The latest updates and developments brought by Scuderia Ferrari and Red Bull at the Miami International Autodrome in Florida, USA are paying off, which is an excellent sign for both teams. Firstly, it’s great news for the Milton Keynes team and especially for Max Verstappen.
After a rather complicated Baku Grand Prix, finishing behind his teammate Sergio Perez and, above all, with a lot of nervousness, the reigning world champion seems to have regained control of the situation, finishing on top in the second free practice session. The Dutchman was able to work on the new features introduced in Azerbaijan, benefiting greatly from them.
Positive signs also came from Scuderia Ferrari given the fact that the floor update introduced on the SF-23 car showed excellent pace on a fast lap with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz behind only Max Verstappen. The updates seem to guarantee a higher load, resulting in better grip and good responsiveness, especially in the slow section of the second sector. However, the red car still struggles compared to Red Bull in fast corners and the two long straights, probably due to the choice of a softer setup to reduce tire wear.
However, the long-run simulations didn’t impress. Here Ferrari was able to experiment with the fuel-loaded pace only with Carlos Sainz since his Maranello teammate Charles Leclerc ended his session prematurely against the barriers.
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The red flag caused by the Monegasque driver allowed the drivers to complete only a few laps, but so far, Red Bull seems to have a clear advantage over the competition. The pace difference between the two RB19s and the competition was about a second, with Ferrari also struggling compared to Aston Martin and Mercedes. The SF-23, in fact, suffered from the recurring overheating problem, unable to keep the tires in the right temperature window.
New asphalt: doubts for Qualifying
Ahead of qualifying, a clear unknown will be represented by the new asphalt. During the first two free sessions, the evolution of the track was quite accentuated. If the conditions were to be confirmed on Saturday, it will be crucial to cross the finish line last.
In general, it seems that the new road surface only ensures grip in the trajectory.
“It feels like we’re on intermediate tires,” Sergio Perez commented. “There’s no traction, and I think this was the first reason that negatively influenced my Friday.”
“The more we slide, the more the rear tires overheat,” confirmed Lewis Hamilton. “For us, it’s essential to find that balance that can guarantee us a decent window in which to work the tires, but it won’t be easy.”
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