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The grid for the 2024 F1 Miami GP is now in place, with Max Verstappen starting the race in pole position and Charles Leclerc alongside him. The duo is followed by Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez on the second row, with Lando Norris rounding up the top five.
Saturday's sprint was eventful as it featured quite a few interesting battles down the order. Daniel Ricciardo held off Sainz, while elsewhere, Kevin Magnussen warded off Lewis Hamilton.
What can we expect from the race on Sunday? Here are our predictions for the 2024 F1 Miami GP.
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#5 Sergio Perez does not make it to the podium
Looking at how impressively Sergio Perez made his way through Daniel Ricciardo in the sprint, this might look like a stretch. Red Bull has a fast car, and if Perez nails the start, it would be hard to usurp him.
Having said that, Ferrari and McLaren have competitive race cars and some very motivated drivers. It would be hard to get the jump on Carlos Sainz or keep Lando Norris behind if it comes to that.
We're thus predicting a struggle for Perez to get a podium in the F1 Miami GP.
#4 McLaren a possible contender for a podium
The race pace from McLaren is something that even Helmut Marko has touched on, as he said he was keeping an eye on Norris for the race.
In a straight fight, it might be a bit hard for a McLaren podium. However, if Norris gets a strong start or makes the most of an ill-timed safety car, then we might see him achieving something out of the ordinary.
#3 Fernando Alonso scores points
Fernando Alonso will be starting the race outside of the top 10, but the Spaniard is renowned for his tenacity. He's already seething at the penalty that was doled out by the stewards and looking to make amends.
The F1 Miami GP weekend has not gone his way at all, and Alonso will be raring to find a better result in the main race. We're backing him to make his way through the field to finish inside the top 10.
#2 Charles Leclerc is the dark horse
There was something interesting for the onlookers at the F1 Miami GP sprint as Max Verstappen didn't just march away when he got the lead. It was quite close between Max and Charles Leclerc at the time, something the Ferrari driver touched upon later, noting that the degradation of both the cars was similar.
If Leclerc gets the jump on Verstappen at the start of the race, it might be exciting to see how the latter reacts to that. Leclerc is the dark horse for the F1 Miami GP, and he has an outside chance of winning the race.
However...
#1 Max Verstappen wins the 2024 F1 Miami GP
In all fairness, we're still terming Max Verstappen the favorite to win the race.
The Dutch driver not only has the faster car, but also knows when to put the squeeze on his rival. To add to this, it's safe to say that Red Bull is still superior to Ferrari in terms of operational efficiency, and in a close race, this might play a key role.
