Site icon Paddock Magazine

2023 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix highlights

2023 Formula 1 Miami GP
Introduction

 

Max Verstappen struck back in the 2023 title race by beating Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez to victory during the 2023 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, recovering from ninth on the grid and passing the pole-sitter in the closing stages of an intriguing, strategic race.

Click here to subscribe to our print edition!

Perez had slashed Verstappen’s championship advantage to just six points with a Sprint and Grand Prix double last time out in Azerbaijan, and a topsy-turvy qualifying session at the Miami International Autodrome gave him a golden opportunity to move to the top of the standings.

However, while Perez led the first half of the race on a medium-hard tyre strategy, Verstappen expertly stretched out his initial stint on hards to rise from P9 to P1 – via a series of fine moves – and he emerged just behind his teammate with a fresh set of mediums late on.

With ten laps remaining, Verstappen comfortably cleared Perez to move into a lead he would not relinquish, meaning the Mexican had to settle for the runner-up spot and lose some of the ground he had made up in the title race.

In addition to a statement victory, Verstappen picked up the fastest lap bonus point to top up his tally and the ‘Driver of the Day’ award, with fans suitably impressed by his charge through the field.

With the Red Bulls again in a league of their own, it was left to Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin to claim the ‘best of the rest spot in third, making it four podium finishes in five races for the new partnership.

George Russell was the lead Mercedes in fourth, thanks partly to teammate Lewis Hamilton moving out of his way on a different strategy earlier in the race, getting the better of Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz in the process.

Sainz was hit with a five-second time penalty for speeding in the pits during his swap of tyres, but there was enough of a gap back to Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc to keep fifth position at the chequered flag.

Alpine bounced back from their Baku nightmare with a double points finish, Pierre Gasly leading home teammate Esteban Ocon. At the same time, Haas driver Kevin Magnussen rounded out the points-paying positions after his P4 start.

Yuki Tsunoda missed out on another point in his AlphaTauri, having scored in Australia and Azerbaijan, taking P11 ahead of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll with some defensive driving to the finish line.

Alfa Romeo driver Valtteri Bottas ran inside the points early in the race but dropped back to 13th as the various tyre strategies played out, followed by the Williams of Alex Albon, Haas of Nico Hulkenberg and teammate Zhou Guanyu.

McLaren pair Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri had quiet races en route to 17th and 19th, respectively, having been the only drivers to start on soft tyres. They were split by the other AlphaTauri of Nyck de Vries, with Williams rookie and home favourite Logan Sargeant bringing up the rear after an early pit stop for a new front wing.

In addition to the exciting action on the track, the sell-out crowd was treated to a full day of entertainment at the Miami International Autodrome. There was music from award-winning DJs Tiësto and Cedric Gervais headlining at the Hard Rock Beach Club, and FISHER performed a set to round out the weekend after the podium celebrations. There were also pre-grid performances from bilingual Latin girl group Bella Dose, while the national anthem was sung by chart-topping Puerto Rican singer and songwriter GALE. The pre-race grid ceremonies were a new feature for 2023, with LL COOL J announcing each of the 20 drivers in turn, conducted by will.i.am and attended by the F1 Grid Kids, hailing from the local Miami Gardens community.

Tom Garfinkel, Vice Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium and Managing Partner of Miami Grand Prix:

It has been a fantastic weekend, an incredible race day, and I’m proud of the team who have worked so hard to assemble this year’s event. Thanks to Stephen Ross and the hard work of so many people on our team, we delivered an event that showcased Miami to the world and stayed true to our commitment to improving from Year 1 to Year 2. Our goal is to provide a best-in-class experience for everyone, from the guests enjoying the new Paddock Club to the fans around the Campus soaking up the atmosphere to the teams enjoying their new home on the field of Hard Rock Stadium. We can’t wait to welcome everyone back next year and celebrate another weekend of great racing together.

Mario Isola, Motorsport Director, Pirelli:

The Miami Autodrome race was intense, with Red Bull claiming a fifth consecutive win since the start of the season. Pirelli tyres played an important role in the duel between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez right from the start, with differing tyre choices from the two teammates: Perez going for the expected medium from pole position while Verstappen, halfway down the grid, opted for the hard. At the chequered flag, Verstappen led Perez home by five seconds, underlining how the range of compounds brought to Miami allowed for different strategies that were relatively close in terms of overall race time.

It’s no coincidence that seven out of 10 teams chose to split the tyre choices between their two drivers. The hard (C2) tyre showed practically no degradation, allowing the drivers to push hard right to the end of long and hard-fought stints. This was ably demonstrated by Verstappen, who did 45 laps on the hard tyre – with plenty of overtaking – before stopping for the medium. The medium tyre also worked well, especially regarding graining, which wasn’t as much of a limiting factor as expected, especially in view of the rain that fell overnight. Fernando Alonso’s long initial stint of 24 laps on this compound, for example, was one of the keys to his fourth podium from five races.

