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The 2023 F1 Miami GP is now behind us, with Max Verstappen beating Sergio Perez to pick up yet another win.
In a race that saw the team put the two drivers on alternate strategies, this time around it was the Dutchman who got the job done despite starting the race from P9. It also featured an interesting battle where, for the most part, it was hard to predict who of the two drivers will have the advantage after the pitstops were done.
Verstappen was the quicker driver early in the race as he made his way through the field on hard tires. It eventually became clear that he also held the advantage at the later stages of the tire's life as well.
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By the time Verstappen was about to pit, he just had a far superior speed to his teammate and made the most of it to pick up another win.
Verstappen won the race ahead of Perez in P2 and Fernando Alonso in P3. In P4, we had George Russell, who added yet another impressive outing to his resume. Rounding out the P5 was Carlos Sainz in his Ferrari.
With the chequered flag coming down on the fifth race of the 2023 F1 season, what are some of the key takeaways? Well, let's take a look.
2023 F1 Miami GP: Key Takeaways
#1 A focused Max Verstappen can't be touched by Sergio Perez
There was a question mark over Max Verstappen's motivation and drive after he lost to Sergio Perez in Baku. At the 2023 F1 Miami GP, however, Verstappen looked like a man on a mission. What stood out about him this weekend was the raw performance that he was able to deliver when it mattered most.
Was it the perfect weekend for him? Probably not as he did mess up in qualifying to start the race from a disadvantageous position. Having said that, he did not let his shoulders drop at any point. The Dutchman went into the race calmly without getting too emotional and just outperformed Perez.
The 2023 F1 Miami GP was another reminder of something that almost every fan already knew. A focused Max Verstappen performs at a different level from his teammate.
#2 The first batch of upgrades in Imola could determine the kind of season we will have
While the 2023 F1 Miami GP did feature some action, it can get a bit monotonous to see one team being so far ahead of everyone else. That is the position Red Bull finds itself in right now.
At the end of the race, we had Fernando Alonso in P3 and almost 27 seconds behind Max Verstappen. Even if we exclude the fact that Verstappen started behind Alonso, we can assume a performance gap of around half a second or more for Red Bull.
The first batch of upgrades for most teams makes an appearance in Imola, the next race of the season scheduled for less than two weeks from now. For Ferrari, Mercedes, and Aston Martin, these upgrades are going to be pivotal if they are serious about closing what seems like a massive gap to Red Bull.
If we don't see either of these three teams make a marked progress in Imola, then a single team domination might just be the reality for F1 in 2023.
#3 FIA needs to bring in more common sense when it comes to DRS zones
After a dull race in Baku, it was strange to see the FIA take the decision to reduce the DRS zones for the 2023 F1 Miami GP. What was an even bigger surprise in all of this was the fact that the drivers were not even consulted before they took the decision.
The race in Miami was somewhat saved by a jumbled grid that had faster cars making their way through the field. As a result, it's hard to say if the 75m reduction in the DRS zone made a marked difference.
However, it did lack common sense to a certain extent after what happened in Baku. From Imola onwards, it might make more sense for the FIA to involve drivers in decisions of this nature.
#4 A grouped pecking order has emerged after the 2023 F1 Miami GP
With the objective of a bunched-up field not getting fulfilled, a pecking order has started to emerge as the entire grid can now be divided into four groups.
Group 1 has Red Bull, the sole frontrunner in F1 at the moment. Group 2 has Ferrari, Mercedes, and Aston Martin, who will hope their upgrades can help them push into Group 1.
Group 3 has Alpine, the sole midfield team in no man's land. Finally, Group 4 has the rest of the five teams, including Haas, McLaren, Alfa Romeo, AlphaTauri, and Williams.
The gaps between these respective groups are arguably not as pronounced, but a clear bifurcation has undoubtedly emerged after the 2023 F1 Miami GP.
#5 The 2023 F1 Miami GP left a lot of hardcore fans cringed and unimpressed
Extending invitations to a bunch of influencers is great business. However, it does look odd and somewhat disappointing when those influencers don't have a clue about the sport.
The 2023 F1 Miami GP featured far more of it than what we're used to in the past. Not only that, but the whole spectacle has lacked the appeal to the hardcore fans and that goes beyond all the off-track incidents that have taken place this season.
Even with respect to the track itself, it appears to be a largely uninspiring layout. Gone are the days when two cars could go wheel to wheel through multiple sections. On this track, you just can't do that and all the overtakes come from DRS.
For avid F1 fans, the courting of the United States market has been understandable. However, the change in the DNA of the sport is what appears to be rubbing the fans the wrong way and the 2023 F1 Miami GP did little to change that perspective.
