The racing calendar moves to South Beach as we will have our first-ever Miami Grand Prix this weekend.
It’s been a long time coming and It’s no coincidence that with Formula 1’s increasing popularity in the United States, Netflix has also renewed their Drive to Survive series for two more seasons – which is another step forward for a country that for so long felt closed off to Formula 1.
The US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas in years past has never disappointed in terms of the fan turnout as shown last October with over a crowd of 400,000, and we expect more of the same here as the Formula 1 action continues to heat up.
Following a successful Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Red Bull have inched closer to the top of both the drivers and constructors’ standings as Ferrari were unable to win on home soil.
As we look forward to another fun weekend, read on below as SBOTOP serves you the newest Miami Grand Prix 2022 updates.
Red Bull back in the driver’s seat
Christian Horner was understandably delighted as his drivers did the seemingly impossible by delivering the team’s first one-two finish since 2016 in the last time out.
Following three DNFs so far this season – with the most recent one during the Australian Grand Prix – Red Bull were on the back foot behind Ferrari, but they delivered in Imola – buoyed by Verstappen’s outstanding weekend where he took pole on Friday, won the Sprint, and had a dominant Grand Prix to cap it off.
“It was quite a stressful race on the pit wall because of changing condition, and there’s a lot that can go wrong in those situations, but I thought both Max and Checo did an unbelievable job,” said Horner post-race.
“We believed in ourselves, and it paid off. And I think we were unlucky in Australia a couple of weeks ago, but we came within one point of maximum points this weekend, so it’s a great fightback by the team,” he added.
Heading into Miami, Red Bull have cut their constructors’ deficit to only 11 points behind pacesetters Ferrari, while Max Verstappen is now P2 at the drivers’ standings with 59 points. They also have won two poles so far, which is level with Ferrari.
Taking the upper hand will be big for Red Bull since they have the golden opportunity to leapfrog Ferrari and for Max Verstappen to inch closer to Charles Leclerc.
Ferrari cannot afford to cede ground
The Prancing Horse has come a long way this season as they’ve become the hunted instead of the hunter. However, while they’ve been leading the way so far, their last outing serves as a reminder that they still have a long way to go to return on the mountaintop.
Charles Leclerc finished P8 at Imola as he admitted that he got “too greedy” when he was chasing Sergio Perez for second place, which resulted into him spinning off the track with nine laps left.
Meanwhile, his teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. had another DNF as his car drifted off the track after contact with Daniel Ricciardo on the first lap – to which the McLaren driver later apologised.
With Red Bull hot on their heels, Leclerc and Sainz Jr. need to get back on their feet quickly so that they can extend their lead in the standings.
History
The 2022 Miami Grand Prix will mark the first time since 1959 that Formula 1 heads to Florida. Miami is the second US city to join the Formula 1 calendar, and they’ll be joined by Las Vegas next season.
Those three US-based races, along with events in Brazil, Canada, and Mexico, means that 2023 will feature the most races in recent history at the American regions.
Miami have shown interest in hosting a Formula 1 race for a while, but it took a few years for them to be given the green light. It is worth the wait and race fans would have to thank Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and his consortium for making this all possible.
What are the odds?
We’re inclined to give Max Verstappen the edge in the Miami Grand Prix 2022 odds since he’s in great form. This weekend, the defending Formula 1 champion is priced at 1.25 to win, while his teammate Sergio Perez is at 1.80. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. are right there behind the Red Bulls at 2.02 and 2.36 respectively, while George Russell and Lewis Hamilton lead the midfield with odds of 2.47 and 2.88.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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