It's lights out and away we go in Miami...
A new dawn in Formula One kicked off under the Sakhir lights, with Formula One enjoying a surge in global popularity and a hope of an exhilarating 2023 season. There was excitement that Red Bull would face stark competition in their Championship hunt, but it has been business as usual for Christian Horner and the Red Bull drivers, an ominous performance winning all five Grand Prix's so far this season.
This weekend, with tennis legends Roger Federer and Serena Williams, as well as Tom Cruise and Shakira in attendance beside a 90,766 crowd of spectators, Sunday promised a thriller at the Miami International Autodrome. Max Verstappen has exuded confidence in pursuit of a third straight title, as Red Bull have overwhelmed their competition, in an increasingly dominant RB19 that has seemingly built on last year's strengths.
After Sergio Perez's Sprint and Grand Prix double in Azerbaijan, Verstappen's championship lead remained just six points, but even an eventful qualifying session and a ninth place starting position did little to halt the Dutch champion. With the Red Bulls once again in a league of their own, Verstappen was excellent, mastering a long hard tyre stint to carve through the field with ease and win his third race of the season.
Undoubtedly the surprise package of the season, 41-year-old Fernando Alonso continued his dazzling season for Aston Martin, revealing an immense transformation under Mike Krack. Aston's AMR 23's great leap forward has seen them titled claim the title of 'best of the rest' but relying on the experience and world class ability of the Spaniard, perhaps a surprise title contender in 2023. Lance Stroll's 12th place finish in a clearly competitive Formula One car is perhaps disappointing however Aston Martin have indeed come leaps and bounds this season.
The Scuderia's underwhelming end to a promise filled season in 2022 saw Fred Vasseur take the reins from Mattia Binotto, but 2023 has shown signs of a meek title charge from the Prancing Horse. Carlos Sainz did well to secure fifth position at the chequered flag while teammate Charles Leclerc crashed in qualifying, before clinching seventh place after a long-drawn battle with the Haas of Kevin Magnussen, outstanding on the day. The Monegasque driver's form has taken a nosedive from last year's heights, yet a home race next weekend represents a fleeting hope for Leclerc fans.
Mercedes' performance has greatly disappointed this season, however a fourth-place finish for George Russell, ahead of both Ferraris and world champion Lewis Hamilton, revealed a faint silver lining. Toto Wolff conceded drastic action was required for a quick resurgence for the Silver Arrows, however another season chasing the frontrunners looms for Lewis Hamilton and the W14.
Following a shocking nightmare in Baku, Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon bounced back with a double points finish, putting in a much-needed performance for the French outfit. Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda continued his impressively consistent form with another 11th place finish, regularly overperforming in an underwhelming Alpha Tauri, with teammate Nyck de Vries faltering in his debut season. 13th place is shockingly a better performance from Valtteri Bottas who finished ahead of teammate Zhou Guanyu and the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg in an unconvincing start to the season for the Finn. Five Grand Prix's into the season and no team's performance has been more baffling than McLaren's, whose nightmarish season persisted with 17th and 19th place finishes for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri respectively, leaving Zak Brown and Maclaren fans searching for answers.
This year's Miami duel came laden with intrigue but perhaps mellowed excitement, with a jumbled-up grid failing to throw a spanner in the works. While the midfield battle has promise for entertainment, competition at the pinnacle of the table is becoming a requirement in this new era of Red Bull dominance.
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