F1 Miami Grand Prix: Max Verstappen Beats Sergio Pérez from 9th, Red Bull Extends Lead in Constructors Fight
After a rare error in qualifying put him well down the starting line, Verstappen finally got his reward on Sunday with a win that will give him a lead in the season points battle over Pérez that will go far beyond Sunday.
By Divyam Dubey
Max Verstappen started ninth on the grid but won the Miami Grand Prix by a comfortable margin. By setting the race's best lap, he increased his Formula One championship lead over Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez. It was also the fourth one-two finish for Red Bull in the last five races. The Mexican driver's hopes of catching and passing Verstappen in the rankings took a major hit, especially considering that Perez secured the pole position on Saturday. The world champion's performance was brilliant, as he used an unconventional tyre strategy to outrace his teammate Sergio Perez, who had qualified in the first place. Verstappen had a long first stint on hard tyres, stopping 25 laps later than Perez. This loss was especially painful for Perez since it cast doubt on his ability to fight Verstappen for the championship this season. In addition, Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin came in third, making it the fourth time this season that he has finished on the podium.
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F1 Miami Grand Prix: Race Result
Sergio Perez had no response for Max Verstappen's speed on new tyres. With this win, Verstappen has a 14-point lead in the championship and has beaten Perez in the last three races. It was his most remarkable win of the season so far. With Verstappen starting ninth due to a qualifying error and then missing out on a chance to make up ground after Leclerc crashed, the Mexican seemed like a heavy favourite to win.
| Pos | TEAM | TIME | |
| 1 |
Verstappen | Red Bull | |
| 2 |
Pérez | Red Bull | +5.38s |
| 3 |
Alonso | Aston Martin | +26.30s |
| 4 |
Russell | Mercedes | +33.23s |
| 5 |
Sainz | Ferrari | +42.51s |
| 6 |
Hamilton | Mercedes | +51.25s |
| 7 |
Leclerc | Ferrari | +52.99s |
| 8 |
Gasly | Alpine | +55.67s |
| 9 |
Ocon | Alpine | +58.12s |
| 10 |
Magnussen | Haas | +1:02.95s |
| 11 |
Tsunoda | AlphaTauri | +1:04.31s |
| 12 |
Stroll | Aston Martin | +1:04.75s |
| 13 |
Bottas | Alfa Romeo | +1:11.64s |
| 14 |
Albon | Williams | +1:12.86s |
| 15 |
Hülkenberg | Haas | +1:14.95s |
| 16 |
Zhou | Alfa Romeo | +1:18.44s |
| 17 |
Norris | McLaren | +1:27.72s |
| 18 |
de Vries | AlphaTauri | +1:28.95s |
| 19 |
Piastri | McLaren | +1 lap |
| 20 |
Sargeant | Williams | +1 lap |
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F1 Miami Grand Prix: More car upgrades to follow
In a season with few unknowns at the top of the sport, it is reasonable to wonder where the inspiration will come from and what will happen next. While it's true that Ferrari and Mercedes will get upgrades in the near future, Red Bull will also be making changes to their vehicle, which has the potential to become one of the most dominating teams in 2023.
