Miami is a better Formula 1 track than you think

I am relieved not to have to write more about energy management or regulations this round than, “They tweaked the rules, it got better, they aren’t done yet, the end.” Thus is the nature of Formula 1. Big whoop.

The surprise of the Miami Grand Prix weekend was Miami itself. I think the idea that it’s a dull race track was mostly a hangover from the earliest iterations, but this year was a definitive turning point. Its twisty stop-and-go nature flattered the new cars. In the mega-downforce era, they just sort of slurped along without much issue, but now they wobble and slide (and spin) more. Plus, the layout is easy on the battery, so there really weren’t any meaningful energy problems. It was just an F1 race, and a rather good one at that.

But, significantly, this was also Formula 2’s debut at the Miami International Autodrome thanks to World Events™, and it put on two absolute firecrackers. I hope the right people noticed and plan to capitalize on that by bringing them back.

The grand prix was moved earlier to adjust for possible rain, which everyone got excited would happen anyway but did not.

In terms of world championship proceedings, Kimi Antonelli won his third race in a row from pole, and you might think that would be an indication of the return of boring Mercedes dominance, but you’d be wrong because George Russell got beaten by both McLarens, who also went 1-2 in the sprint race. Yes, the defending world champions are back, and they still know how to develop a car better than anybody else. Things are getting interesting.

Ferrari’s upgrades don’t seem to have gotten them anywhere, although Charles Leclerc’s P8 (after penalties) was largely of his own making. He had a bit of a brain fart on the last lap.

His wasn’t the only brain fart of the race, to be sure: Max Verstappen looped his car on the start and immediately gave away what could have been the lead, and his teammate Isack Hadjar took himself out of contention fairly immediately by knocking the front left corner off. Many accused Liam Lawson of a brain fart that led to Pierre Gasly retiring with his car upside down, but it was (fairly obviously) a gearbox failure going into a corner that rendered Lawson unable to slow down.

Verstappen — who started second and finished fifth — won driver of the day, which is ridiculous. The driver of the day was the winner, Kimi Antonelli, who was under pressure from the defending world champion and did not falter. Kimi still has his wild moments over a weekend, but it might not be very long before it’s obvious to all of us that he will imminently be world champion.