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During the weekend from 5 to 7 May, Formula 1 arrives in the United States of America, at the Miami International Autodrome for the Miami Grand Prix. The Grand Prix represents the fifth round of the 2023 season of the Formula 1 world championship and is held one week after the dispute of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the fourth race of the championship. For the second consecutive edition, the Grand Prix is sponsored by the cryptocurrency exchange application Crypto.com. This edition is attended by 270.491 spectators during the race weekend, which represents the absolute record for the Grand Prix. The previous record belonged to the previous and inaugural edition of 2022, characterized by 242.955 spectators over the weekend. The Miami International Autodrome, a non-permanent street circuit located in Miami Gardens, United States of America, located in the immediate vicinity of Hard Rock Stadium, 14 miles from the Downtown Miami neighborhood, is the seventy-sixth circuit to host a valid race for the world championship. It became the seventh circuit to debut in the turbo-hybrid era that began in the 2014 season, after the Sochi circuit in the same championship with the Russian Grand Prix, the Baku circuit in 2016 with the European Grand Prix, the international Mugello racetrack with the Tuscan Grand Prix and the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve with the Portuguese Grand Prix in 2020, the Lusail circuit with the Qatar Grand Prix and the Jeddah circuit with the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 2021. For this edition, the organizers announce a series of updates to the structure of the circuit: the paddock area is expanded, as the hospitality areas of the teams has been moved on the field inside the stadium; following the high demand for tickets for the inaugural Grand Prix, the capacity of the grandstands was increased by 3.000; 61 new hospitality suites were added and a new permanent building was built on the pits accommodating around 6.000 spectators.
After the adherence problems encountered during the first edition, the entire route was resurfaced, with the aim of improving its conditions. Various news and curiosities accompany the drivers and teams as they approach this race weekend. Before the start of the championship, the Austrian Red Bull Racing team announces its participation in the three world championship races held in the United States of America with three special celebratory liveries, different for each Grand Prix. In the first event in Miami, the Milton Keynes builder race with a livery that features blue and fuchsia inserts on the sides, to pay homage to the city, using its colors which have become a symbol thanks to the television series Miami Vice. The special livery used is the seventh in the history of Red Bull Racing in 19 years of presence in Formula 1 after the debut in the category in the 2005 season. Starting from this Grand Prix, the Federation decides to change the podium procedure after what happened in the previous Azerbaijan Grand Prix in which the French Alpine driver, Esteban Ocon, recalled by the team to make a pit stop, in the final stages of the race, had to avoid some FIA personnel inside the pit lane, ready in preparation for the podium procedure. From now on, team mechanics and any other staff or VIPs, will no longer be allowed to move from their garages to parc fermé until the last car has taken the checkered flag. No one else will be allowed to enter the designated area once the cars are in the parc fermé. In the event of a points finish, Red Bull Racing's Dutch World Champion Max Verstappen would equal German Michael Schumacher in fourth place ever for the longest uninterrupted series of points races, a streak that began in the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix 2022, the longest of any other driver participating in the championship, behind only the British from Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton, author of two consecutive streaks of 48 and 33 races respectively, and the Finn Kimi Räikkönen with 27. Max Verstappen, is excited to race in Miami:
"I’m looking forward to Miami. It’s definitely not going to be easy. It’s quite a complex circuit. Our fans also designed the livery this weekend, so I’m excited to see what that looks like".
At Red Bull, Sergio Perez hopes to be able to continue the good period started in Baku:
"Physically Miami is the most demanding race of the season so I have been working hard to be ready for it. Hopefully we can continue on our good form from Baku and be really competitive".
At Mercedes, the Team Principal Toto Wolff takes stock of what the weekend was like for his team at the last Grand Prix in Baku and declares himself enthusiastic about getting back on track in Miami:
"From the streets of Baku to the streets of Miami. We're looking forward to being back on track so quickly after an interesting, but challenging, weekend in Baku. The new sprint format threw up some surprises and we now need to evaluate the merits of it, and if there are any tweaks necessary. Unfortunately, we didn't quite get our car in the right set-up window during practice. That made the rest of the weekend more difficult. Our race pace looked competitive against the Ferraris and Aston Martins, but with overtaking so tricky, we couldn't put this to the test. That's about where our car is right now but we also know small differences can have a big impact weekend by weekend. We're excited therefore to get to Miami and get back on track. We'll be using the few days in between to extract as many learnings as we can and put ourselves in the best possible position. It's a circuit that is a different beast compared to the last few races. There's a real mix of corners, with some high-speed sections, long straights but also tight, twisty portions. It's also going to be a busy weekend with plenty of off-track activities and events for the team and our partners. There was an incredible buzz last year and I have no doubts it will be another spectacular event this year".
At Aston Martin, Fernando Alonso is enthusiastic about returning to race in Miami and is confident in the potential that the car will be able to show on this track:
"It's good to be back in Miami! It's a great place to visit for Formula One and we're excited for our first Grand Prix of the year in the United States. I have always enjoyed visiting this country and I enjoy the approach and passion for sports here. We are fresh from an intense weekend in Baku that saw us score 22 points as a team and finishing just one second away from another podium on Sunday. The car performed well despite having limited time to setup. The circuit in Miami is a fast one, with lots of sweeping corners and long straights. It'll be interesting to see if the resurfacing has had an impact on the track and we'll get plenty of time to assess this on Friday. Our performance in Baku was encouraging and I hope to see similar results in Miami. We will be aiming to outscore our closest rivals again and put on a good show for the fans".