How the race was won from the tyre point of view:

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won his second consecutive Miami Grand Prix, ahead of his teammate Sergio Perez who started from pole. Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso, who had got underway from P2 on the grid, completed the podium. Perez and Alonso started the race on P Zero Yellow medium tyres, swapping them for P Zero White hard on laps 20 and 24, respectively. Verstappen started on the hard and got into the lead before stopping on lap 45. He completed the final 12 laps on the medium, passing his teammate a couple of corners into his out-lap to reclaim the lead.

All the teams adopted a one-stop strategy, but seven split the strategies between their drivers by starting on different compounds. Ferrari and Williams decided to start both their drivers on the mediums. At the same time, McLaren was the only team to take the soft at the start, hoping to make an early stop to comply with the regulation to use two slick compounds during the race.

Williams driver Logan Sargeant completed the most laps on the hard. He put them on during lap two and maintained them all the way to the finish: 54 laps. Alfa Romeo’s Guanyu Zhou completed the most laps (26) on the medium, while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was the most prolific exponent on the soft for five laps at the start.

Around halfway through the race, all the drivers were on the hard for seven laps. Among the drivers who started the race on the medium and soft, the last driver to make a stop was Alonso on lap 24. The first driver to switch from hard to medium was Zhou on lap 31.

Alonso set the fastest lap on the hard tyre (1m30.519s), while Verstappen set the fastest lap overall with 1m29.708s on the medium. Lando Norris set the best time of the two drivers on the soft: 1m33.869s.

After overnight rain, the weather was cloudy for today’s race, with temperatures that peaked at 30 degrees centigrade, while asphalt temperatures remained between 35 and 43 degrees.

 

What’s next?

The next round of the Formula 1 World Championship will be the Gran Premio del Made in Italy e dell’Emilia Romagna at Imola from 19 to 21 May: the first European race of the season. The new Alternative Tyre Allocation regulations will be tried during qualifying, with each session running exclusively on hard, medium, and soft. The new Cinturato Blue Full Wet tyres, which do not use tyre blankets, will also debut. The Monaco Grand Prix and Spanish Grand Prix occur the following two weekends.

2023 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix Race Results

PosNoDriverCountryTeamTimePointsOverall
1.1Max VerstappenNetherlandsRed Bull Racing Honda1:27:38.2412693
2.11Sergio PerezMexicoRed Bull Racing Honda+5.384s1887
3.14Fernando AlonsoSpainAlpine F1 Team+26.305s1560
4.63George RussellGreat BritainMercedes-AMG Petronas+33.229s1228
5.55Carlos SainzSpainScuderia Ferrari+42.511s1034
6.44Lewis HamiltonGreat BritainMercedes-AMG Petronas+51.249s848
7.16Charles LeclercMonacoScuderia Ferrari+52.988s628
8.10Pierre GaslyFranceAlpine F1 Team+55.670s42
9.31Esteban OconFranceAlpine F1 Team+58.123s24
10.20Kevin MagnussenDenmarkHaas F1 Team+62.945s11
11.22Yuki TsunodaJapanScuderia AlphaTauri+64.309s02
12.18Lance StrollCanadaAston Martin F1 Team+64.754s027
13.77Valtteri BottasFinlandAlfa Romeo F1 Team+71.637s04
14.45Alexander AlbonThailandWilliams Racing+72.861s01
15.27Nico HulkenbergGermanyHaas F1 Team+74.950s06
16.24Zhou GuanyuChinaAlfa Romeo F1 Team+78.440s02
17.4Lando NorrisGreat BritainMclaren Racing+87.717s010
18.21Nyck De VriesNetherlandsScuderia AlphaTauri+88.949s00
11.81Oscar PiastriAustraliaMcLaren Racing+1 lap04
16.2Logan SargeantUSAWilliams Racing+1 lap00

2023 Constructor Standings

PosPictureTeamPoints
1.Red Bull Racing860
2.Mercedes-AMG F1 Team409
3.Scuderia Ferrari406
4.McLaren Racing302
5.Aston Martin F1 Team280
6.Alpine F1 Team120
7.Williams Racing28
8.Scuderia AlphaTauri25
8.Alfa Romeo Racing16
10.Haas F1 Team12

Here are the team-by-team highlights:

Red Bull Racing

 

Dutchman Max Verstappen produced an incredible drive as he managed his tyres superbly and cruised to victory at the 2023 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, finishing more than five seconds ahead of Oracle Red Bull Racing team-mate Sergio Pérez.

The two-time world champion started Sunday’s race in ninth position but made all his overtakes look easy as he stayed on hard tyres for 46 laps. Then, just two laps after coming into the pits, Verstappen moved past Pérez into first place and powered to his third win of the season – extending his championship lead to 14 points.

Pérez had started the race from the pole position. However, he was unable to match the pace of Verstappen in the latter part of the race and had to settle for second nevertheless, the Mexican driver has enjoyed an impressive start to the season and sits second in the driver standings.

