Red Bull’s Max Verstappen had no reason to glance at his mirrors during the 56 laps of the Shanghai International Circuit last time around.
But in a refreshing twist of the pecking order, it was Lewis Hamilton who managed to stay in touch with the Dutchman during Saturday’s Sprint. And it was Lando Norris who secured P2 in the main race on Sunday! Sergio Pérez was beaten to the runnersup spot on both occasions by two Brits who were driving inferior machinery!
The Miami International Autodrome is an interesting layout that snakes around the Hard Rock Stadium. Although it is a permanent facility, it has all the characteristics of a street-circuit. Verstappen dominated both the editions in 2022 and 2023.
But it’s about time his Mexican team mate brings his ‘A game’ to the spotlight. And for Pérez a street circuit normally works like magic! Although he hasn’t got onto the top step yet this season, Checco has been consistent and is only 25 points behind Verstappen. The RB20 is the best car on the grid currently and one of history’s greatest machines ever. Formula 1 is a psychological battle. The ones who come out on top are the ones who believe in themselves completely.
In the top teams in equal machinery, Fernando Alonso has risen above Lance Stroll for Aston Martin, McLaren’s Lando Norris heads Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are evenly matched at Ferrari as they battle it out to be placed ‘best of the rest’, while George Russell has had the better of Lewis Hamilton as they struggle to keep Mercedes competitive in the upper half of the table. Perez needs to dig deep, nail the car set-up right from the opening laps of Friday’s free practice and get within a few tenths of Verstappen well before qualifying. Pole position would be the ideal way to threaten the champion’s dominance and send the other side of the Red Bull garage searching for alternate strategies!
All this is easier said than done when up against the formidable Dutch star. But Perez has a lot of experience to fall back on. He probably should watch a replay of his defensive driving masterclass against Hamilton in Abu Dhabi in 2021. It surely will help him with the right amount of self-belief required to fight at the top!
Round 6 | Miami | Monday, May 6, 1.30 am | LIVE on F1TV & FanCode App