Frédéric Vasseur, Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal, outlines the next developments that they will bring and dwells on the characteristics of the Miami track in correlation to the Ferrari:
"We are in the middle of a particularly busy part of the season with five races in six weeks from Baku to Barcelona and our work continues on track and in Maranello to develop our car package. Miami is yet another unusual track with all the idiosyncrasies of a street circuit, which both our drivers enjoy, so I’m confident we can make another step forward with the SF-23. The United States has historically been a very important market for Ferrari and the Scuderia has a strong fanbase here, which is a further incentive to keep pushing to close the performance gap to the championship leaders".
Carlos Sainz Jr., after the difficult weekend in Baku, hopes to regain confidence with the car like in Melbourne and to take his SF-23 to the limit:
"For me, Miami is one of the nicest locations of the season, it reminds me of home and I always feel comfortable around here. Baku was a difficult weekend, not so much because of the result, but more because I didn’t have a good feeling. We have analysed all the data and we believe we understand the reasons why I did not feel fully confident in the car".
So he adds:
"Now, I want to get out on track to confirm what the data tells us. I want to go back to the level of confidence I had in the car in Melbourne, where I was able to run at a consistent pace for the whole race. Obviously, there are a lot of things to understand at an unusual track like this one, starting with the track surface which has been completed redone. We will have to check out its characteristics, but I’m confident I can have a competitive weekend, enjoying driving my SF-23 on the limit".
Charles Leclerc, after the positive weekend in Baku, is confident about returning to race in Miami and hopes that the progress seen in the last Grand Prix will continue:
"I’m happy to be in Miami again. We come here off the back of a good result in Baku and the aim here is to confirm the progress we have made. Finishing third, but in more general terms the performance across the whole Azerbaijan weekend, was a good tonic for the team. We saw the car was competitive in qualifying, while there is still some work needed to be able to fight for the win in the race. We’re confident and everyone is working in the same direction to close the gap to the championship leaders. It’s great to see that our sport has so much visibility, especially here in the United States. We’re hardly aware they are shooting a film, because there are so many cameras here anyway, it’s hard to know who is doing what, so I don’t think it’s annoying or putting us under more pressure. We are happy to be part of this Formula 1".
On Friday 3rd May, 2023, the teams are ready for the two sessions of free practice, in a much warmer weather condition than last week in Baku, with an air temperature of 29 °C and high humidity rate. The first free practice session starts at 2:00 p.m. local time and all the drivers are out on hard and medium compound tyres; most of them struggling to find the pace and spinning the car around some corner.
George Russell complains from the beginning about vibrations on his steering wheel:
"I'm really struggling with the steering mate, I'm not going to learn anything like this".
He is told by his mechanic that the issue can't be fixed during the session so he needs to go back in the garage and wait half an hour to solve the problem. While all the drivers are out trying to find the right set up, learning the track conditions and getting a feel for their tyres, Perez has already run wide, struggling with his braking point. Max Verstappen is the one who sets the pace on the hard tyre, ahead of Hamilton, Alonso and Leclerc. Almost ten minutes in and double yellow flags are out because rookie Nyck de Vries spins at Turn 12: it’s his first race here in Miami on a track where it is difficult to adapt. It’s quite clear the Red Bull’s superiority as the drivers continue to improve their times, also thanks to the better track conditions. Halfway in and the drivers change on soft tyre, with George Russell back on track - Mercedes men change his steering wheel - and surprisingly fast. Nico Hulkemberg is flying in his Haas setting the second fastest lap but later on he loses control of the car through Turn 3, spins and crashes into the barriers damaging his car and causing a red flag; the session is stopped. At the restart, there is a lot of traffic on track and everyone’s out on soft tyres. At the end of the session Russell is the fastest in 1'30"125, ahead of his teammate Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque offers an early glimpse of the pace brought by the upgraded floor on the Ferrari, with teammate Carlos Sainz down in fifth (he hasn’t use the new floor during FP1). Verstappen finishes only fourth, between the Ferrari pair. Pierre Gasly is sixth, ahead of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll in seventh and eighth position. At 5:30 p.m. local time the second session of free practice gets underway; the weather is hotter than before and the track temperature has risen till 51 °C.