Max Verstappen, Driver, Red Bull Racing

Today was a good day. I stayed out of trouble initially and had a smooth race. I picked the cars off one by one. I had a good stint on the hard tyres, integral to today’s win. 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.

Sergio Pérez, Driver, Red Bull Racing:

Well done to Max. He had a tremendous race and deserved to win, and I am really happy for him. It is not always pleasant to lead the race and end up second. Indeed, I didn’t have Max’s pace, and we will analyse it to see how we can improve. 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 the pole position. Of course, I wanted to win, but I knew early on the race was tricky for us. This is one to learn from because Max clearly had the fastest pace. The performance Max showed today was not reachable for me, so I must understand why. I think some were tyre related, but equally, and overall, he was the stronger driver today. There was maybe a bit more we could have done; it is a bit of a shame, but in general, P2 is not a bad result on a tough weekend. We will review the weekend. I want to return strong for Imola and return to our average level.

CHRISTIAN HORNER – CEO and Team Principal, Red Bull Racing

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 told us it would prove a slower race than on the mediums. He wanted to take that chance and make 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. Sergio drove a brilliant race and knew that 19.8 was the magic number to keep Max behind, but with Max switching to the softs, with the extra grip and the phenomenal pace he had been carrying all weekend, he was away. The two raced hard and fairly, which we asked of them. They both gave it their all, as did everyone here and back at Milton Keynes. It was a fantastic Team effort.

Red Bull Racing Honda best pictures:

MIAMI, FLORIDA – MAY 05: Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and Oracle Red Bull Racing walks in the Paddock prior to practice ahead of the 2023 Formula 1 Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome on May 05, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

MIAMI, FLORIDA – MAY 06: Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner talks with Elon Musk in the Paddock prior to final practice ahead of the 2023 Formula 1 Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome on May 06, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

Tacos at Casa Checo in Miami, Florida, USA on May 6, 2023. // Alejandro Chavarria / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202305071044 // Usage for editorial use only //

MIAMI, FLORIDA – MAY 07: Carlos Slim Domit, Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner and Jim Farley, CEO of Ford talk on the grid prior to the 2023 Formula 1 Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome on May 07, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

MIAMI, FLORIDA – MAY 07: Sergio Perez of Mexico and Oracle Red Bull Racing walks out onto the grid prior to the 2023 Formula 1 Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome on May 07, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

MIAMI, FLORIDA – MAY 07: Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrates on the podium during the 2023 Formula 1 Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome on May 07, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Aston Martin Formula One Team

 

Fernando fought in the 2023 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix to take his fourth podium in five Grands Prix, while Lance gained six positions from his starting position in the race. Hear from the drivers and Performance Director Tom McCullough at the end of the Miami GP.

Fernando converted his front-row start to a fourth podium finish of the year by taking a comfortable third in the Miami Grand Prix. The race was a straightforward one-stop affair, with the only two realistic strategy options being Medium-Hard or Hard-Medium one-stops.

The team opted to split their strategy across the two cars, with Fernando starting on Mediums and Lance on Hards. With no race interruptions, it became a story of track position, tyre preservation and making overtakes.

Both Fernando and Lance used the strong tyre life characteristics of the AMR23 to deliver their good performances in the race with some great moves on the track.

Fernando Alonso

I had a bit of a lonely afternoon out there, but I enjoyed my race. There was nothing I could really do against Max [Verstappen] and Sergio [Perez], 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 must ensure we’re in the best position to capitalise. And that’s precisely what we’re doing right now.

Lance Stroll

It was a tough race today, and we found it challenging to make a huge amount of progress from the 18th on the grid. The car felt good, but I was stuck in a DRS train with a lot of traffic around me.

We opted for a long stint on the Hard tyres and managed those well; it was then just a case of deciding when to pit to ensure enough laps left to maximise the pace of the Medium compound.

I had some fun overtaking Alex [Albon] into Turn One, but, in hindsight, we could have boxed a few laps earlier to try and catch the 10th position. It’s been a weekend to learn from – which we’ll do – and I’m looking forward to returning to Imola.

Performance Director Tom McCullough:

This was a tricky race to manage. Both Lance and Fernando drove faultlessly and maximised every opportunity – for Fernando that resulted in a third-place finish and some valuable points; for Lance, it was difficult trying to cut through the traffic, but he pulled off some fantastic passes. It was frustrating to miss out on a points-scoring position at the end.

Fernando’s race was about managing the strategy from the Medium to the Hard tyre. It worked out well for him: Ferrari went for the undercut with Sainz, but we elected to balance the stints and overtake him on track. After that, Fernando was able to consolidate third place and pull comfortably clear of the cars behind.

With no DNFs and no Safety Cars, it was difficult for Lance to progress through the field. Add low degradation to the mix, and it became even trickier – because many cars could run at a similar pace. But he managed his race exceptionally well, was typically brave on the brakes and made up plenty of places to finish 12th.

We conclude this double-header, having scored 37 points and maintained second position in the Constructors’ Championship. Thanks to the team for their incredible efforts over the past few weeks. We will regroup and return just as vital for the triple-header, which kicks off later this month.

Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team best pictures:

portrait, TS-Live, Miami International Autodrome, GP2305a, F1, GP, USA
Mike Krack, Team Principal, Aston Martin F1 Team, Dan Fallows, Aston Martin technical director, and Tom McCullough, Performance Director, Aston Martin F1 Team

detail, Miami International Autodrome, GP2305a, F1, GP, USA
A sticker commemorating the Kings Coronation on the Aston Martin AMR23

Portrait, TS-Live, Miami International Autodrome, GP2305a, F1, GP, USA
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin AMR23 sits in his car

action, Miami International Autodrome, GP2305a, F1, GP
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR23

action, Miami International Autodrome, GP2305a, F1, GP, USA
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin AMR23

Garage, Miami International Autodrome, GP2305a, F1, GP, USA
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR23

Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team

 

Battling performances from both drivers maximise results and net the Team solid points in South Florida. George Russell finished fourth, and Lewis Hamilton sixth in the 2023 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix.

Lining up sixth and 13th, respectively, George and Lewis took differing strategies, with George starting on the medium tyre and Lewis the hard. In their opening stints, both drivers made steady progress whilst focusing on conserving tyre life. George boxed on lap 17 to take the hard tyre. Whilst re-joining ahead of some drivers he was racing, he passed Esteban Ocon and closed down the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz, overtaking him on lap 38 to take P4.

Meanwhile, Lewis bided his time on the hard tyre while aiding his team-mate’s race by letting him pass to attack cars ahead. He switched to the medium tyre on lap 37 and, having re-joined in P13, used fresher rubber and impressive speed to carve his way through to P6 at the flag.

With a solid points haul, the Team closes the gap on second-placed Aston Martin in the Constructors’ Championship to six points.

Lewis Hamilton

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 was decent, and I had a lot of fun making my way through; it was great to have several battles, so I enjoyed it. Initially, it wasn’t spectacular, as we were stuck in a DRS train and struggling to overtake it. I had to bide my time, and eventually, I could 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 thank them a big thank you. 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.

George Russell

That was a really satisfying race for us today. After the challenges in Qualifying, it felt like a 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 and enabling me to get on with my race, as we were in different battles today. We have a good relationship and only want what is best for the Team. That’s what we are working towards.

We know where we are, and driving the car is still challenging. We hope to have some updates on the car in Imola; they will not change the world for us, but hopefully, it will be a step in the right direction. Despite today’s positives, we know we still have a lot of work to do and need to make significant improvements to close the gap with Red Bull.

Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO

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, but Qualifying was clearly a real challenge. The car improved in the race, and we achieved a solid result. Both drivers drove superbly today. If you start P13 and are on the same strategy as everybody else, it’s difficult to pass, 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 he and George worked together. They are both incredible drivers, but it is so straightforward with them. That is so good for us in this challenging moment.

We move on to Imola next, and I hope we will take a step in understanding 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.

Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director

We can be satisfied with the result today, considering our start positions. Our Qualifying performance yesterday meant that George’s podium places were out of reach, and Lewis had a real mountain to climb from the 13th. Nevertheless, we maximised our performance and points through great overtaking and exemplary teamwork, with Lewis allowing George to attack cars ahead. We’ve therefore had a decent day in the championship; we’re in a close fight with Aston Martin and Ferrari, and we’ve gained some ground.

We know we’re still not quick enough, and we’re working hard to rectify that as quickly as possible. We will go back from here and try and understand why our single-lap performance has been such a challenge.

Mercedes-AMG F1 Team best pictures:

Lewis Hamilton, 2023 Formula 1 Miami GP

2023 Formula 1 Miami GP, Mercedes-AMG Petronas event

2023 Formula 1 Miami GP, George Russell

2023 Formula 1 Miami GP, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell

2023 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, Friday – Sam Bloxham

2023 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, Saturday – Sulay Kelly

Scuderia Ferrari

 

This was not the easiest of Sundays for Scuderia Ferrari, which comes away from the United States with a fifth place for Carlos Sainz and a seventh for Charles Leclerc at the end of the 2023 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix in which the limitations of the SF-23 in race trim were evident after both drivers had been in the fight for pole position yesterday.

The race. Carlos got away well to keep third place, but he soon had to give his best to Max Verstappen, who was charging the order. After switching from the Medium to the Hard tyres, Carlos found his SF-23 hard to drive, which meant his pace was inconsistent, and in the final third of the race, he also lost out to George Russell and finished fifth. Charles’ race followed a similar pattern. After starting from seventh, he switched from Medium to Hard tyres one lap before his team-mate, which dropped him out of the top ten. He had the same problems with pace but eventually fought his way back to finish where he started.

On to Imola. Between tonight and tomorrow, the team will head back to Maranello to immediately start preparing for the Made in Italy e dell’Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, which takes place on 21 May, when further updates are planned for the SF-23. The determination of the team and drivers to do well goes without saying, especially as the Italian fans will be out in force with their support in Imola.

