Formula 1 lessons from Florida
Miami knows and Mick is under pressure
05/09/2022, 07:40 am
It only gets really exciting in the final laps of the spectacularly staged Formula 1 debut in Miami. Max Verstappen wins ahead of Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc. From a German point of view, drama is taking place and a ban on jewelry and underpants is moving the scene.
Max Verstappen wins his second race in a row, but he doesn’t really want to be happy just yet. Mick Schumacher drives instead into the points in Sebastian Vettel, who before the race draws attention to the new rules with a charming nonsense. The air is getting thinner for Ferrari, but hope remains. Away from the track, Formula 1 is big. The first race in Miami is a spectacular show with a lot of celebrities.
Miami knows
The creators put on a huge show, the trappings in the “Magic City” was actually a spectacle. Formula 1 had long wanted a guest appearance in Miami. And she was not disappointed. The tickets sold out quickly, and a colorful party raged around the Hard Rock Stadium for three days. The paddock had rarely experienced a star crowd like in South Florida. Former First Lady Michelle Obama, sports heroes like Tom Brady, Michael Jordan, David Beckham and Lindsey Vonn and Hollywood celebrities like Michael Douglas strolled through the pit lane.
“It was a mega event. It’s not easy when you organize it for the first time,” said Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz. He wasn’t alone in his opinion. The flair was “fantastic”, said almost all drivers around winner Max Verstappen at the edge of the new glamor Grand Prix of the premier class. But the race, which was supposed to be the focus, couldn’t keep up. The track didn’t allow for a lot of action, only the late safety car phase added some tension. The organizer wants to react, reserves the right to change the layout. So that maybe next year’s race can keep up with the show.
Pressure on Schumacher is growing
The Haas pilot was the tragic figure in Miami. So close to the first points of his career, the 23-year-old crashed with his buddy Sebastian Vettel. Instead of finishing counting the zero-point races, the next unfortunate appearance after Imola. Michael Schumacher’s son was correspondingly frustrated afterwards. “We have a good car and we have to manage not to always get into difficult situations,” he said.
But one thing above all has to ensure this: Schumacher himself. His crash with Vettel was symbolic of this. “I thought I had the curve. When I saw him, it was too late,” said Vettel. “It’s a shame for both of us,” said Schumacher. To finally get a point at his Haas team’s US home game of all places would have been perfect for the 23-year-old. Instead, he finished 15th. Vettel dropped out.
Big deficit despite victory
Second win in a row, the gap to Charles Leclerc in the World Cup standings reduced to 19 points – things are going well for the Dutchman again. Red Bull got the technical problems in Verstappen’s car under control and the 24-year-old can once again show what he can do. Consistently asserted at the start against Carlos Sainz, initially showed patience behind Leclerc, then attacked at the right moment, later defended smartly – you can’t do it better.
But because his team-mate’s car wobbled, Verstappen wasn’t entirely satisfied in the end: “We’re fast, but we really have to get the problems with stability under control.” The two failures at the beginning of the season and the mishaps on Friday training in Miami gnawed at Verstappen. And the 19 points behind are still one board. Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko said: “It will be a difficult task to catch up.”
Ferrari hopes for the next turning point
After the last two defeats against Verstappen, the air for world championship leader Charles Leclerc is getting thinner. “They seem to be a bit stronger in the race at the moment,” said the Monegasque after not being able to maintain his pole position against the Red Bull star for long in Miami.
Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto attributes the trend reversal to the development work at the competitor. “I hope they stop at some point, we have a budget limit,” said the Italian. At the next Grand Prix in Barcelona, the Scuderia wants to counter with its own update of the cars.
The jewelry farce of Miami
Piercings, earrings, watches, necklaces – jewelry should be banned from Formula 1 cockpits for safety reasons. This caused quite a stir among the drivers. The new German race director Niels Wittich is taking action and wants to implement the ban that has been in place for years and impose penalties if necessary.
Of course, Lewis Hamilton doesn’t like that at all, the record champion doesn’t accept the safety argument. For Hamilton, his jewelry is an expression of his personality. This is understandable from his point of view, but a dubious signal to the offspring. The Brit now has time until the race in Monaco at the end of May to have a piercing removed that he cannot easily remove. Sequel follows.