Rain in Miami, the ultimate revenge for Lando Norris, or Max Verstappen‘s first victory as a ‘racing father’? Regardless, the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday evening from 20:00 UTC will certainly stir up conversation. Here are three questions to consider beforehand.
1. ‘Big daddy’ = ‘fast daddy’?
For Yuki Tsunoda, who is short in stature, everyone is tall. But Max Verstappen is certainly tall. Interestingly, the Japanese driver has been calling his Dutch teammate ‘Big daddy’ in Miami for several days, following the birth of Verstappen’s daughter Lily last week. Tsunoda used the nickname in a Red Bull video, even before it became clear that Verstappen had secured the pole position on Saturday. The Dutchman proved in the qualification that he can also be a ‘fast daddy’.
Whether Verstappen can maintain this speed in the race remains to be seen. The new floor that Red Bull brought along, and some adjustments made to the RB21 from Friday to Saturday, are just a few examples that suggest the Dutchman and his team are moving in the right direction with grip, balance, and reliability. Whether it’s enough to stay ahead of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri‘s MCL39 car, which is still considered faster, is the question.
“But at least I can say that becoming a father hasn’t slowed me down,” Verstappen said with a grin after securing the pole position in Miami. “So that’s no longer a topic for those who were still talking about it.”
2. Norris’s long nose?
Last year, Lando Norris won the Miami Grand Prix, albeit with a bruised nose from a harmless incident while celebrating King’s Day in Amsterdam shortly before. This year, he won the sprint race on Saturday and is a candidate from P2 to win the Grand Prix on Sunday again. This time, it would be with a literally unscathed nose (since he didn’t celebrate King’s Day, he said), but figuratively a long one.
A victory would allow Norris to hit back at his critics. Moreover, a win would significantly boost the Englishman’s standing in his duel with teammate Piastri for both the team’s top spot and the World Championship. The Australian had to concede to Norris in the qualifying round.
Last year, Norris won the race due to some luck with the timing of a safety car situation, and on Saturday, during the sprint race, the same situation occurred. This raises a question: perhaps Norris has already used up his luck for this weekend in Miami.
Rain and Uncertainty?
The chance of rain is about 40-60 percent during the race, according to the official FIA weather report seven hours before the race. Will it rain, and what could that mean for the pit stops? Only time will tell. And even if it’s wet before the race in unpredictable Miami, that alone could influence the race. This was evident on Saturday during the sprint race on the semi-permanent Formula 1 circuit in Florida.
But even if it stays dry, there is a significant factor of uncertainty for the race. That’s what experts in the paddock expect, at least. In Miami, they point to the format of a sprint weekend, traditionally with one free practice and thus less data than usual regarding the speed and performance of the cars in the race.
The sprint race may have given the teams some more information, but due to the wet conditions, this data is relatively limited in its usefulness. Add to this the tire management, the fact that the tires are of a different composition than last year in Miami, and the availability of the number of tire sets per driver. The number varies so much that various strategies are possible.
Whether it’s dry, wet, or drying, the asphalt in Miami will be the backdrop for what promises to be an exciting Grand Prix on Sunday. It can hardly be otherwise: the stage in Miami is set for Verstappen, Norris, and the rest.
And Furthermore…
- A lap is 5412 meters long
- There were 93 overtakes last year
- There is a 67 percent chance of a safety car
- The Miami GP is on the calendar until 2041