The track is dusty, especially in the racing line: this causes the loss of grip at many drivers during FP1. It is a busy session topped by Max Verstappen, ahead of the Ferrari pair, leaded by Sainz Jr., who confirms the performance of the morning session, although the Italian cars seem less competitive in the race pace simulation. Despite is performance (Verstappen's time of the session of 1'27"930 is the fastest at the Miami International Autodrome) the Dutchman doesn’t seem completely happy: he complains about his headrest at times and also his car. Perez, after the 11th place in the first session, moves up to fourth position, half a second off his teammate's time. He had to abort one flying lap as he almost collected the AlphaTauri of Nyck de Vries in the narrow Turn 14-15 chicane. At the end of the day here’s what the Mexican driver says:
"The conditions out there aren’t great, especially the grip in FP1, it felt like inter to wet tyre conditions. Getting a read in these low grip conditions is tricky but there are only very small margins to ensure we make improvements. We have been trying some stuff with the mechanical balance and I think we learnt quite a bit. I haven’t had the greatest of Fridays. On one of my flying laps I locked up on the final corner and then on the long run I don’t think we managed to get too much of a read on the laps we got in. So, I still have quite a bit to come, together with my driving because I was not driving very well today. If I am able to improve my driving and get myself a bit more comfortable, I should be alright".
His teammate Max Verstappen adds:
"Today was a good day. Initially we were getting used to the track with the new tarmac, it was ramping up a lot throughout the day. It’s still quite slippery off line but on the driving line it’s okay. Most importantly today we had good balance in the car so I feel happy. There are still a few things we want to look at overnight, ideally we want to be faster on every corner, which isn’t always possible. We’ll have to see what the weather will do tomorrow, but overall it’s been a positive day".
The Mercedes cars perform less well, however, concentrating more on adjustments for the race. George Russell runs wide at Turn 11 almost a the end of the session and finishes down in P15. Lewis Hamilton is able to finish 7th but is not happy with the car performance. Hamilton, who is struggling a lot and doesn’t get the right confidence with the car, says:
"I'm going to stay optimistic and hopeful that we can get the car in a better place for tomorrow, and maybe be a couple of positions further forward than today. We weren't particularly quick, and it was a struggle out there. The grip is quite low on this new surface. It is slippery, particularly for the rear-end. The track temperature today was very high so there was lots of sliding. FP1 looked quite good but our pace in FP2 was a kick in the guts. We're trying lots of different things and we'll keep working on it. We'll regroup tonight, see if we can make some set-up changes and get the car in a better sweet spot. It's a great weekend here and a great place to be so there are still positives".
George Russell seems more confident about his car’s performance:
"Today didn't feel too dissimilar to last year here in Miami. In 2022, we were fastest on Friday but then knocked out in Q2 on Saturday. This year, the car changed even during the session. FP1 was a bit of a messy hour but we ended fastest. In FP2, I felt strong on the medium run but when we put the soft tyre on, the car wasn't working for me. We understand a little bit why that is and fortunately, we've got the time to make improvements overnight. It's fine margins out there. I think going into Sunday there will be a few unknowns. The track has been resurfaced this year but it's still not performing like another circuit. It's a true outlier. I think that's cool in some regards, but it could be difficult to race on. You can't afford to drive offline as you lose all grip. Looking at Saturday, if everything is right then there's no reason we can't be ahead of Ferrari and Aston Martin. As we've seen at the first four races, it's very tight between all three teams. If we maximise everything, we can be rewarded and jump ahead of them. We know we've got the potential, but we need to improve overnight".
With 15 minutes left at the end of the session Charles Leclerc crashes: the car has gone straight after he lost the rear, locked up and hits the barriers.
"Yeah, I crashed into Turn 8".
He says on team radio. The red flag is out with just under ten minutes to go and the session is stopped. Leclerc’s impression of this Friday is not so good:
"The feeling in the car is good on one-lap runs. In terms of race pace, we are still lacking compared to our competitors and are focused on closing that gap. Let’s see what is possible tomorrow".
His teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. instead says:
"Today in Miami was, as expected, an intense Friday with high temperatures and a lot of running. The tarmac is very different to last year so it was important to get a good feeling for the new conditions. We completed the whole programme; we tried all three compounds and we’ve got plenty of data for tonight".
Aston Martin had a good FP2 session in the end, even if they were fined once with 100 euros and once with 400 euros from the FIA because Lance Stroll exceeded the speed limit set in the pit lane on two occasions. Alonso finished 5th overall while Stroll close the session in 8th position. Fernando Alonso is not so positive for qualifying:
"It was a relatively routine Friday practice for us after the different format in Baku. We've had more time on track to learn about the car and the tyres this weekend, despite some red flags disrupting the sessions. So far, I think the new track surface seems to be better, but we were basically just cleaning the racing line today. It seems when you move away from it, it's very slippery - so that could make overtaking difficult. Qualifying tomorrow is important, but our strength is normally on Sunday, so we'll see what we can do".
