A world champion made to sweat
He’d endured a disaster of a Friday practice and could only qualify on the second row on Saturday, but it didn’t take long for Verstappen to grab the Miami GP by the scruff of the neck on Sunday. Red Bull’s world champion used the outside line at turn one to snatch second place from Carlos Sainz Jr., then hunted down poleman and leader Charles Leclerc. On lap nine he made his move at turn one and the points leader simply had no answer to a Red Bull running in low-downforce trim, which only extended its clear straight-line advantage.
But just when it seemed Verstappen would stroke it home, the right rear wheel of Norris’s McLaren connected with the slow-moving AlphaTauri of Gasly, ripping the Pirelli tyre straight off the rim and spinning the orange car around. A Virtual Safety Car, which quickly became a full safety car interruption, gave Leclerc fresh hope. And when racing resumed with 10 to go, he charged after the Red Bull. Getting into range wasn’t too much of a problem, but the Red Bull’s advantage on the straights gave Verstappen the edge just when he needed it the most, thwarting his title rival from landing a telling blow. But boy, was it tense. The champ blew his cheeks, looked hot and bothered and perhaps a tad relieved when he removed his helmet. Nevertheless, Verstappen’s third win of the year leaves him now just 19 points behind Leclerc, which at this stage of such a long season is nothing. His old rival can feel the champion’s breath on his neck.