Red Bull Racing might be far ahead of everyone else but there is a potentially intense title battle that could play out between teammates Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
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Sergio Perez doubled up in Baku by winning the drama-filled Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday, finishing ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen to strengthen his championship bid. Early on, Verstappen and Perez passed pole-sitter Leclerc and continued to exchange fastest lap times at the front of the field. The race’s turning point came when a Safety Car was deployed on either side of the Red Bull drivers’ pit stops. Verstappen made his pit stop under yellow flags that were raised when Nyck de Vries stopped on the track, and Perez followed suit under a Safety Car, clearing his teammate and returning to the action in the lead.
Verstappen dropped to third, forcing him to pass Leclerc once more. While that was merely a formality when the race restarted, he was unable to overtake Perez in the final stretch and was forced to settle for second place. The two-time champion’s 2023 podium streak came to an end as Leclerc held off Fernando Alonso’s late charge to take third. However, fourth place still represented another significant point total for the Aston Martin driver.
After a close call in the pits early on, Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin and George Russell’s Silver Arrow picked up a few points, and Carlos Sainz finished fifth in the other Ferrari while holding off Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes. While extending their first stints on hard tyres, Esteban Ocon and Nico Hulkenberg emerged from the pit lane to hold points-paying positions for the majority of the race. However, their late mandatory pit stops meant they were betting on additional Safety Car drama that never materialised. Lando Norris of McLaren gained ground on Hulkenberg late in the race and gained another position when Ocon pitted. Yuki Tsunoda completed the top 10 to help AlphaTauri salvage a point.
Red Bull Racing might be far ahead of everyone else but there is a potentially intense title battle that could play out between teammates Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. After four races in the 2023 season, the two Red Bull teammates are with two wins a piece. Checo got one over Max when he won the sprint at Baku last Saturday, and the difference between the two drivers is only six points going into Florida.
Fernando Alonso, P3 on the drivers’ table has to keep a lookout for Lewis Hamilton as they two former world champions are only separated by 12 points. The Ferrari duo of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc are in P5 and P6 respectively, followed by George Russell and Lance Stroll. The four drivers are separated by a thin margin which will make for an interesting mid-field battle.
The fight for P2 on the constructors’ table is well and truly on as well with Aston Martin, Mercedes and Ferrari all within touching distance of one another. Aston is P2 followed by the Silver Arrows and the Prancing Horse.
Here is the full schedule for the 2023 Miami GP weekend.
| Date | Event | Time (IST: the following date) | Time (Local) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, May 5 | Practice 1 | 23:30 | 14:00 ET |
| Friday, May 5 | Practice 2 | 03:00 | 17:30 ET |
| Saturday, May 6 | Practice 23 | 22:00 (same date) | 12:30 ET |
| Saturday May 6 | Qualifying | 1:30 | 16:00 ET |
| Sunday, May 7 | Race | 01:00 | 15:30 ET |
Australia – Fox Sports, Foxtel, Kayo, Network Ten
Canada – RDS, RDS 2, TSN, Noovo
India – F1 TV
UK – Sky Sports, C4
USA – ESPN, ESPN Deportes
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