Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is about to win his third straight race in Miami, but his quest is taking place against a turbulent Red Bull background as renowned designer Adrian Newey is about to leave the company.
For the second time in a row, the sixth round of the season will use a sprint format. There will be just one practice session and a 100km race on Saturday prior to the main event qualifying session.
Verstappen, who won the opening sprint in China a month ago, enters Florida with notable accomplishments, including four victories in five races and a significant 25-point advantage over compatriot Sergio Perez.
Despite beginning the inaugural race at Hard Rock Stadium in May 2022 in ninth place, the 26-year-old Dutch driver emerged victorious, thereby tying his triumph from the previous May.
This win was a big blow to Perez, who started from pole position hoping to take the lead overall but finished in second.
Thinking back on his chances in the impending race, Verstappen said, “Normally, we should have a strong race.
“Generally, the strategy is a bit simpler, but the course is always challenging, so I’m looking forward to it. “The weekend is always quite hectic there, so it will certainly be quite busy.”
Beyond his most recent victories in Miami, Verstappen is unstoppable. This season, he has won the pole position in every race, a fantastic feat that no other driver in the present century has equaled. Legendary Alain Prost, with Williams in 1993, was the last driver to accomplish this.
Red Bull has serious off-track problems even with Verstappen’s skill on the track, chief among them the upcoming departure of Adrian Newey, the renowned designer with multiple championships.
Red Bull said on Wednesday that the 65-year-old Newey will leave Formula One design duties next year, but he will still participate in certain races until the end of the current season.
While Ferrari and McLaren—where Lando Norris placed second in China—are predicted to fight for position behind the front group in Miami, Mercedes is expected to provide Lewis Hamilton and George Russell with significant upgrades.
“Our challenge will be to make sure we don’t try and replay China at a Miami that is a very, very different beast and wants different things from the car than China will,” Mercedes’ technical director James Allison said, underscoring the need for flexibility.
Hamilton, the seven-time world champion, had a mixed sprint performance, finishing second but with a depressing qualifying position of 18th for the primary race.
The only local driver competing in the race is Logan Sargeant of Williams, whose team is still chasing their first point of the year. Furthermore, Alpine, owned by Renault, and Sauber, located in Switzerland, have yet to score any points this season.