On Saturday, at 12:30 a.m. local time, FP3 starts. Perez is immediately out on a set of the softs; also Leclerc, Sainz and Hamilton opt for the soft tyres, while the Aston Martins are trying on the hard and medium compounds. The track temperature is 47 Degrees Celsius, hotter than FP2. Verstappen is out on a fresh set of softs now and immediately goes top, by three tenths over his team mate. Alpine are out on medium compound tyres, as they continue to collect data about their new upgrades. Hamilton locks up and runs wide. Verstappen leads, but Leclerc is now second, less than a tenth back. Alonso goes third, now on soft tyres after one set of hards and two sets of mediums. He is a full second back though, with Verstappen having just improved down to 1'27"969. Perez has also improved up to second, nearly seven tenths back on his team mate. A third of the way through the session, and everyone has now come out at least once. Everyone has also run the soft tyres except for the Alpine pair. Verstappen leads from Perez, Alonso and Leclerc. Stroll goes fifth, while traffic starts to be an issue. The wind is gusting down there a little bit, which won't be helping matters. Russell says he is struggling for pace - the Mercedes are down in ninth and P10, with Hamilton 0.011s quicker than his team mate. With the track temperature so high, the cooldown laps are very slow, creating some issues for those on fast laps. Verstappen leads now with a 1'27"669, already a second clear of last year's pole time. Sainz is now second, Leclerc third and Perez fourth. But the gaps are fairly big, with a second separating the top four. Russell and Hamilton are on their second set of soft tyres, but the first is struggling with vibrations and is way down on the timing screens. He stays P11, as Hamilton gets set to start his flying run, looking to be more comfortable than Russell and able to push.
He crosses the line to go fifth, but is still over a second down on Verstappen. Alpine are finally out on softs, and Gasly immediately goes fourth on his first run. Hamilton complains of a lack of straight line speed, while Bottas going fifth and Albon sixth. Verstappen leads the way on a 1'27"595s, half a second clear of Sainz who hasn't yet run a second set of tyres.
"I cannot get through Turn 2, so much hopping".
Says George Russell on the radio. Mercedes are struggling here, Russell in seventh, Hamilton in ninth and there are no signs of improvement. Sainz is out on fresh soft tyres, and so is Leclerc. Hulkenberg asks for his car to be checked, after the Haas man clipped the kerbs:
"Quite badly".
FP3 in ending and Verstappen is first, followed by Sainz and Perez. Bottas remains seventh and Hulkenberg is eighth. But Perez goes quicker and jumps Sainz into second. There is still half a second between the two Red Bull drivers, with most of that time coming from the first sector. But here comes Leclerc and goes second. He still can't get close to Verstappen though, lapping 0.406s slower. At 3:30 p.m. local time is time for qualyfing. Albon is at the end of the pit lane and leads the way out onto the track. Everyone is on soft tyres: Alfa Romeos are out, together with the AlphaTauri pair. No sign of Aston Martin or Ferrari just yet, but everyone else is out there. Hulkenberg slides out of Turn 16, and just clips the wall with his right rear tyre. Perez is top with a 1'28"306, a tenth ahead of his team mate and four and a half tenths clear of Gasly in P3. Ferrari are out there now, and so are Aston Martins. The wind is picking up, as Ocon slots into fourth ahead of Magnussen. Hamilton pits for some damage assessment as on the radio he said his front wing hit the wall. Alonso is fourth, while Magnussen improves to fifth and Sainz goes sixth. Seven minutes to go and plenty of drivers are starting to come in for their second set of tyres now. Russell is still pushing on his original set and has just improved up to eighth as Piastri goes up to P14. Sainz comes close to cutting across Zhou, who has time to pull out of it and avoid being squashed between the Ferrari and the wall.
"What the ***** was he doing?"
Demands the Alfa man. Verstappen is now three and a half tenths clear of his team mate. Hamilton has improved to P10, just ahead of his team mate. Leclerc says that his tyres aren't looking good and he doesn't think he'll improve. Bottas is fifth and Hulkenberg fourth, while De Vries is eighth. The Red Bulls are in the garage, and the first to go out is Perez on used tyres. Norris improves to P11, Zhou goes ninth, Tsunoda P13. Russell goes from 20th to P10, and that drops Stroll down. Hamilton goes sixth, dropping Norris down and out. Sargeant isn't improving, and is out in P20 at his home race. The drivers eliminated in Q1 are Norris, Tsunoda, Stroll, Piastri and Sargeant. Q2 starts and Verstappen leads the way out though on fresh rubber, while Perez is right behind, also on brand new tyres. Hamilton and Russell have gone out on used tyres for their first runs here, and so have the Haas drivers. Eight are the cars on track: Verstappen sets off for a flying lap, with a 1'27"110, as Perez slots into second, two tenths down. Russell is a full second down on that time, and Zhou is even further back. Verstappen is first, ahead of Perez and Alonso, with seven drivers yet to set a time. Sainz goes purple in the first sector taking P2, while Leclerc crosses the line first and goes fourth. The Spaniard is just 0.038s back on Verstappen. Six minutes to go and Mercedes are 11th and 12th. Zhou and Bottas are out on fresh tyres, while Verstappen is out on used tyres and the Mercedes on new. The drivers eliminated in Q2 are Albon, Hulkenberg, Hamilton, Zhou and de Vries. Q3 starts and Perez is on fresh tyres, with Alpine are on used rubber. The same is for Alonso, Russell and Magnussen, who are saving their one set of fresh tyres for later on. Ferrari are also on new tyres for their first runs here.
