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F1 to 10: What really happened at the Miami Grand Prix
Max Verstappen maintains Oracle Red Bull Racing's undefeated start to 2023 in Florida, with team-mate and pole-sitter Sergio Pérez finishing second for a fourth team 1-2 result this year.
Written by Matthew Clayton
5 min readPublished on
Max Verstappen of Oracle Red Bull Racing at the Miami Grand Prix on May 7, 2023.
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool

1. Miami in exactly 74 words*

Max Verstappen extended his Formula One world championship lead at the Miami Grand Prix, the Dutchman recovering from ninth on the grid to pass Oracle Red Bull Racing team-mate and pole-sitter Sergio 'Checo' Pérez for first place at the first corner with 10 laps remaining. The win was the team's fifth in succession and fourth 1-2 finish in 2023. Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso finished third – for the fourth time this year – to complete the podium.
*2023 is the 74th season of the F1 world championship

2. The Miami GP in six pics

3. Max goes the long way around

Verstappen's unrelenting pace on worn hard tyres was the decisive factor© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
That Verstappen and Pérez occupied the top two steps on the podium was no great surprise given the pace advantage the RB19 has enjoyed over the opening quintet of races this season, but Verstappen's third victory of the year was anything but plain sailing. He qualified just ninth after being caught out when Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) crashed in the final stages, preventing the drivers behind him from improving their lap times.
Verstappen played the patient game in the early stages of the race and methodically moved forwards on a different strategy to his peers. Red Bull elected to split tyre strategies with its drivers, with Verstappen on the more durable hard rubber and Pérez on the faster medium compound, albeit a tyre with less longevity.
Verstappen was up to second by Lap 20 when Pérez pitted from the lead, and it was the double world champion's relentless pace on worn rubber from Lap 30 until his own pit stop on Lap 45 that proved decisive. Pérez briefly reclaimed first place after his team-mate pitted, but on worn tyres, could do nothing to resist a Verstappen overtake for the lead – and the win – at Turn 1 with 10 of the 57 laps remaining.
With Verstappen stuck in the Saturday pack after Leclerc's qualifying off, Pérez took his second pole of the year – and third of his career – after a superb lap early in Q3, which proved to be pivotal as the session was red-flagged and not restarted.
The special Florida-inspired pink, blue and purple paint job for the RB19 driven by Verstappen and Pérez in Miami was created by Argentina's Martina Andriano as part of the team's 'Make Your Mark' campaign.
Martina won the fan-led competition from members of 'The Paddock', the team's free loyalty program, as part of an opportunity to reboot the RB19's look at each of the races in Miami, Austin and Las Vegas this season.

4. Tsunoda comes close, damage denies De Vries

Tsunoda just fell short of a third 10th-place finish in a row© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
In a race of no attrition – all 20 drivers who started took the chequered flag after 57 laps – Scuderia AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda came agonisingly close to the points in Miami, the Japanese finishing 11th and less than two seconds behind the Haas of Kevin Magnussen for the final point on offer.
Tsunoda bemoaned a lack of grip on Saturday as he qualified a season-worst 17th, but ran the hard tyres all the way to eighth place, before his Lap 37 pit stop and just ran out of laps to catch the Danish driver at the end.
Team-mate Nyck de Vries made Q2 for the first time and qualified a season-best 15th, but the Dutchman locked his tyres and tapped the back of Lando Norris (McLaren) at the first corner of the race, condemning himself to an afternoon of fighting an ill-handling car from the rear of the field. He eventually crossed the line in 18th place, the final driver not lapped by race-winner Verstappen.

5. The number you need to know

38: Verstappen's second consecutive win in Miami was his 38th for Oracle Red Bull Racing, matching four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel for the most victories by one driver with the team. It came one week shy of seven years since his first F1 victory at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, his debut with the team.

6. The word from the paddock

I stayed out of trouble at the beginning… we kept it calm, kept it clean. Winning a race from P9 is always very satisfying

7. The stats that matter

Drivers' championship top 5
Position
Driver
Team
Points
Gap
1
Max Verstappen
Oracle Red Bull Racing
119
-
2
Sergio Pérez
Oracle Red Bull Racing
105
-14
3
Fernando Alonso
Aston Martin
75
-44
4
Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes
56
-63
5
Carlos Sainz
Ferrari
44
-75
Constructors' championship top 5
Position
Team
Points
Gap
1
Oracle Red Bull Racing
224
-
2
Aston Martin
102
-122
3
Mercedes
96
-128
4
Ferrari
78
-146
5
McLaren
14
-210

8. Away from the track

Oracle Red Bull Racing and Scuderia AlphaTauri drivers go head-to-head to race each other in the cities they travel to on the 2023 F1 calendar in the Unserious Race Series. Watch all the fun Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda had in Miami.
4 minRicciardo vs Tsunoda in mini jet boatsWatch Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda race each other in mini jet boats ahead of the Miami Grand Prix.
Watch
English +2

9. Where to next, and what do I need to know?

Round 6 (Emilia Romagna), May 19-21
Circuit name/location: Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola, Italy
Length/laps: 4.909km, 63 laps
Grands Prix held/debut: 3, 2020 (Imola also held the San Marino Grand Prix from 1981-2006, and the Italian Grand Prix in 1980)
Most successful driver (Emilia Romagna GP): Max Verstappen (two wins)
Most successful team (Emilia Romagna GP): Red Bull Racing (two wins)
2022 podium: 1st: Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing), 2nd: Sergio Perez (Red Bull Racing), 3rd: Lando Norris (McLaren)

10. Inside the wide world of Red Bull Motorsports

Craig Breen seen during FIA European Rally Championship in Fafe, Portugal on March 12, 2023.
Craig Breen© @World/Red Bull Content Pool
In the first instalment of a new series of exclusive blogs for redbull.com, Sébastien Ogier, eight-time WRC champion, pays tribute to fellow driver Craig Breen, who passed away recently in a testing accident.
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