Carlos Sainz #55

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. We paid the price for that, but we generally struggle with race pace. It’s frustrating, but we’ll keep working on a solution, and I’m confident we can progress as a team for the next races.

Charles Leclerc #16

I struggled with the car bottoming at high speed, which I hadn’t experienced this weekend. I had to focus on bringing the car home, so overall, it was not a great race. We must understand why we are so competitive in qualifying and off the pace in the race. We will keep pushing, and hopefully, with our upcoming upgrades, we can make a step forward.

Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal

Once again today, the significant difference between the SF-23’s performance level in qualifying and the race was clear to see. The result reflects that Carlos and Charles found the car hard to drive. Carlos was competitive in the first stint but then struggled quite a lot to run at a consistent pace after switching to the Hards. At the same time, Charles found it difficult on the Medium in the opening laps and only got into a good rhythm in the final stages.

Therefore, finding consistency in the car’s performance has to be our number one priority, especially in tyre management, so that the confidence the drivers have in qualifying can be replicated in the race.

We will now continue to work flat out in Maranello on developing updates and 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.

Scuderia Ferrari best pictures:

2023 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, Scuderia Ferrari, Carlos Sainz

2023 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, Scuderia Ferrari

2023 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, Scuderia Ferrari

2023 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, Scuderia Ferrari

2023 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, Scuderia Ferrari, Charles Leclerc

2023 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, Scuderia Ferrari, Frederic Vasseur

McLaren Racing

 

Hear from McLaren Formula 1 driver Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, and Team Principal Andrea Stella after the Miami Grand Prix.

Lando and Oscar both started the race on the Soft tyre. De Vries locked up at Turn One and collided with the back of Lando’s car. Lando dropped back to 19th as a result. Oscar made a strong start, moving up five places to 14th.

Lando and Oscar pit on consecutive laps early on to swap their Soft tyres for fresh Hards. After the first flurry of pit-stops, Lando was 16th, with Oscar two places back in 18th. Lando was overtaken by Albon, dropping to 17th. De Vries overtook Piastri for 18th.

Lando Norris

Tough day. We just struggled with pace. I had a good start, but we got hit from behind into turn one, putting us at the back. We had tried a different strategy, which required something exciting to happen during the race, but it didn’t work. We’ll return to MTC, reset and keep pushing hard for a better result in the next one.

Oscar Piastri

I had a lot of issues with the car in the race. We had a failure six or seven laps in on the brake-by-wire system. I was managing a lot of issues after that. I had a good first lap, passing five cars, which was the weekend’s highlight. Otherwise, a frustrating afternoon trying to drive around all of the issues. We’ll now calm down and focus on having a better weekend in Imola.

Andrea Stella

Given our grid positions, we needed a good start, an eventful race, and high tyre degradation to climb into the points. Unfortunately, none of these conditions materialised, and the race was a bit of a procession at the back for us. At the first corner, Lando was hit from behind after gaining some positions, resulting in damage costing 2-3 tenths per lap and relegating him to the back. Oscar had a race-long brake-by-wire problem and did an incredible job coping by minimising the consequences and keeping a decent pace.

Our main takeaway from Miami is that we were not quick enough this weekend. After scoring points in Baku, this weekend serves as a reality check on how much work we have ahead. The plan doesn’t change: we have promising developments coming, keep our heads down, regroup, and go again in Imola.

McLaren Racing best pictures:

Oscar Piastri, Mclaren F1 Team, 2023 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix

Land Norris and Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team, 2023 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix

The atmosphere at the McLaren Racing, 2023 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix

Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, 2023 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix

Oscar Piastri, McLaren Racing, 2023 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix

McLaren F1 Team garage, 2023 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix

Alpine F1 Team

 

BWT Alpine F1 Team scored six points from the 2023 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, with Pierre Gasly finishing eighth and Esteban Ocon ninth in a tightly contested race dominated by strategy at the Hard Rock Stadium.

Pierre made a bright start from fifth on the grid to take fourth at Turn 1 – continuing his 100% start to the season with first-lap gains at every race – with Esteban also holding onto a top ten spot. With Pierre on a Medium-Hard strategy, he looked to fend off Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and narrowly fell short of staying ahead of the front-running pair in the closing stages.

On a one-stop Hard to Medium plan, the latter stage of the race was where Esteban looked to gain places. After an impressive opening stint where he ran as high as third place, the Frenchman settled for ninth with an uneventful race to the line after his late stop for Mediums.

Esteban Ocon:

It’s good to be back in the points with both cars after a decent race for the team today. We opted for the more aggressive strategy by going long on Hard tyres in the first stint, and it did not entirely pay off in the end. We had some good battles with Ferrari and Mercedes and some good overtakes. Our pace was strong, so that is encouraging going forward.

We are satisfied with our job today as I don’t think we could have done much more. Of course, there are things for us to review and improve, but it’s a long season, and I’m looking forward to the upcoming triple header in Europe, where we need to string together three positive races.

