F1. Miami 2023 review

By Chelsea Wintle, Aiden McLaughlin and Gavin Huet

Driver of the day

Aiden – Just as some started to whisper that Sergio Perez might challenge for the Drivers Championship this season, Max Verstappen pulled out a dominant performance to take victory and extend his championship lead. In a major twist, Verstappen shouldered the blame (yes, that’s right, he said it was his fault) for finishing ninth in qualifying, but he more than made up for it on Sunday when he expertly controlled his race, moving through the field as he could, while managing his set of hard tyres. When he eventually pitted to take on a set of mediums, he emerged from the pit lane just behind Perez, and before long, took the lead from his team-mate. All class from the Dutchman.

Chelsea – Max Verstappen had a shocker of a Q3 when he neglected to bank a lap early, and saw his later attempt thwarted by Charles Leclerc’s red flag. Starting from ninth, he weaved through the field more quickly than anyone anticipated. Christian Horner optimistically suggested that he’d be wheel-to-wheel with Checo with three laps remaining – in reality Max dominated, and there was little question of who would take the podium from the second half of the race. Genuinely impressive

Gavin – It has to be Max Verstappen, starting in 9th on the hard compound did not impede his title charge in the slightest. Just imagine if he had started at the front! He was even faster on those old hard tyres than Sergio Perez was with fresh ones later in the race. He might be, in my opinion, a thoroughly unlikable person, but he is some racing driver.

Moment of the weekend 

Aiden – It was relatively low-key, but George Russell overtaking Carlos Sainz for fourth signified much more than a few championship points. After a season disrupted by poor strategic decisions, Ferrari changed some of their personnel, but now it’s the car that’s causing their headaches. On the other hand, Mercedes are starting to grow in confidence and are bullish about their upgrades which will take effect when they get back to Europe.

Chelsea – Max’s double-trouble overtake on Leclerc and Kevin Magnussen. From that point the race was all but decided. The manoeuvre itself was a thing of beauty and testament to Max’s skill as a driver. Like a knife through butter.

Gavin – Forget overtakes and strategies as I present Fernando Alonso complimenting Lance Stroll based on what he was viewing on the big screens situated on a corner while he was racing. Firstly, is this really Fernando, he has never been noted for being a team player? Secondly, how the hell is he viewing that whilst racing? In his own words he had a lonely race and was not under any pressure at that stage so had the time to view the action, now that may be true but it is also damning on the other teams that the Aston Martin was in such a comfortable position. I for one welcome this new version of Fernando.

Hot take of the weekend 

Aiden – It’s just over a year since Lando Norris signed a contract extension with McLaren until the end of the 2025 season, but this car simply doesn’t match his considerable talent. CEO Zak Brown insists there are no exit clauses for Norris, but if a gap opens up at one of the top teams, they’d be foolish not to try and find a way to buy out his contract, even if only for the 2025 season. Maybe it will be at Aston Martin – Fernando Alonso is having a great season, but will he keep driving in 2024 AND 2025? With their improved car, surely that seat would turn Lando’s head and allow him to challenge at the front of the grid, where he should be.

Chelsea – How good is it to see Kevin Magnussen qualifying in fourth and finishing with a point for Haas? The cost cap changes have had the desired effect to a large extent, with six drivers from six teams filling out the front three rows on the grid. I’m personally really enjoying the broader reach of the grid, even with the air of inevitability about this season, and the dominance of a single team.

Gavin – As a Ferrari and Charles Leclerc fan this is painful to consider, but Charles is fast becoming another Ferrari driver who is failing to make an impact (and no, the wall doesn’t count). He might not have the car to win the championship but he should still be competitive and make the rest of the pack work harder, and let us not forget the continued lapses of concentration that litter his driving. This weekend there was talk about a move to Mercedes but realistically they will be looking at his track record and asking themselves if he has the ability to become world champion.

Cold take of the weekend 

Aiden – Organisers stepped up their game this year by placing the paddock in the Miami Dolphins stadium next door. Everyone is looking forward to the Las Vegas Grand Prix later this year, but in terms of razzmatazz, celebrities and overall vibe, I’m picking Miami will still be the one to beat – and the one to be seen at.

Chelsea – After seeing some eye-watering numbers online, I had a look at Grand Prix ticketing prices this week. Unsurprisingly, the three American races are among the most expensive ($475-$590 USD for GA admission across three days). Imola, Hungary, Austria and Monza are among the cheapest ($98-$114 USD). I can’t speak to the GA experience at most of these races, but are the US prices sustainable for the fresh, young new fans that F1 have done such a stellar job of attracting?

Gavin – Nyck De Vries and Logan Sargeant are, based on what we have seen so far, not F1 drivers. Oscar Piastri showed a bit in Melbourne and having only eaten “four pieces of toast” (trademark pending) in Azerbaijan, has displayed some grit to remain in touch with his team mate Lando Norris in Miami too. De Vries and Sargeant just appear to be off the pace and the harder they try the more difficult it becomes for them. These drivers have fought tooth and nail to get this far and it must be frustrating for them to have to struggle like this, but unfortunately there are twenty drivers and only a few will get to the top, most will do okay, and some will not succeed.

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