Red Bull and Max Verstappen were in a class of their own in the Miami F1 race. Sports expert Jukka Mildh says the championship fight is steady.
The first Miami race in Formula One history ended with Red Bull Max Verstappen to the party. Ferrari lost their front row start, but still scored a great points pot when the World Cup top Charles Leclerc was another and Carlos Sainz third.
Valtteri Bottas succumbed to a mistake in the final stages of the race, but drove his Alfa Romeo to finish in seventh.
Sport saw the events and topics of the race weekend through an F1 expert Jukka Mildhin with.
Where did the race go?
During the Miami race weekend, the division in power relations on the track went so that Ferrari dominated the time trials and Red Bull himself raced. Mildh sees that the race was actually decided in Max’s favor for Max Verstappen, even though Charles Leclerc remained in the lead for the first nine laps.
– Red Bull was significantly better prepared to take the race than Ferrari. Verstappen got off to a great start and made the best possible use of the first corner. When he finally got the lead, Ferrari couldn’t answer, Mildh estimated.
The championship battle seems to be taking shape between Leclerc and Verstappen. Leclerc’s leadership narrowed to 19 points with Verstappen’s victory.
– The competition is getting really tough. Simplified on those lines where there are a lot of curves, Ferrari is strong. Where there is straight and strength is needed, Red Bull is strong. This situation still exists and therefore the competition will remain stable for a long time. I don’t think either stable will take a big jump compared to the other, Mildh says.
What are we talking about?
The condition of the weekend in Miami was the condition of the weekend. The surface of the track was patched several times during the hot weekend and did not satisfy the drivers and stables.
– The surface of the track was so slippery that it caused problems. In fact, the competition for Bottas also froze. The track is so slippery that as soon as you drift off the driving line, there is nothing you can do with the car’s controls. Talking about the track before and during the race weekend will definitely be talked about afterwards, Mildh says.
The race for the weekend in Miami was loaded with high expectations, not least because the F1 series has been aiming for a larger market share in the United States in recent years. There will be two races running in the country on this season’s calendar and next year’s Las Vegas race will also be included.
The Miami depot saw tremendous star splendor from various entertainment venues around the world. For example David Beckhamin reactions to the course of the race were frequently shown on television. Before the race, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton posed in the same picture for Beckham, Michael Jordanin and Tom Bradyn with.
– It seemed that the event would have been a success. It was quite a celebrity show, Mildh says.
Where the first races of the season have been really entertaining, not much has been seen on the track in Miami. However, Mildh hopes the American audience feels they have had enough entertainment about the events on the track.
– Surprisingly many people drove in line, and the operation of the new rule concept for cars did not come to the fore. The American audience demands competitions that happen a lot. I hope they didn’t find the competition boring.
How did Bottas perform?
Valtteri Bottas’ laps in the rehearsals were short due to problems and a run-out, but in the time trial the Finn hit the table with an excellent performance. In the race itself, the Fifth starting box changed to the seventh as Bottas collapsed in the final stages of the race and fell behind both Mercedes.
– In the big picture, I think Bottas’ screen over the weekend was big. The time trial performance was incredible compared to how little he had track time compared to the others. It was clear that the Alfa Romeo car is keeping up well, Mlidh says.
– It was annoying that little slip. Bottas drifted just there into the slippery area criticized. Luckily, he didn’t hit the track and was able to get through the race. In any case, I would give a commendable grade, even though there was a visible error.
During the season, Alfa Romeo’s impact capability was a big question mark, as test laps were really short. In five races, however, Bottas has scored four times and even in Saudi Arabia, a place would have been likely without technical problems.
– The early season promises really good things for Alfa Romeo. Points will be awarded and in time it will be possible to drive to the top ten. The Miami weekend was a remarkable testament to Bottas ’time-driving skills. She trusts her car and the feeling feels really hard, Mildh estimates.
The World Cup series will continue in two weeks in Spain.