Pierre Gasly:

I’m very pleased with the outcome of today’s race, even if we dropped back from our grid position. It would always be a tough task to keep behind some of the faster cars like Max [Verstappen] and Charles [Leclerc], but to be fighting with the Ferrari and Mercedes right to the end of the race is definitely encouraging. We had to fuel save quite a bit in the second half of the race, so the fact we were so close to that top six is a step in the right direction.

After two challenging races for the team, we had to score double points to credit everyone for this result in Miami. We’ll analyse everything, see where we can improve and arrive in Imola ready to keep battling and closing the gap to our rivals ahead.”

Otmar Szafnauer, Team Principal

We can take some satisfaction from our weekend performance here in Miami, culminating with double points finish after two fine race drives from Pierre and Esteban. Our race pace looked strong, we managed the tyres well to fight with cars around us, and we came away from here with points on the board. It’s clear we have gained on some rival teams from last season, with Pierre close to holding off the Ferrari and Mercedes at the end and Esteban going long on his first stint very much on the pace of some of the leading cars. That said, today’s race has also highlighted the areas where we must make immediate improvements.

It’s continuous gains we must find. With further upgrades in the pipeline for Imola and the following races, we can look forward to taking that fight to our immediate competitors. It’s been a busy two weeks for the team, and we look forward to returning to Viry and Enstone, where we will analyse the past two races before turning our attention to the triple header.

Alpine F1 Team best pictures:

Pierre Gasly (FRA) Alpine F1 Team A523. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 5, Miami Grand Prix, Friday 5th May 2023. Miami International Autodrome, Miami, Florida, USA.

Esteban Ocon (FRA) Alpine F1 Team. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 5, Miami Grand Prix, Friday 5th May 2023. Miami International Autodrome, Miami, Florida, USA.

Pierre Gasly (FRA) Alpine F1 Team A523. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 5, Miami Grand Prix, Saturday 6th May 2023. Miami International Autodrome, Miami, Florida, USA.

Pat Fry (GBR) Alpine F1 Team Chief Technical Officer and Laurent Rossi (FRA) Alpine Chief Executive Officer. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 5, Miami Grand Prix, Saturday 6th May 2023. Miami International Autodrome, Miami, Florida, USA.

Pierre Gasly (FRA) Alpine F1 Team A523 at the start of the race. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 5, Miami Grand Prix, Sunday 7th May 2023. Miami International Autodrome, Miami, Florida, USA.

Pierre Gasly (FRA) Alpine F1 Team A523. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 5, Miami Grand Prix, Sunday 7th May 2023. Miami International Autodrome, Miami, Florida, USA.

Haas F1 Team

 

MoneyGram Haas F1 Team drivers Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg finished 10th and 15th at the 2023 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, held Sunday at the Miami International Autodrome.

MoneyGram Haas F1 Team retains a seventh position in the Constructors’ Championship on eight points.

Kevin Magnussen

I dreamed of more than one point, but we came here to get points and finish in the top 10. I don’t think it was an easy race to get points in because all the big teams finished up there, and P10 is more or less the best we could’ve hoped for in terms of the pace we had. The pace was good, but we had more degradation than the rest of the field. It was an intense weekend, bringing something good to the car and getting a point at home.

Nico Hulkenberg

It was a tricky, difficult race that didn’t quite pan out how we wanted. The start was alright, but I think we were having difficulties in traffic. When surrounded by other cars, we struggled for consistency and grip, which made it quite difficult for me today. That also translates to higher degradation, so maybe not a good one, but I still feel some valuable lessons were learned and good data collected.

Guenther Steiner, Team Principal:

We scored points again three times out of five this year, and that’s good, but it’s a tough crowd out there. We’re there or about, and if nothing happens at the front, then we’re fighting for the last points left over, and we got them this weekend after a very good qualifying. The race started very well. We fell back a little in the middle of the race but took a point home. All in all, it’s still positive. It’s tough, and every point counts this year, and we need to be around when there are significant points being dished out. We are always around, so that day will come, but we’ve taken something away from our first home race.

Haas F1 Team best pictures:

2023 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix

MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AUTODROME, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA – MAY 05: Kevin Magnussen, Haas F1 Team during the Miami GP at Miami International Autodrome on Friday May 05, 2023 in Miami, United States of America. (Photo by Andy Hone / LAT Images)

MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AUTODROME, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA – MAY 06: Nico Hulkenberg, Haas VF-23 during the Miami GP at Miami International Autodrome on Saturday May 06, 2023 in Miami, United States of America. (Photo by Andy Hone / LAT Images)

MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AUTODROME, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA – MAY 07: Guenther Steiner, Haas F1 team principal, and Nico Hulkenberg, Haas F1 Team during the Miami GP at Miami International Autodrome on Sunday May 07, 2023 in Miami, United States of America. (Photo by Andy Hone / LAT Images)

MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AUTODROME, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA – MAY 07: Ayao Komatsu, Chief Engineer, Haas F1 Team, and Kevin Magnussen, Haas F1 Team, on the grid during the Miami GP at Miami International Autodrome on Sunday May 07, 2023 in Miami, United States of America. (Photo by Andy Hone / LAT Images)

Alfa Romeo Racing Stake

 

Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake put up a fight in the 2023 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, with both cars involved in the action from lights to flag. Despite a feisty performance and a strong opening stint, Valtteri Bottas finished outside of the points in 13th, with team-mate, Zhou Guanyu, completing his performance in 16th.

