
Check out our Sunday gallery from Miami here.
Verstappen attacks on the run to Turn 17, but Perez isn't having it. The pair battle heading into Turn 1, but there is no stopping the world champion. Nonetheless it will have been a heart-stopping moment for Christian Horner on the pit-wall.
In third, 8.4s clear of fourth-placed Russell, Alonso is looking good for another podium.
After 48 laps, with everyone having stopped, it's: Verstappen (+ 1.4s), Alonso, (+ 15.5s), Russell (+ 8.5s), Sainz (+ 1.9s), Gasly (+ 12s), Leclerc (+ 1.2s), Hamilton + 3s), Ocon (+ 4.3s) and Magnussen (+ 1.7s).
Having seen his teammate pass Albon on the Diamondvision screen, Alonso enquires what position he is in. Stroll's next target being Bottas. Indeed the Canadian sweeps by the Alfa Romeo in Turn 17.
Lap 52 sees a new fastest lap from Verstappen (30.372).
Hamilton passes Gasly in Turn 11 to claim 7th.
"Who is the car ahead of Fernando," asks Russell, "are we that close to Perez?" "That's Sargeant," he is told. "I was going to say," he laughs.
Hamilton appears to catch Leclerc napping on the run to Turn 11 to claim 6th.
Verstappen goes quickest in S1, the Dutchman clearly eyeing that extra point for fastest lap. He duly crosses the line at 29.708.
Verstappen takes the flag, and with it fastest lap, ahead of Perez, Alonso, Russell, Sainz, Hamilton, Leclerc, Gasly, Ocon and Magnussen.
Tsunoda is eleventh, ahead of Stroll, Bottas, Albon, Hulkenberg, Zhou, Norris, de Vries, Piastri and Sargeant.
"The car is amazing, a bit of a lonely race," says Alonso. "We did expect stronger opposition, but the Ferraris were worse than expected today.
"We take the podium, and going into the triple-header, hopefully we can keep on going. We want more, at least a second place, maybe Monaco, maybe Barcelona we have a possibility."
"I gave it my all," says Perez. "The first stint was poor with the graining, and that compromised our race as we had too much of a difference on tyres.
"Well deserved win from Max," he adds. "I think the medium initially was really poor, worse than expected. I need to analyse what went wrong, as we had a bad race."
"It was a good race," says Verstappen, "stayed out of trouble in the beginning and yeah, a clean race. I could stay out long on the hard tyres, and that's what made the difference.
"Yesterday was a set-back," he adds, "today we kept it calm, we kept it clean. Winning from P9 is very satisfying."
Whether Toto describes this as another "bore", like Baku, remains to be seen, but the continual shots of the crowd, many of whom appeared pleasantly 'refreshed', suggests they were enjoying it.
Fact is however, there was little to get worked up about, with the Red Bulls scoring their fourth 1-2 from 5 races.
As we've said before, it is up to the other teams to catch up, but with Las Vegas such an important race for Liberty one has to worry about Stefano Domenicali's suggestion of 'more flexible' rules.
Toto and Zak won't be the only ones hoping that those upgrades make an improvement.
That aside, the big question has to be, who will announce the drivers in Vegas, and who sings the Anthem, we're going for a hologram Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack.
Check out our Sunday gallery from Miami here.