Florida got a piece of the 2023 Formula 1 action at Miami International Autodrome last Sunday. The Miami GP is the race’s second edition following a well-received debut in 2022. Both Red Bulls crossed the line for a one-two finish as Max Verstappen took the checkered flag behind Sergio Perez. This is Verstappen’s second P1 finish on the track. He stretched his Drivers’ Championship lead to 14 points ahead of teammate Sergio Perez.

Let’s go over the top 2023 Miami Grand Prix storylines before the grid travels back to Europe for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

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Key Takeaways from the 2023 Miami Grand Prix

Late on the brakes, and eight in his wake @Max33Verstappen powered through the field en route to victory!#MiamiGP #F1 @redbullracing pic.twitter.com/Bqeeqfo5CS

— Formula 1 (@F1) May 8, 2023

First lap developments

Perez led Fernando Alonso from the pole position at the start, while seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes hit trouble early into the race. The early stages also saw a Lando Norris and Nyck de Vries incident where the latter failed to hit the braking zone early and hit the McLaren, sending it off track. Lando recovered right after Turn 1. Adding to the early incidents of the race was home hero Logan Sargeant picking up damage. The Williams driver was forced to stop early for a front-wing swap.

Red Bull tussle

Sergio Perez started the race on Medium compounds. He had a solid build-up toward race day and scored his first pole in Miami. The Mexican driver ended up before Lap 57 while teammate Max Verstappen opened his stint with Hard tires. Verstappen quickly made his way to the front of the pack and gained five places before the halfway mark. His pace set up a thrilling battle between both Red Bulls and championship rivals.

The former Force India driver was unfortunate in his Hard-Medium strategy. Although it was clearly the fastest way to run the race without the course catching tire debris and lighter fuel loads protecting the Medium rubber. Ultimately, he was easy prey for Verstappen at the end of the 57-lap race. This was his chance to take over the title battle, but this was the Dutchman’s race.

During the post-race interview, Perez said: “I gave it all. I think the first stint was really poor with the graining that we had on that initial pace and that compromised quite a lot (of) our race because we didn’t have too much of a defense on tires.”

Mercedes turnaround

Toto Wolff was critical of the Mercedes W14. He even called it “a nasty piece of work” at one point. However, the German constructors did slightly better on race day. Lewis Hamilton qualified in P13, while George Russell found himself starting from the third row at P6. Both drivers eventually improved their race results and scored points.

George gained two places and finished his stint in fourth. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton showcased a collection of brilliant overtakes and bagged P6. This gives the team a tighter hold at P3 in the Constructors’ Championship race.

Mercedes plans to release its upgrade package in Imola. The team hopes to give the W14 a better pace and get closer to the frontrunners. While the upgrade is not something that matches them with Red Bull right away, it’s a step in the right direction.

Where to Bet on F1 with Crypto

Formula 1 features a continuously growing betting market for veteran and novice punters. Motorsport lovers will get a kick out of our F1 odds selection, which features Drivers and Constructors’ Championship futures and outright winners of each Grand Prix.

This is just one of the many sports betting guides that you can read here at Nitrobetting news. Stay tuned for more Formula 1 previews and articles, and don’t forget to check out the latest sports betting odds at our crypto sportsbook.

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