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Max Verstappen started the Miami GP in P3 after making a costly error on the final lap of Q3 on Saturday. He set his sights on the P2 of Carlos Sainz right at the start of the race. Going into the first corner, Verstappen had already sealed the deal and overtaken Sainz. From there on, his relentless chase after the race and championship leader Charles Leclerc began.
Fast forward a few laps and Verstappen had overtaken Leclerc as well, who could never regain his lead in the race again. This is how Verstappen achieved his third victory of the season and reduced the points deficit to Leclerc to only 19 points.
After the 2021 season, it is no secret that Max Verstappen is one of the best drivers on the grid, and what with Lewis Hamilton's recent struggles in the car, he may, perhaps, be the best driver on the grid, period. But will he be able to hold on to his title as the top dog of F1 this season?
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Is the Red Bull RB18 a worthy championship contender?
The Red Bull RB18 is Red Bull's car for the 2022 season. Powered by the brand new Red Bull Powertrains, it was a highly anticipated car before the season began. However, right from the beginning, the Red Bull RB18 was showing signs of a reliability issues. This was quickly overshadowed by its sheer pace.
The Red Bull RB18's straight line speed has been a definite force in every race, especially, in those with long straights. Even without DRS, Red Bull had an advantage of approximately 7-8 kmph over Ferrari in Miami. Ferrari themselves agree that Red Bull currently have the edge over them.
That being said, reliability has not been Red Bull's strong suit in 2022. The first race in Bahrain saw three Red Bull Powertrains' cars DNFing. However, the last two races in Imola and Miami have been a drastic improvement, with both cars not only finishing the races, but in Imola, the team scored their first 1-2 result of the season.
The Red Bull RB18 looks like a strong contender for the title in 2022. Even with reliability issues hanging over their heads, the team looks prepared to take the fight to the current championship leaders Ferrari. Despite this, the situation can turn unfavourable fast if the reliability issues of the car resurface regularly.
World champion Max Verstappen still stands strong
Max Verstappen dominated the 2021 season and defended the title from Lewis Hamilton, often by having to stick his elbows out. He has proven his cut-throat mentality over the years, and even as the reigning world champion, he has not lost his aggressive approach to competition.
A prime example of this was the Miami Grand Prix, where he perfectly parked the car on the apex of Turn 1 on the first lap, forcing Carlos Sainz to drive a bit wide. He, then, proceeded to accelerate ahead of Sainz and by Turn 2, he had made the move stick and claimed the second place for himself.
At the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Verstappen and Leclerc battled it out until the chequered flag in an exquisite display of wheel-to-wheel racing. Verstappen showed extreme maturity in the race. He hung onto Leclerc and picked the right moment to overtake him. After trading the lead with Leclerc multiple times, Verstappen, finally, sealed the race winning move on the 47th lap.
Right before Verstappen pulled off the race-winning move on Leclerc in the dying stages of the Saudi Arabian GP, Sky Sports commentator David Croft said:
"Has patience finally found its way into Max Verstappen's vocabulary?"
What can Ferrari and Charles Leclerc pull out of their pockets?
Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto believes that Red Bull will face difficulties later on in the season. With a $140 million budget cap limiting the spending of all the teams, he thinks that Red Bull’s aggressive early spending will mean that they will have to pay the price later on when its development budget runs out.
Binotto has said that the change in form between his outfit and Red Bull's could be explained by the extensive upgrades brought by its rival to Imola.
After the Miami GP, Binotto said:
“If I look at the last two races, maybe they have got a couple of tenths per lap faster to us."
Ferrari already have a reliable car in the F1-75, but there is no doubt that in order to keep the pace, Ferrari will need to develop the car and introduce upgrades. They are also planning on bringing their first major upgrade package of the season to the Spanish Grand Prix. It is clear that these upgrades are critical to inject some fresh form into their championship campaign.
Ferrari's championship contender Charles Leclerc has qualified in pole position in three out of five races this season. He is a force to be reckoned with and is relentless, much like his rival Max Verstappen. The tussle between the two in Jeddah was definitely a sign of the exciting battles to come in the future.
With only five races done, it is still too early to come to a conclusion whether Max Verstappen can retain his position as the top dog of F1 in 2022. Even if he is able to, it will not be an easy task. Both Charles Leclerc and Ferrari are formidable opponents and Red Bull still need to resolve their reliability issues. Will car No.1 emerge as the No.1 on the championship table once again?
In any case, the 2022 F1 season should be a thrilling one.