The team returns home after a testing couple of weeks of racing, with the focus on delivering upgrades for the next event – the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola, in a fortnight.

Valtteri Bottas (car number 77):

There are some positives to take from this weekend, although there is still much work to do to fight in the top ten. The start of my race was quite good: we made up a few places and were well into the points. I tried my best to keep up the fight and defend my position; unfortunately, we didn’t quite have the pace we showed yesterday when we had managed to be competitive on the single lap. Our finishing position reflects where we stand now, and we must keep working to improve.

Our main focus now needs to be on making that extra step forward to be competitive again. We will bring new parts in Imola, and hopefully, they will allow us to progress and get back in the fight for points. I am confident in the work we are doing as a team and look forward to the next rounds.

Zhou Guanyu (car number 24):

We stepped forward this weekend, especially in qualifying, but we still need to work hard to get back into the top ten on Sunday. Today, it was very difficult to break the DRS train, and only as the race progressed I found a bit more speed and space. We take the positive from Saturday and look ahead: I know everyone is working hard back at base to make progress.

I am looking forward to the upgrades we will have in Imola and to racing on a permanent racetrack – it feels those suit our package better now. We keep our heads up, and we keep working hard.

Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Team Representative:

This weekend, we saw some real improvement, especially in qualifying, which had been a weaker point earlier this season. We take this as an encouragement and a spur to keep working hard. We may not have scored points today, but we have a foundation on which to build – starting tonight, back in Hinwil, where the team is already at work, analysing today’s race and producing the upgrades that will debut in Imola.

Today’s race saw us fight for a place in the top ten for a large part of the afternoon: this was as far as we could go in a race with no retirements. The season remains long, and we’re motivated to make another step forward next time: everyone is pushing for it, and I’m confident we will keep moving in the right direction.

Alfa Romeo F1 Team best pictures:

Alessandro Alunni Bravi (ITA) Alfa Romeo F1 Team Managing Director and Team Representative.
Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 5, Miami Grand Prix, Friday 5th May 2023. Miami International Autodrome, Miami, Florida, USA.

Zhou Guanyu (CHN) Alfa Romeo F1 Team C43.
Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 5, Miami Grand Prix, Friday 5th May 2023. Miami International Autodrome, Miami, Florida, USA.

(L to R): Valtteri Bottas (FIN) Alfa Romeo F1 Team with his girlfriend Tiffany Cromwell (AUS) Professional Cyclist.
Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 5, Miami Grand Prix, Saturday 6th May 2023. Miami International Autodrome, Miami, Florida, USA.

Zhou Guanyu (CHN) Alfa Romeo F1 Team.
Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 5, Miami Grand Prix, Saturday 6th May 2023. Miami International Autodrome, Miami, Florida, USA.

Zhou Guanyu (CHN) Alfa Romeo F1 Team C43 leaves the pits.
Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 5, Miami Grand Prix, Saturday 6th May 2023. Miami International Autodrome, Miami, Florida, USA.

Valtteri Bottas (FIN) Alfa Romeo F1 Team on the drivers’ parade.
Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 5, Miami Grand Prix, Sunday 7th May 2023. Miami International Autodrome, Miami, Florida, USA.

Scuderia AlphaTauri

 

Scuderia AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda started the race from P17 and was unlucky to finish out of the points in 11th, while Dutch team-mate Nyck de Vries finished in 18th place at the 2023 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix.

Nyck de Vries

After lap one, I was on the back foot. It was my mistake, I locked up, and Norris and I touched. This compromised our first stint a little because there were a lot of vibrations on the right front, which affected our pace. When you’re so behind and out of DRS range, you lose so much time on the straights that catching up is tough. I was at the back, alone, so it naturally becomes easier when you’re not fighting as hard as in the middle of the pack when every moment counts. The weekend went a little up and down and started difficultly; yesterday, we had a better day, and today was a shame that we lost so many positions on the first lap. We are bringing updates to Imola, so hopefully, we can improve and go again.

Yuki Tsunoda

It was a good race, effort and recovery from the team and myself. I felt like I could extract the most out of the car. It’s a shame I couldn’t score any points, I gave it my all, but I am happy with my performance. It was a tough mental race; there weren’t many breaks because someone was always in front of or behind me. I didn’t expect our race pace to be that strong, but it’s encouraging for future races. I felt confident with the brakes, so I could overtake quite a lot by sending it into the corner. We’ve got upgrades coming to Imola, so we hope they go well to allow us to score points consistently.

