Max Verstappen
The British reporter asked the man who raced from ninth on the grid to first with about as much trouble as the average TV fan goes to the fridge: “Were you unbeatable today?” Convincing answer, since there was no time to think: “I always feel unbeatable.” Aha. Without any arrogance, he at least provided indications of this steep thesis in the fifth World Championship race. It only took 20 laps to get back to the front, and from then on the Dutchman with the worse tires drove better and better. Victory number 38, and thus as many as Sebastian Vettel had brought in for Red Bull, was the deserved reward. The lead in the world championship was secured, and there was reason enough to celebrate at Verstappen: Papa Jos had clinched his first victory in a rally car at the age of 51. Apparently a matter of DNA, as the son believes: “A real racing driver never loses his competitive spirit.”
Sergio Perez
The road king of Baku starting from pole position in Miami really would have made for a change at the top of the Drivers’ Championship. Team-mate just ninth on the grid, a race made for his own ability as a tire whisperer, Sergio Perez was on the verge of leading the general classification for the first time. But then Verstappen only needed 20 laps to take the lead.
The one who was beaten so clearly could only be amazed: “I tried it, gave it my all. But what Max showed was simply unattainable for me. I have to find out why.” Verstappen played at risk and opted for better tactics, and incidentally straightened the balance of power at Red Bull Racing. “Checo” Perez may be one win short, but it’s now more than ever that he has to prove he has the consistency to be a serious contender for the title in the long run.
Fernando Alonso
Third for the fourth time in the fifth World Championship round, for Fernando Alonso the new F1 season and in particular the Aston Martin team seem to be the fountain of youth. “I’ve always worked hard, but I probably didn’t have a team that believed in my performance and in my ability to push a car forward. And I’ve never had a car as fast as it is now.” The 41-year-old is therefore slowly changing his perspective: “At the beginning of the year it was surprising to be on the podium at all. But of course we want more now, at least a second place.” Anyone who looked the Spaniard in the eyes recognized the true goal with a glow: Being first for the 33rd time in his career. He was so comfortable and relaxed in his green race car that during the Miami race he complimented teammate Lance Stroll on an overtake he had seen on a video wall as he drove by.
Charles Leclerc
And always greets the groundhog. Sprint qualification in Baku: Rumms, Charles Leclerc lands in the barriers. Training in Miami: Boom, again he sinks the Ferrari in the boundary. Last qualifying lap in Miami: Boom, turn seven again, another wrecked red car. In the end, the Monegasse left Florida in seventh place. And a new feeling of fear: that again it might not be enough to permanently challenge his youth rival Verstappen. “Unacceptable” says the 25-year-old about his mistakes, “unstable” about his company car. Next up is the home race in Imola. There Leclerc had involuntarily initiated the turning point in the title race almost exactly a year ago. One suspects: it had made a bang.
Miami
Low grip, high humidity, the late start of the race: there are many reasons not to race at the Miami International Autodrome. But above all there is one thing for it: the Miami vibes. Even 20 kilometers from the beach, the parties are more real and better than in Monte Carlo, the audience more enthusiastic than anywhere else. And the clientele is probably richer too: with Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Larry Ellison, a club of mega-billionaires met in the huge celebrity and driving camp called Hard Rock Stadium. In contrast, even US sports greats such as Lindsey Vonn, Patrick Mahomes and Mike Tyson faded. From Tom Cruise to Shakira (pictured) to LL Cool J, there were plenty of top partygoers in the boxes and on the grid. Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez, the leading actors in the hit film “Fast and Furious”, naturally felt at home on this terrain. The only ones who grumbled were the racers. For half an hour they had to sweat in full gear during a pre-race show. Miami hot.
Toto Wolff
If everything goes according to plan, the Miami Grand Prix was the last race with the phased-out W14 model, and a new Silver Arrow is due to debut in two weeks, probably with a completely new look. At least it was a reasonably dignified farewell, George Russell was fourth, Lewis Hamilton, who had started from the indisputable 13th place, was sixth. That speaks for the tenacity with which people defy the bitching technology. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff warns against exaggerated expectations of the new edition (“Keep calm!), But of course he is also hopeful: “At some point we have to manage to play at the front again.” That applies to the Austrian himself yes, albeit on a completely different terrain: The 51-year-old will be a visiting professor at Harvard Business School – he is to teach on the topics of “high-performance leadership, organizational culture and personal effectiveness”.The situation of his racing team in Formula 1 is pretty good for that learning example.
Felipe Massa
Felipe Massa is always greeted with a golden envelope when, in his role as F1 ambassador, he is allowed to entertain the most important guests in the premier class in the party garage. Perhaps the unluckiest driver in recent history, losing the coveted title to Hamilton on the final corner of the 2008 season, is a nice guy, welcome in the paddock. But he was really upset recently when Bernie Ecclestone claimed to have known early on that the Singapore Grand Prix had been postponed by Renault team boss Flavio Briatore.
But the zampano had remained silent until the year-end result was approved. If the Grand Prix, in which Nelson Piquet junior intentionally drove into the wall, had been cancelled, Massa would have been in the lead in the World Championship standings afterwards. At that time, the Ferrari lawyers advised against a process, after Ecclestone’s confession, the now 41-year-old Brazilian now wants to consider legal action, he is concerned with justice. However, under F1 law, races cannot be contested and reconsidered after 14 days. Let alone 15 years later.