Verstappen Storms to F1 Miami GP Win
Max Verstappen emerged as the winner of the F1 Miami Grand Prix, having started only ninth on the grid. Sergio Perez, his teammate and likely title rival, looked to be the favorite after starting on pole position.
However, Verstappen quickly made his way through the field on Hard tires and was up to second by Lap 15, only 3.5 seconds behind Perez who was on Medium compound rubber.
Perez pitted on Lap 19 to fit Hard tires, allowing Verstappen to take the lead. Despite having fresher tires, Perez was unable to make significant progress, and Verstappen was still ahead by 18 seconds when Perez finally pitted on Lap 45.
Verstappen emerged only 1.6 seconds behind Perez and overtook him on Lap 47, taking the lead which he held until the end of the race.
Verstappen was pleased with his performance and the win, and also picked up the bonus point for the fastest lap.
Perez finished second for Red Bull’s fourth 1-2 finish in five races in 2023, but was disappointed with his inability to challenge Verstappen for the win. Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin finished third, his fourth third-place finish of 2023.
George Russell of Mercedes finished fourth, ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz who was penalized for speeding in the pit lane.
Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes finished sixth, while Charles Leclerc of Ferrari finished a disappointing seventh. The Alpines of Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon took eighth and ninth, respectively, with Kevin Magnussen of Haas rounding out the top ten.
For the 14th time in F1 history, there were no retirements, with all 20 cars seeing the chequered flag.
Verstappen’s win saw him extend his lead at the top of the Drivers’ Championship, with 119 points. Perez remained second with 105 points, while Alonso was third with 75 points. In the Constructors’ Championship, Red Bull was leading with 224 points, followed by Aston Martin with 102 points and Mercedes with 96 points.
The next round of the 2023 F1 season is the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at the Imola Circuit.
