Max Verstappen demonstrated a virtuosic show of tire administration to outmaneuver his Red Bull colleague Sergio Perez and safe a triumphant victory on the Formula One Miami Grand Prix on Sunday, reasserting his dominance because the main contender for the drivers’ championship.
As the reigning double world champion on F1’s dominant crew, Verstappen had already been put in because the favorite however coming into Miami all the indications have been trending in his teammate’s route.
Perez was driving the momentum from a win in Baku and is thought to be an skilled on avenue circuits and tire administration, each elements that may come into play on the 5.41km short-term observe round Hard Rock Stadium, the house of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.
But ultimately it was Verstappen who made all the suitable calls – from tire choice to race technique.
Starting ninth on the grid, the 25-year-old Dutchman ripped via the pack and was on pole-sitter Perez’s exhaust earlier than the race had reached the halfway level.
Perez, who began on medium tires, pitted first, giving Verstappen an prolonged run on the entrance the place he squeezed all the pieces he might from his onerous tires earlier than lastly stopping for a change with simply 11 laps to go.
The cease handed the lead again to his Mexican teammate, however not for lengthy. On more energizing tires, Verstappen was instantly on the prowl and two laps later he was in entrance of Perez once more.
From there it was business as typical, the 2 Red Bulls easing via the ultimate laps unchallenged for an additional one-two.
“This is something I wanted already yesterday together with my engineer,” Verstappen stated of his tire choice. “We have been fairly strongly opinionated on that already.
“Then it’s important to focus on with the crew, with the crew’s curiosity.
“They have been like, ‘OK.’
“But whenever you begin on the onerous, the chance is a bit greater as a result of we solely had one (set).
“So in case you have a … puncture or no matter, then your race is a bit more durable.
“But I was happy to take that gamble.”
Red Bull crew principal Christian Horner stated that race simulations have been in opposition to the onerous compound however Verstappen and his engineers and strategist needed to roll the cube.
“Max starting on the hard tire, there was more risk with that,” stated Horner.
“Our simulations have been telling us it’s really a worse race however the place it doubtlessly gained was if there was a security automotive later within the race.
“So his engineering team wanted to take that chance and he made it work without the safety car.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com