Sergio Perez sets a 1'26"841s, while Alonso goes second, Russell is third and Ocon fourth. Sainz now goes third, as Gasly winds up fifth and Leclerc can only go P7. Perez leads the way from Alonso, with Sainz and Magnussen currently holding down the second row. Verstappen, Perez and Bottas after pitting are again on track, when Leclerc spins off at Turn 6, when he was pushing. And as a result the red flags are out and the session will not be resumed. Perez grabs pole from Alonso and with no time for the drivers to get out of the pits and start a flying lap, the startring grid is confirmed, with Verstappen who will start ninth after not setting a time. The reigning World Champion made a crucial mistake in the first corner on his first flying lap and aborted, so will start the race from a weird position for him:
"The initial problem starts with me today, I was taking the car to its limit and I made a mistake. I had to abort the lap and then you rely on a bit of luck that there won’t be a red flag. It’s painful and upsetting, we’ve been really quick all weekend, my fastest lap in Q2 would have been quick enough for pole which I think says that we have a quick enough car. Of course, I go into every weekend trying to win, but starting ninth is not the optimum position. My minimum target tomorrow should be P2. It’s going to be tough tomorrow for sure, but I made it tough for myself".
Sergio Perez managed to take the pole:
"Overall, I was happy with today, we delivered when it mattered and under a lot of pressure. It was good. We had a difficult weekend up until qualifying it has been a struggle. The track was improving but this tarmac has only recently been laid and is really sensitive, it has made things a little tricky so I needed that second lap. I knew coming into Turn 3 that you cannot leave anything on the table and it was important to make sure it was a strong lap. It never feels nice when you see another driver crashing or a red flag on track and I was a bit surprised, I thought we were going to go again and not end the session there, but that was it. I just want to do well tomorrow, it's a new day and anything can happen. I have to be fully committed and we have to try to do our own race. The target is to get the perfect launch and then the perfect race. I am very happy; I feel like I am in a good moment but it is a long season and it is all about consistency".
Christian Horner, Red Bull’s team principal, is hopeful for the race:
"Checo got a superb first lap, the wind was getting up and you could see a few of the cars were struggling but Checo navigated it perfectly to deliver when it counts to get the pole, which we’re delighted with. It was frustrating for Max not to get that chance on the second run, there will be a lot of work for him to do tomorrow, but we’ve seen him come through from 15th to win previously and you can’t rule a driver like Max out. We’re obviously disappointed not to have both cars up there but we’re looking forward to what should be a really exciting race".
As for Aston Martin, they achieved two opposite results with the drivers. Alonso made it to the second place:
"It was a very good qualifying session. Things have been a bit up and down for the last few events - Baku was very difficult - but, over a regular weekend format, we've been able to experiment with a few different options on the car. We put it all together for qualifying - the car felt good. And there was still a lot more pace in the car because my Q3 lap was done on used Softs. On my second run, on fresh rubber, I was already a few tenths up - but then the yellow flags came out. The result gives us a lot of confidence for tomorrow - Sunday is usually our day; we take care of the tyres and have good race pace. Plus, starting further up the grid always makes things a little easier. Getting on the podium will still be difficult but we'll just do our race - it's going to be tough but we'll enjoy it".
Stroll opted to stay out on one set of tyres in Q1 and couldn’t improve on his last flying run:
"Qualifying didn't go my way today. We made the call to try and get through Q1 running just one set of Softs. With the benefit of hindsight, that wasn't the right call: other teams fitted a second set and saw big improvements. But these things happen - and Fernando got into Q2 using just the one set, so it was possible. I'm just focusing on the positives: our car feels good and our race pace is usually very competitive. Tomorrow is when the points are scored - and there's a long race ahead".
Both Ferrari drivers made it through to Q3 with ease. Sainz Jr. managed to take the third position:
"It was coming together as a very good qualifying until the end. This P3 is not too bad, but I feel I had very strong pace and maybe we could have fought for more. It was an unfortunate moment for Charles but these things can happen and tomorrow we go again. The race will not be an easy one for sure and we’ll keep an eye on changing weather conditions. We’ll fight hard to bring home a good result".
Another bad day for Leclerc, who made a mistake coming out of Turn 17 on his first flying lap and could only manage seventh. He came out first of everyone for the final flying runs but pushing hard, he overcooked it into Turn 6 with the wind perhaps playing a part. The combination saw him spinning off into the barriers, and the resultant red flags ended the session for everyone:
"I pushed too hard on my last lap in Q3 and there are no excuses to be made. We will start from P7 tomorrow and the weather looks like it could mix things up. I hope to have a clean race and will push to make my way back to the front".
Frédéric Vasseur, Ferrari’s Team Principal, explains Leclerc’s mistake and then affirms that the race will be tough:
"First of all, well done to Carlos for his best qualifying of the season, even though he might have gone even quicker on his second run. We could have had a better team result as it was clear that Charles was also very quick. He was pushing hard as always in the final phase and unfortunately, he hit the wall. However, when you are chasing pole, mistakes can happen. The top ten on the grid is certainly unusual, with some of the expected front runners further back, so it looks like being an interesting race tomorrow. For our part, we hope to see the fruits of the race preparation we have done between yesterday and today as this will be a tough race in terms of tyre management. Then there are the usual scenarios that can arise when racing between the walls, plus there’s a chance of rain tomorrow, which could shake things up as well".
