Miami Grand Prix 2023
The 2023 F1 season has been completely one-sided thus far, with Red Bull claiming four wins out of four races. Reigning two-time world champion Max Verstappen has not finished below second yet this season, although team-mate Sergio Perez is giving him quite a battle, with two wins already.
As the season shifts to South Beach for the Miami Grand Prix, can the other contenders – namely Ferrari and Mercedes – give the Red Bulls a serious challenge and maybe even halt their winning streak?
Meanwhile, all eyes will be on American rookie Logan Sargeant as he prepares to run his home Grand Prix.
Read on below as SBOTOP delivers a comprehensive preview of the 2023 Miami Grand Prix.
Talking Points
Max vs Checo in Miami
The first four races of the season have been dominated by the Red Bull duo of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. The two teammates have alternated wins, with Checo claiming the chequered flag in the most recent race in Baku.
The Red Bull cars appear to be head and shoulders above the rest of the pack, and while things got a bit more interesting in Baku, the other teams still have a long way to go to break up the Max-Checo duopoly.
But as we all saw last year, there is no love lost between the two teammates, and Checo will certainly not back down from the challenge of competing against the dominant Dutchman.
Ferrari looking to build more momentum in Miami
Ferrari are off to a slow start this season, but the Scuderia finally showed some signs of life upon returning from the break in Baku. Charles Leclerc showed his pace in qualifying as he went P1 for both the Sprint race and the Grand Prix.
Unfortunately, the Monegasque couldn’t quite sustain that pace for the entire race, but he did still earn his – and his team’s – first podium of the season as he finished behind the two Red Bulls in third.
Ferrari will be hoping to build upon that momentum in Miami, where they enjoyed much success last season. Leclerc and Carlos Sainz went 1-2 in qualifying in last year’s race and both finished on the podium (2nd and 3rd) in the debut Miami GP.
Mercedes need strong showing in Miami
Speaking of slow starts, Mercedes have also struggled to live up to pre-season expectations as they’ve been overtaken by surprising Aston Martin as Red Bull’s top challengers.
Lewis Hamilton seemingly turned the corner with his second-place finish in Melbourne, but he slid back down to sixth in Baku, with teammate George Russell just behind him in eighth.
Russell got into a row with Max Verstappen as they collided during the Sprint race, but he was disappointed in himself for finishing so low in the main race.
Russell had a strong showing in last year’s Miami GP as he rose from 12th to fifth. Given his current form this season, a top-five finish would be a huge result for Russell, who is in dire need of a confidence-booster.
Sargeant set for home Grand Prix
This upcoming weekend will be a big one for Williams’ Logan Sargeant. Born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the Miami GP will be racing in quite literally his home Grand Prix, and he will be keen to put on a good performance.
Sargeant has not gotten off to the best of starts; after a 12th-place finish in Bahrain, the rookie has reeled off a hat-trick of 16th-place finishes as he finds himself second from bottom in the drivers’ standings with no points.
Without a doubt, it will be a tall task to pick up his first career F1 point, but it would be a massive achievement if he manages to do it in Miami.
History
This is only the second staging of the Miami Grand Prix. It made its maiden run last year, with Max Verstappen emerging victorious despite qualifying in third. The Ferrari duo of Leclerc and Sainz finished on the podium in second and third.
What are the odds?
All eyes will be on the Verstappen-Perez duel this weekend in Miami. After failing to win in Baku, Miami Grand Prix 2023 betting odds have Verstappen installed as a massive 1.30 favourite to beat his teammate Checo, who is priced at 3.08.
Checo is known as a street race specialist, so the Miami GP could be another great opportunity for the Mexican to get one over on his teammate.
Another interesting battle to watch out for will be Fernando Alonso vs Charles Leclerc. Alonso failed to make a podium for the first time in four races in Baku as he was replaced by Leclerc. However, the Aston Martin has been remarkably consistent thus far and could yet make some Miami Grand Prix 2023 highlights this weekend.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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