Miami Grand Prix – The race’s perspectives

Leclerc and Ferrari in “reconquest” mode?

The Scuderia and Charles Leclerc intend to quickly overcome their disappointing first home Grand Prix of the season! Indeed, the Monegasque driver responded in the best possible way by securing the pole position for the Miami Grand Prix.

While Max Verstappen starts only in third position and has had some mechanical issues, the championship leader could once again extend his lead over the reigning world champion in the event of a victory.

In the midst of a slump currently, Carlos Sainz has secured a 100% Ferrari front row for the first time since Mexico 2019. The Spanish driver, lacking in confidence, absolutely needs to achieve a good result in order to avoid being reduced to a supporting role in the shadow of Leclerc for the remainder of the season.

Can Bottas aim for a better position than 5th place?

This is THE impressive performance of the qualifiers! Starting in 5th position on the grid, Valtteri Bottas has simply achieved Alfa Romeo’s best qualifying performance since 2019. The Finn stands as the “Best of the rest” behind the untouchable Red Bull and Ferrari, but ahead of giants like Mercedes or McLaren.

The former driver of the star brand plans to maintain this position until the end of the race, but he might even take advantage of various incidents on a still fresh and new track for everyone to get an advantage. The crazy goal of a podium this season, which he talked to us about this winter, is finally not far away!

Will Hamilton finally get his head above water?

Ranked 6th behind his former teammate Bottas, Hamilton nonetheless delivered a solid performance in qualifying considering the current performance of his Mercedes. For the first time outside the top 5 in the timed session on an American circuit, the British driver is in a negative spiral since the beginning of the season where the comparison with Russell hurts.

On a track where higher temperatures should help warm up its tires, the Mercedes could be more competitive and allow the seven-time world champion to fight nearer the front than in the previous two Grand Prix.

Looking forward to Barcelona, where Mercedes promises to bring profound evolutions that will be decisive for the rest of their championship!

Will the Alpines be able to make a comeback?

Disappointment this Saturday at Alpine, who failed to place any cars in Q3 for the first time this season. Ranked 11th, Fernando Alonso fell victim to traffic in his final sector while he was improving to enter Q3. The Spanish driver, whose relay simulations were quite good in free practice, remains confident for the race and hopes to climb back into the points zone.

Having made a mistake in FP3, Esteban Ocon was unable to defend his chances in qualifying, with his French team having to completely change his chassis. The Normandy-born driver will start last and will have to rely on race incidents or an alternative strategy to be able to score points this weekend.

Will the circus show be present?

It is the great unknown of the new Grand Prix every time, and Miami is no exception! The layout, consisting of long straight lines but also winding and narrow sections, shows great promises, but the circuit remains very dusty, and venturing off the racing line to attempt an overtake in the dirty part represents a considerable risk for the drivers. The answer will be revealed in the next few hours!

So, which driver will inscribe their name as the winner of this very first Miami Grand Prix?

The start of the Grand Prix this Sunday will take place at 9:30 PM, French time.