Russell got into Q3 and managed to grab sixth on used tyres:
"The car is just not working for us this weekend. We're struggling a lot with the balance and it's bouncing around a little bit. The performance isn't coming to us which is a shame as everyone is working so hard to achieve it. As the grip has been laid down and the track has improved, we've seemingly got slower. Clearly, this is a bit of an outlier as a circuit as can be seen by the pace of some of the other cars. Ultimately though, we need to do a better job. I'm not going to take any pride in qualifying P6. We're working for more and we're capable of more. It's challenging as in FP1, everything felt smooth. As the weekend has progressed, the feeling in the car has got worse. It's rare that that happens but it just hasn't quite come together here in Miami".
Hamilton’s session started badly when he clipped the barriers trying to avoid a slow-moving Haas, and that left the pressure on in the closing stages. He did make Q2 but could go no further, a mistake on his final flying lap proving costly:
"It was a struggle out there as we weren't that quick today. It was quite an up and down session; there were a couple of good moments where the car was feeling alive, and I thought we were going to be OK. It was frustrating that we didn't get into Q3 as we should have. I was hopeful, but the timing at the end was just off. I got backed up by a lot of traffic in the final corner and just couldn't get the tyres in the window. Overall, we just struggled with the balance of the car. I gave it everything I had but it didn't happen today. I'll now get my head down and try and come back tomorrow".
Toto Wolff, Mercedes’ Team Principal & CEO, adds:
"In the end, the car we have right now is simply lacking performance - and our problems compound from there. It has a very narrow operating window, and it's on a knife edge for the drivers. When it's good, we can deliver solid performances. If it's bad, then we struggle, and that's what happened today. We can't take satisfaction from being P6 when that's only thanks to the red flag - and probably our true level was behind that. Our lack of performance today was emphasised by how close the whole field is behind the Red Bulls. At points, there were almost ten cars within two tenths - and that means that every detail counts. In Q2, we were trying to give the drivers the best position on track, but we made a mistake. You could see in Lewis' first sector that the tyres just weren't there, and that ultimately cost him the chance to move into Q3. We will now see what we can do tomorrow and try to recover from our starting positions; there were some signs of stronger pace on high fuel, but we shouldn't go into the race expecting miracles. It's going to be a tough battle for points".
The rain has hit heavily in the night in Miami but on Sunday the track is dry and the sun is shining, yet still leaving a small chance to see some rain during the race. Saturday’s qualifying didn't fail to surprise with Hamilton back in 13th after a Q2 exit, Verstappen down in ninth due to a mistake on his first Q3 lap and Leclerc crashing a few minutes before the end of the session. As a result the starting grid appears mixed with Perez and Alonso starting from the front row, followed by Sainz and Magnussen. Close the top ten Gasly, Russell, Leclerc, Ocon, Verstappen and Bottas. Almost everyone will start with medium tyres, except from Ocon, Verstappen, Hulkenberg, Hamilton, Zhou, Tsunoda and Stroll who will go for hards, and Norris and Piastri being the only one to choose softs. On Sunday, May 7, 2023, at 4:00 p.m. local time, lights go out and so the second edition of the Miami Gran Prix begins. Perez does a great start maintaining the lead in Turn 1 and detaching from Alonso and Sainz. Also Gasly starts well taking the fourth position over Russell. Magnussen on the contrary drops two positions going behind Leclerc who is still seventh, just as Verstappen remains ninth. Ocon also drops to the back, falling to 10th place behind Verstappen and Bottas, while Hamilton remains in his starting position in P13 between Hulkenberg and Albon. A wheel-to-wheel battle gets underway between Leclerc and Magnussen for sixth and seventh positions.
Meanwhile Verstappen begins to improve his pace attempting and succeeding a double overtaking on the Ferrari and Haas, going now on the hunt for Russell. The first pit stops action already begins as McLaren calls to the box Norris and Piastri: both drivers swap for hard tyres, showing that their alternative soft strategy has not given the desired results. Also Sargeant goes for an early pit stop after a contact with Stroll, taking on a new front wing and swapping his medium tyres for hards. At the front, Perez sets the pace, moving away from Alonso while Sainz manages to keep his Ferrari within the Aston Martin's DRS window but fails to overtake the Asturian. Verstappen continues his climb, overtaking Russell and shortly after Gasly, thus finding himself near the leading trio of Perez, Alonso and Sainz, managing to pass both Aston Martin and Ferrari on lap 14. Behind Leclerc is giving it all fighting for the seventh position with Magnussen, who on lap 15 returns to the pits to put hards for his second stint. On lap 17, Hamilton finally manages to pass Albon, after 16 laps behind Williams, taking the ninth position. Gasly and Bottas enter the box, both putting hard tyres, then followed two laps later by Sainz, the first from the front-running group to pit. The Spaniard comes out seventh between Hamilton and Albon, managing to overtake the Mercedes just one lap after. Yet the Ferrari driver picks up a five-second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane.
