Verstappen is one step away from conquering Miami

Max Verstappen is just one step away from perfecting his performance in Miami, by winning the main F1 race.

AP/REBECCA BLACKWELL

Red Bull team racer Max Verstappen took action during the qualifying session of the Miami Grand Prix Formula 1 series at the Miami Autodrome International Circuit in Miami Gardens, Florida, USA on Saturday (5/4/2024). Verstappen successfully secured the pole position in the race which took place on Monday (5/6/2024) in the early morning local time.

MIAMI, SATURDAY — Max Verstappen was brilliant in Miami despite struggling with inconsistent tire performance on the road course around the Stadium That Hard Rock. He was always the fastest by achieving pole position for the sprint and main races and winning the sprint race. The Red Bull Racing team racer has one challenge left to complete in the main race which will take place on Monday (6/4/2024) starting at 03.00 WIB.

Verstappen confirmed his dominance in Miami by winning the sprint race which took place on Saturday evening WIB. He immediately took the lead from the start from first position, leaving Charles Leclerc, Sergio Perez and Daniel Ricciardo competing behind him. However, entering the middle of the race, Verstappen began to complain of severe tire degradation and reduced traction. This condition made Leclerc who was in second place close, but he could not overtake Verstappen.

Also read: Verstappen Establishes Dominance in Shanghai

Verstappen also finished with a time difference of 3.371 seconds over Leclerc in second place. The Ferrari team racer also performed solidly, forcing Verstappen's teammate, Sergio Perez, to settle for third place. Perez could never get close to Leclerc who finished 5.095 seconds ahead of him.

Today it happened again, it's really about finding balance. I think we did well.

After winning the short race, Verstappen then achieved pole position in qualifying for the main race on Sunday morning WIB. He beat Leclerc by 0.141 seconds who started from second position. The second row starting position is occupied by Carlos Sainz Junior and Sergio Perez, in third and fourth positions respectively.

AFP/CHRIS GRAYTHEN

Red Bull's racer, Max Verstappen, drove his car during the qualifying session for the Miami Grand Prix Formula 1 series at the Miami Autodrome International Circuit in Miami Gardens, Florida, USA on Saturday (5/4/2024).

Despite achieving the seventh consecutive front-row start this season, Verstappen did not achieve it easily. He experienced inconsistency in the performance of the tire that is difficult to explain, as the car's performance is already solid and balanced. This condition prevented him from improving his lap time during the qualifying session, where he recorded the fastest lap of 1 minute 27.241 seconds.

"I don't know what it is, but every year we're here, I find it extremely difficult to be very consistent with the sensation of the car, the sensation of the tires, in one lap. It's very difficult to ensure that sector one has good sensation and sector three at the end of the lap. Achieving that is extremely difficult," Verstappen said after the main race qualification session early Sunday morning (5/4/2024).

Also read:Verstappen: Like Driving on Ice

"Today it happened again. It's really about finding balance. I think we did well. It wasn't the most enjoyable lap of my career, because of how slippery it is and you're not very confident going into the lap. However, we are in pole position and that is of course the most important thing," continued Verstappen to Formula 1.

Despite facing challenges in managing the tires, Verstappen remains optimistic about being competitive in the long race that covers 57 laps. He will once again face pressure from Leclerc at the start.

AFP/CLIVE MASON

The Red Bull team racer Max Verstappen was in action during the qualifying session for the Miami Grand Prix Formula 1 series at the Miami International Autodrome Circuit in Miami Gardens, Florida, USA on Saturday (4/5/2024).

"The car certainly feels a little more in control, which is what I'm looking for. Hopefully, it will help us tomorrow, but we will try," said the Dutch racer.

"According to me, we know what mistakes we made (in the sprint), as well as what mistakes I made. I am confident that if I do some things correctly, and we continue to do very well with what we have done in the recent starts, usually it will be fine," said Verstappen.

Verstappen's toughest opponent in the main race in Miami is still Leclerc, who has consistently performed well since the free practice sessions. He feels confident in his chances of defeating Verstappen, who is unhappy with his car control.

Also read: After Suzuka, Verstappen Eyes Shanghai

"He is so strong. This morning we were very close. This morning he said he wasn't happy with his car, so we'll see how happy he is with his car tomorrow. "Hopefully he will remain unhappy and we can put pressure on him," said Leclerc, quoted by Crash.

AFP/CLIVE MASON

Ferrari team racer Charles Leclerc was behind the wheel during the qualifying session of the Formula 1 Grand Prix series in Miami at the Miami Autodrome International Circuit in Miami Gardens, Florida, USA, on Saturday, May 4, 2024. Leclerc clinched the second starting position behind Red Bull racer Max Verstappen.

”We took some steps forward this morning, they did too. "If we had DRS (drag reduction system) after the first round, I think we could probably have stayed with him," said Leclerc.

Being within DRS range after the first lap is crucial for Leclerc to continue staying close to Verstappen, especially if he cannot be in the front position after the first turn.

Also read: Lando Norris Becomes "Rain Master" for Shanghai F1 Sprint Qualifying Session

"Well, that's how it is and maintaining DRS, if we can't overtake in turn one. DRS is very powerful here and if we lose it after the first lap, it will always be difficult to get back into the DRS. We must not lose it," said Leclerc.

"However, the main thing is that there will be a start. This morning we did something good (in the sprint) and tomorrow I will try to have one even better," continued the star racer from Ferrari.