Red Bull's Max Verstappen won the 2023 Miami Grand Prix, beating his teammate Sergio Perez in an exciting race. Starting from ninth on the grid, Verstappen expertly stretched out his initial stint on hard tires to rise to first place via a series of fine moves.
He emerged just behind Perez with a fresh set of medium tires late on and comfortably cleared Perez to move into a lead that he would not relinquish. Perez had led the first half of the race on a medium-hard tire strategy.
Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin claimed the 'best of the rest' spot in third, making it four podium finishes in five races for the new partnership. George Russell was the lead Mercedes in fourth, thanks in part to teammate Lewis Hamilton moving out of his way on a different strategy earlier in the race. Sainz was hit with a five-second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane, but it had no impact on his finishing position.
The race was intriguing and strategic, with a mixture of starting tires on show as the front-runners all opted for medium tires, while others went for hard or soft tires. The weather added to the challenge, with the heavens opening and washing away plenty of rubber and grip from the track surface. The race also had a mixed-up grid due to a dramatic qualifying session, with Perez landing pole position and Verstappen down in ninth due to a mistake on his first Q3 lap. Hamilton was back in 13th after a Q2 exit.
Overall, Verstappen's victory was impressive, and he picked up the fastest lap bonus point to top up his tally and the 'Driver of the Day' award. With this win, Verstappen struck back in the 2023 title race, extending his championship advantage over Perez. The next race is the Monaco Grand Prix, and it will be interesting to see if Verstappen can continue his winning streak.
Opmerkingen