"Red Bull Racing Dominates Miami Grand Prix 2023 with Max Verstappen's Double Win and A-List Celebrity Attendance"

The second edition of the Miami Grand Prix, which takes place around the Hard Rock Stadium, offered a race won by Max Verstappen for the second time in a row, a new double for Red Bull Racing.

A Miami Grand Prix under the sign of VIPs, many celebrities made the trip, Vin Diesel, Shakira, Roger Federer, the Williams sisters, James Marsden, Elon Musk, Jeeff Bezos, Tom Cruise, LL Cool J, Will I .AM… the starting grid becomes a real traffic jam a few minutes from the start. Over the 3 days of the Miami Grand Prix, 270,000 people made the trip!

Miami Grand Prix 2023

When settling on the starting grid, the ambient air is at 27°C, the track displays 35°C, the first 7 drivers up to Leclerc are on Medium tires, Ocon and Verstappen will start on tires Hard, Bottas and Albon on Medium, the two McLaren drivers are the only two on Soft tyres.

When the lights go out, the start is given, and it’s a good start for Pérez who is not intimidated by Alonso, behind the McLaren of Norris was hit by the AlphaTauri of Nyck de Vries. Pierre Gasly gained one place, he is 4th with his Alpine, Verstappen is still in 9th place, Piastri made good use of his soft tires with his 14th position.

In the second lap, Verstappen got the better of Bottas to gain 8th place, the Red Bull driver riding on the hardest tyres. In the lead Pérez has a little more than a second on the Aston Martin of Alonso, himself having the same mattress ahead of Sainz. Logan Sargeant stopped at the end of lap 2 to change his front wing and put on hard tyres.

Magnussen took the lead from Leclerc on lap 3, before the Ferrari driver regained his place on the long back straight. But on the starting line at the start of lap 4, Leclerc’s Ferrari sees Magnussen’s Haas on one side, Verstappen’s Red Bull on the other, the Monegasque loses two places, Verstappen turns to 6th place and set the lap record in stride in 1’32″935.

The McLarens are quickly getting rid of their Soft tires to opt for Hard compounds. Verstappen signs a new lap record in 1’32″753, it is housed in the exhausts of Russell’s Mercedes. The ranking of the Top 10 in lap 7: Pérez, Alonso, Sainz, Gasly, Russell, Verstappen, Magnussen, Leclerc, Ocon and Bottas. On lap 8 and turn 17, Verstappen took the inside on Russell to gain 5th place. On the next lap, Verstappen got the better of Gasly, thanks to the DRS, the Alpine driver was trapped and lost another place to Russell’s Mercedes.

Max Verstappen edges out George Russell at the 2023 Miami Grand Prix

A new record for Verstappen in 1’32″251, still with the Hard tires which are faster than the Medium at this point in the race. There is a three-way battle between Magnussen, Leclerc and Ocon. Verstappen continues to raise the pace, 1’31″736, it is housed in the exhausts of Sainz’s Ferrari. And the Ferrari will not retain Verstappen’s Red Bull for long as the Dutchman is on another planet. Magnussen, who was blocking Leclerc and Ocon, returned to the pits at the end of lap 14, the hard tires were fitted.

On lap 15, Verstappen easily got rid of Fernando Alonso, the two Red Bulls were in the lead. Gasly went into the pits to swap his Medium tires for the Hard ones, Russell and Leclerc will pit at the end of lap 17. At the end of lap 18, Sainz lights his tires before entering the pits, the Spaniard takes to the track in 7th place behind Hamilton. Pérez plunged into the pit lane at the end of lap 20, leaving the controls of the race to Verstappen.

George Russell during the 2023 Miami Grand Prix

Sainz who had turned on his rubbers at the entrance to the pits, it was not trivial, the Spanish driver was caught speeding, he receives a 5-second penalty (added to his race time, or by being immobilized when stopping). The ranking of the Top 10 in round 24: Verstappen, Alonso, Pérez, Ocon, Sainz, Hamilton, Hülkenberg, Tsunoda, Russell and Stroll. Among these drivers, Verstappen, Alonso, Ocon, Hamilton, Hülkenberg, Tsunoda and Stroll have still not made their pit stop. Alonso will do it at the end of round 24 precisely.

On the track, Pérez recovers the fastest lap in the race thanks to his fresher tires in 1’31 “444, Alonso is in the wake of the Ferrari of Sainz, the Spaniard will overtake his compatriot at turn 7 of lap 27. On lap 29 , Alonso easily regained his 3rd position against Ocon, who still hasn’t stopped since he started with hard tires.At Mercedes, Hamilton does not hold Russell, the two do not evolve on the same strategy, the seven-time champion hasn’t stopped yet.

The Alfa Romeo at the 2023 Miami Grand Prix

Gasly, in a close duel, defeated Stroll’s Aston Martin, leading the race, Verstappen set the lap record again in 1’31″225, the championship leader was 15 seconds ahead of the lap 36 as the deadline for his pit stop approaches. Russell with fresher tires logically takes the lead over Ocon for 5th place. Pérez responds to Verstappen for the best time in the race in 1’31″192. The lap record passes to the Haas clan with Nico Hülkenberg who fitted the Medium tyres, 1’30″901 at the end of lap 37.

Russell got the better of Sainz’s Ferrari for 4th place, Leclerc in the other red single-seater had to fight against Magnussen’s Haas. The Monegasque took over the Dane, at the end of lap 37 Hamilton finally made his stop and returned to the track in 13th position. Hamilton manages to get rid of his ex-teammate Bottas and gets into the points, he is still 60 seconds behind the leader (admittedly who has not made his stop)! The leader Verstappen is also 18 seconds ahead of Pérez, the Mexican also recovers the best time in 1’30″897.

Lando Norris beats Oscar Piastri at the 2023 Miami Grand Prix

Max Verstappen finally returns to the pits at the end of lap 45, Stroll takes the lap record in 1’30’862, Verstappen takes to the track with his Medium tires just behind Pérez, the gap between the two teammates is 1 “5 at the end of the lap. At the start of lap 47, Verstappen is in the wake of the Mexican, he can open his DRS. Pérez defends himself for the first time in the long straight against Verstappen, but in the line right of the pits, Verstappen takes the best outside, the Dutchman is again leader of the Grand Prix.

In the process, Verstappen took the best time in the race, 1’30″637! The ranking of the Top 10 on lap 49: Verstappen, Pérez, Alonso, Russell, Sainz, Gasly, Leclerc, Hamilton, Ocon and Magnussen. Tsunoda attacks Bottas to gain 11th place, a nice maneuver outside turn 17. On lap 53, Verstappen sets a new race record, 1’30″372. In these last laps, Leclerc returns to the ‘Alpine de Gasly, the Monegasque easily overtook the Frenchman who locked his wheels, the Normand was going to be under threat from the Mercedes from Hamilton which overtook without problem with its Medium tyres.

Lance Stroll at the 2023 Miami Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton easily took the lead over Leclerc’s Ferrari to gain 6th place, nothing would worry Verstappen on a regular basis with a 3-second margin over Pérez. On the penultimate lap, Verstappen set the first sector record, and it was a new lap record of 1’29.708, he started the final lap and headed for his 38th victory, with another Red double Bull Racing Fernando Alonso can savor another podium, the 4th this season.Russell is 4th ahead of Sainz, Hamilton, Leclerc, Gasly, Ocon and Magnussen.