On lap 21, Perez goes into the pits, leaving the leadership to Verstappen. Alonso is the next to stop on Lap 25, rejoining behind Sainz, but it doesn't take long for the Aston Martin’s driver to make a move into Turn 11 surpassing the Ferrari and gaining the 4th position. Mercedes go fully on team work as Hamilton let Russell by without engaging a fight. The British easily overtakes both Ocon and Sainz. Leclerc in the meantime is still struggling with his car, and continuing the fight with the Haas. On lap 38 Hamilton makes his stop managing to pass Bottas two laps later at exiting Turn 17 and also Ocon, coming out of the pits between them. On track the train of DRS does not leave much room for action with positions remaining quite crystallized: Verstappen still leading, followed by Perez, Alonso, Russell, Sainz, Gasly, Leclerc and Magnussen. Verstappen pits on lap 46 for mediums and comes back behind his teammate. The Dutchman immediately starts to put pressure on Perez, managing to make his move and becoming again the leader of the Gran Prix. Leclerc, now running in seventh, tries to recover and to get closer to Gasly, trying also to defend himself from Hamilton who is quickly recovering positions thanks to the set of soft tyres. The Monegasque, taking advantage of a locking from the Alpine driver, manages to pass him in Turn 1, followed by Hamilton in Turn 11. The seven-time World Champion then also overtakes Leclerc thus climbing to sixth position. Verstappen takes his third victory of the season, followed by Perez and Alonso, signing for Aston Martin the fourth podium of the season. Russell earns fourth position, then goes Sainz, penalty having no impact on his finishing position, Hamilton and Leclerc. Alpine's drivers Gasly and Ocon close eighth and ninth respectively, while Magnussen claims the final point. Out of the top ten finishers there is Tsunoda, Stroll, Bottas, Albon, Hulkenberg and Zhou. Closes Norris and De Vries with Piastri and Sargeant. Sergio Perez is quite satisfied with his race, aware of the fact that his teammate Verstappen had more pace and speed and would have been difficult to catch him.
"Well done to Max, he had a tremendous race and deserved to win, I am really happy for him. It is not always nice when you lead the race and end up second, certainly I didn’t have the pace of Max and it is something we are going to analyse to see how we can do better. When I saw how strong Max was coming through the field and I was struggling a bit, I thought 'this isn’t looking too good'. It would have been a gamble on strategy to start on the hard tyre from pole position. Of course, I wanted to win but I knew early on the race was looking tricky for us. This is one to learn from because clearly Max had the fastest pace. I think the performance Max showed today was not reachable for me, so I have to understand why. I think some was tyre related but equally, overall, he was the stronger driver today. There was maybe a bit more we could have done; it is a bit of a shame really but in general, on a tough weekend P2 is not a bad result. We will review the weekend. I want to get back strong for Imola and get back to our normal level".
The two-times World Champion, Max Verstappen has enjoyed his race, as he says:
"Today was a good day, I stayed out of trouble at the beginning and I had a smooth race, I picked the cars off one by one. I had a good stint on the hard tyres which I think was integral to the win today. I had a good battle with Checo towards the end there too. I of course had the advantage with the new tyres but I think that’s what we like to see, we are free to race. Yesterday was a bit of a setback, today we kept it calm and clean, and winning the race from P9 was very satisfying".
The Red Bull Racing Team Principal, Christian Horner, comments the race, pleased of the performance of both drivers:
"Another fantastic performance from the Team. It was a big win for the second time here in Miami, our 5th victory and our 4th 1-2 of the year - all from 1st and 9th on the grid - a huge performance. Max starting on the hard tyre was a risk. Our simulators were telling us it would prove a slower race than on the mediums. He wanted to take that chance and he made it work, particularly from lap 20 to lap 42. His pace on that worn tyre was superior. He was able to match and sometimes better Checo’s pace".
So he adds:
"Sergio drove a brilliant race and he knew that 19.8 was the magic number to keep Max behind, but with Max then switching to the softs, with the extra grip and the phenomenal pace he has been carrying all weekend, he was away. The two of them raced hard and raced fairly which is what we asked of them. They both gave it their all as did everyone both here and back at Milton Keynes. It was a fantastic Team effort".
Fernando Alonso strikes again and brings one more time Aston Martin on podium. The Asturian comments to be really happy with his race and his season so far:
"I had a bit of a lonely afternoon out there, but I enjoyed my race. There was nothing I could really do against Max and Sergio but, happily, there was no pressure today from behind, so we'll take this result. We've taken four podium finishes from the first five races - and only missed out on a podium in Baku by eight tenths of a second - so it's been a fantastic start to our season. One day, when there's an opportunity to win, we need to make sure we're in the best position to capitalise. And that's exactly what we're doing right now".
Ferrari’s driver Carlos Sainz Jr. shows frustration over his race:
"It was a tough race for us. My first stint on the Medium was good, but we tried to undercut Fernando early and I had to push the Hards too much immediately after coming out of the pits in order to get through the traffic. I think we paid the price for that a bit, but in general we clearly struggle with race pace. It’s frustrating, but we’ll keep working on a solution and I'm confident that we can progress as a team for the next races".
Charles Leclerc has had a really challenging day, struggling with his Ferrari through all race.
"I struggled with the car bottoming at high speed, which I hadn’t experienced so far this weekend. I had to just focus on bringing the car home, so overall it was not a great race. We have to work on understanding why we are so competitive in qualifying and off the pace in the race. We will keep pushing and hopefully, with the upgrades we have coming, we can make a step forward".