FRANZ TOST – Team Principal

First, I’d like to thank the organisers for this fantastic venue and event and all the fans who came to watch. They saw an exciting race, especially with Max Verstappen starting out of position and fighting his way back for another impressive win. As for our race weekend, we struggled initially, and we qualified only for P15 with Nyck and P17 with Yuki.

We chose two strategies for this race; Yuki started on the hard tyre, and Nyck started on the medium. Yuki made a strong start and overtook some cars on the first lap. Then he drove a very good and competitive race. He overtook Albon twice. He passed Hulkenberg and Bottas and finished in P11, just 1.3 seconds behind Magnussen. Yuki also defended well against Stroll in the last few laps, and I must say that in the race, our car showed a much better performance than in qualifying.

We now have to analyse how to optimise our qualifying pace. Nyck’s start was good, but in the first corner, he crashed into Norris by breaking a bit too late, which caused a flat spot on his tyres and some vibrations. We brought him in to change from the medium tyre to the hard, and the rest of the afternoon was ok for him, but he lost his race with the contact at the beginning. Both drivers had good tyre management, which is crucial for the car’s overall performance.

Scuderia AlphaTauri Team best pictures:

MIAMI, FLORIDA – MAY 04: <> during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on May 04, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photofuture racesoli/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Rudy Carezzevoli / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202305060303 // Usage for editorial use only //

MIAMI, FLORIDA – MAY 04: <> during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on May 04, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Rudy Carezzevoli / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202305060333 // Usage for editorial use only //

MIAMI, FLORIDA – MAY 06: Lindsey Vonn watches the action in the Scuderia AlphaTauri garage during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on May 06, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)

MIAMI, FLORIDA – MAY 07: Nyck de Vries of Netherlands and Scuderia AlphaTauri walks in the Paddock prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on May 07, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)

MIAMI, FLORIDA – MAY 07: Nyck de Vries of Netherlands and Scuderia AlphaTauri prepares to drive on the grid prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on May 07, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)

MIAMI, FLORIDA – MAY 07: Yuki Tsunoda of Japan and Scuderia AlphaTauri looks on the grid prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on May 07, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)

Williams Racing

 

Formula 1’s first of three races in the United States in 2023 brought a frustrating afternoon for Williams Racing, with both drivers unable to make a challenge up the order.
Alex Albon

It was quite a tricky race; we didn’t have the pace today. I think we went into it thinking we were the ninth quickest car, and today we probably were. We were managing the front and rear tyres, but I didn’t have a grip, so I slid around. The tracks coming up don’t tend to suit our car, and there are a few upgrades coming from other teams, so we need to get on top of it so they don’t pull away from us. The weekend has some positives, but races like today expose us a little bit and show where we really are.

Logan Sargeant

I put the car in a place I shouldn’t have in Lap 1 and took my front wing off. From there, it was a difficult afternoon. Sorry to the team for my mistake. Once we returned for the long stint on the Hard tyre, I managed it quite well. The tyres were struggling by the end, but that was to be expected. On a typical strategy, our pace would’ve been pretty solid. Despite today, I still loved the weekend.

Dave Robson, Head of Vehicle Performance

We didn’t quite have the pace today to challenge the top ten. We thought we had enjoyed a good day yesterday and were probably starting the race with Alex a few places higher than the FW45’s natural pace.

We couldn’t hold our position in a rare race with no retirements, rain, and no flags or safety cars. Nonetheless, Alex had a good race with Valtteri and Nico, and it looked like he would beat them for a while. Alex drove well and pushed the car hard, trying to hold position, leading to some tyre degradation.

Logan was ambitious on the opening lap and damaged his front wing in a minor contact with Lance. We took the opportunity to pit him, change his wing and get into some free air. He had a lonely race from there but still showed some decent pace, despite some floor damage, during a very long stint on the Hard tyre. He can still take a lot from today and turn that learning into a tricky triple-header, starting in Imola in two weeks.

Williams F1 Team best pictures:

Logan Sargeant (USA) Williams Racing.
Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 5, Miami Grand Prix, Thursday 4th May 2023. Miami International Autodrome, Miami, Florida, USA.

Williams Racing, Kings Coronation Celebration
Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 5, Miami Grand Prix, Friday 5th May 2023. Miami International Autodrome, Miami, Florida, USA.

Alexander Albon (THA) Williams Racing.
Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 5, Miami Grand Prix, Friday 5th May 2023. Miami International Autodrome, Miami, Florida, USA.

Alexander Albon (THA) Williams Racing.
Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 5, Miami Grand Prix, Friday 5th May 2023. Miami International Autodrome, Miami, Florida, USA.

Alexander Albon (THA) Williams Racing.
Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 5, Miami Grand Prix, Saturday 6th May 2023. Miami International Autodrome, Miami, Florida, USA.

Alexander Albon (THA) Williams Racing.
Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 5, Miami Grand Prix, Saturday 6th May 2023. Miami International Autodrome, Miami, Florida, USA.

Exit mobile version