Everyone expected another snorefest going in to the Miami Grand Prix weekend. Both races that we’ve seen around the Hard Rock Stadium in the past have been relatively boring. But we were wrong. The 2024 Miami Grand Prix was a thriller!
Max Verstappen started on pole, with Charles Leclerc lining up alongside him. The Ducthman’s race was nearly over going into the first corner, though. His teammate Sergio Perez locked up and came steaming down the inside of the pack - missing Verstappen by just inches.
Oscar Piastri was ever the opportunist, picking up a couple of places in the chaos and eventually moving his McLaren up into second place. Normally, Verstappen would be running away out front, but Piastri and Leclerc kept the gap under three seconds until the pit stops.
The two McLarens ran long with their strategy. Piastri went into the pits, leaving Norris in the lead of the race. Then, Magnussen and Sargeant collided, causing the safety car to be brought out and giving Lando the perfect opportunity to get a free pit stop-in.
Norris managed to keep his lead after the pit stops. With fresh tyres bolted to his McLaren, Lando sprinted off into the lead of the race. The pressure was on, but luckily, we didn’t see a repeat of Sochi 2021! Norris finally got his well-deserved victory.
Adrian Newey Leaves Red Bull
After months of rumours swirling around the paddock, it’s finally been confirmed that Adrian Newey will be leaving Red Bull at the end of the season. The Red Bull team held an emotional farewell for the incredible aerodynamicist at the Miami Grand Prix.
However, he’s yet to confirm where he’s off to next. Newey has been questioned about his future hundreds of times ever since the announcement, but he’s remained vague on the topic. He’s said that he’s “tired”, which implires that retirement is something that he may be considering at the moment.
Lewis Hamilton poured some fuel on the fire during the Miami Grand Prix press conference when he stated that he would love to work with Newey in the future. We also got some glimpses of Newey taking a peek at the SF-24 on the grid, gripping his famous notebook. Before the race, he also shared a moment with some Ferrari personnel.
While the Prancing Horses seem like the obvious destination for Newey, Mercedes are still a strong contender. Mercedes are in desperate need of a rebuild at the moment. They need a driver and a serious change in the direction of their development. Will they put a big offer on the table?
Audi Starts Building
Audi Motorsport (currently Sauber) is starting to get the ball rolling for their 2026 entry to the F1 grid. Earlier this year, they announced they would be doing a full takeover of the team rather than the initial partial takeover.
They’ve also signed up Nico Hulkenberg as their first driver. Hulkenberg will join the Sauber F1 team from the 2025 season, carrying over to when Audi takes over in 2026. It’s also been rumoured that Carlos Sainz has rejected an offer from Audi. This means the German outfit was interested in the Spaniard, but they still needed to secure a second driver.
It also means that Sainz potentially has a better offer on the table at the moment. A driver of his calibre (and current form) would not reject a seat for next year. Does he have an offer from Mercedes?
The other question is: who will be replacing Hulkenberg? The only obvious answer is Ollie Bearmann. The Brit impressed everyone when he replaced Carlos Sainz at Ferrari in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. It’s likely that Ferrari will be pushing for him to join the F1 grid in preparation for when Hamilton leaves Ferrari in the future.
European Leg Starts
Formula 1 heads to Italy next for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. It’s a fantastic circuit that always delivers exciting action on track, so make sure you don’t miss out!
The start of the European leg also means that teams will be bringing plenty of upgrades for their cars. Will McLaren close the gap to Red Bull even further?
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