Frédéric Vasseur, Ferrari Team Principal, remarks how the car seems to perform differently in qualifying and race and proceeds by commenting the race of both Ferrari’s drivers.
"Once again today, the significant difference between the SF-23’s performance level in qualifying and the race was clear to see. Both Carlos and Charles found the car hard to drive and that is reflected in the result. Carlos was competitive in the first stint but then struggled quite a lot to run at a consistent pace after switching to the Hards, while Charles found it difficult on the Medium in the opening laps and only got into a good rhythm in the final stages. Therefore, finding some consistency in the car’s performance has to be our number one priority, especially in terms of tyre management, so that the confidence the drivers have in qualifying can be replicated in the race. We will now be continuing to work flat out in Maranello on developing updates as well as on optimising the car package, with the aim of already getting more out of it at the next race in front of our tifosi in Imola".
Mercedes are making some progress, as George Russell comments. The Brit has closed the GP in forth position in front of the Ferraris:
"That was a really satisfying race for us today. After the challenges in Qualifying, it felt like a more normal day for us. To finish P4 on merit and finish ahead of the Ferraris was the maximum we could have achieved. The battle with Carlos (Sainz) was really enjoyable. I made a good move that needed a lot of commitment as the track is so dirty off-line. Thanks to Lewis for letting me by too and enabling me to get on with my race as we were in different battles today. We've got a really good relationship and we only want what is best for the Team. That's what we are working towards. We know where we are at the moment, and the car is still challenging to drive. We hope to have some updates on the car in Imola; they are not going to change the world for us but hopefully it will be a step in the right direction. Despite today's positives, we know we've still got a lot of work to do and need to make significant improvements to close the gap to Red Bull".
Also Hamilton is satisfied of the race and the significant steps forward that has been made, confident of going in the right direction:
"Today was a good race and I am happy we moved forwards. Saturday was difficult, but I always try to turn negatives into positives. Going from P13 to P6 is decent and I had a lot of fun making my way through; it was great to have several battles, so I enjoyed it. It wasn't spectacular at the start as we were stuck in a DRS train and struggling to overtake. I had to bide my time and then eventually, I was able to start attacking. The car was much better on the medium tyre and came alive midway through the race. It's good points for the Team and I want to say a big thank you to all of them. They are keeping their heads down and working hard to improve. We're not where we want to be, but the morale is still great".
Aware of having to deal with a challenging car, Toto Wolff is very pleased with today's race, particularly of the teamwork between Hamilton and Russell:
"Two years ago, we wouldn't have been as pleased with a P4 and a P6 as we are today. We know we have a difficult car though and clearly Qualifying was a real challenge. The car improved in the race, and we were able to achieve a solid result. Both drivers drove superbly today. It's difficult to pass if you start P13 and are on the same strategy as everybody else, so we opted to start Lewis on the hard tyre. Others ahead chose to do the same and, after not gaining any positions at the start, it looked like it may be slightly diminished. We got there in the end though and maximised the result. It was also fantastic to see the way him and George worked together. They are both incredible drivers, but it is so straightforward with them. That is so good for us in this difficult moment. We move on to Imola next and I hope that we will take a step in our understanding of the car. We are glass half empty people here at Mercedes; I don't believe we will go there and be in the middle of the fight for victory. We are focused on understanding the upgrades we bring and establishing a good baseline".
After this weekend, everyone is ready to fly to Italy, for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. However, in the days leading up to the race, doubts arise regarding the smooth running of the Grand Prix. The red weather alert issued in the Emilia-Romagna region due to bad weather puts the holding of the event at risk. The state of red alert for rainfall, river flooding with risk of overflowing and possible landslides, is due to the exceptional wave of bad weather that a few days before the scheduled race hits Emilia-Romagna, on the same territories already affected by another flood two weeks earlier. On Tuesday, May 16, 2023, the Santerno, a river that flows near the circuit and for a stretch runs alongside it, overflows, flooding part of the surrounding land. Authorities in the paddock are evacuated as a precautionary measure. On Wednesday, May 17, 2023, the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Matteo Salvini, calls for the cancellation of the event, stating that it is necessary to concentrate all efforts to cope with the emergency and that the scale of the event would force the entire area to an unsustainable logistical effort and reception of spectators and insiders. Casting doubt on the entire event, even more than the situation near the circuit, is the enormous damage done throughout the area of Emilia-Romagna and Marche. Nine victims were counted and thousands of people evacuated between Forli, Faenza and Cesena.
According to reports from the region's president, Stefano Bonaccini, fourteen rivers have in fact flooded and a new red weather alert is in effect for rivers, landslides and storm surges. On the same day, the Federation and relevant bodies decide to cancel the Grand Prix. Finding a date for the recovery of the race, during the course of the season, appeared complicated, also because of a very busy calendar. Angelo Sticchi Damiani, president of the Automobile Club of Italy, speculated about a recovery of the Grand Prix in 2026, after the contract expiring in 2025 was extended. Ferrari and Formula 1 decide to donate one million euros each in support of the region for the flood-affected areas.