Miami: World Cup leader Piastri aims for hat trick

Glamour, stars, and lots of partying. That's what's expected from the Formula 1 weekend in Florida. It shouldn't be forgotten, though, that races are also taking place around the Miami Dolphins' stadium.

01 May 2025

From: apa

For Lando Norris, the return to Miami on Saturday (Sprint/18.00:22.00 PM CEST) and Sunday (2024:1 PM) is a special one, as the Briton celebrated his first Formula XNUMX victory in Florida in XNUMX. However, his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri threatens to overtake him further ahead of the sixth race of the season. The Australian took the lead in the World Championship with his victory in Saudi Arabia and is also highly rated ahead of the race around the Miami Dolphins stadium.

While Piastri aims for a hat-trick of victories on Sunday, Norris is looking to redeem himself after a few setbacks. "I have confidence, the pace is there," emphasized Norris, who triumphed last year from fifth place on the grid. He recently showed weaknesses in qualifying. "I make life difficult for myself on Saturdays." Saturday is the second day of the still-young season where points are up for grabs in a 100-km sprint.

Lando Norris remains confident. © APA / HECTOR VIVAS

The two McLaren drivers, separated by ten points, haven't yet clashed on the track. However, according to CEO Zak Brown, a tête-à-tête on the track is almost unavoidable. "It's definitely more a question of when than if," Brown recently emphasized on Sky. "They're two great characters. Neither of them is a hothead. So we're not worried about that, but to a certain extent, we're just waiting for it to be over. Because I don't think it's anywhere near as exciting as everyone thinks it is."

Verstappen's form is puzzling

Red Bull Racing's form, however, remains a mystery. Max Verstappen, a two-time Miami winner, didn't see any light in Bahrain, shone in Suzuka, and would have had a car capable of winning in Saudi Arabia as well. However, experts attest to McLaren's advantage on hot tracks with high tire wear—which could be possible given Pirelli's soft tire selection in sweltering Miami. Verstappen's 12-point deficit to Piastri could therefore grow further.

Verstappen is the wildcard in Florida. © APA/afp / GIUSEPPE CACACE

"It's always quite hot here and one of the more physical tracks, so we'll see how we do. I'm looking forward to the race in Miami; it's always a spectacle and a great atmosphere with the fans," said Verstappen in the team's preview. "The sprint weekend here is always quite hectic and there's always a lot going on. It's an interesting track with a series of slow and fast corners."

What's coming from Ferrari?

The only sprint finish of the season so far went to Lewis Hamilton in March in Shanghai, ahead of Piastri, who also went on to win Sunday's race. The sprint was Hamilton's only victory for Ferrari so far, as the seven-time world champion is in crisis. The rest of the season will be "painful," the Briton declared after his recent seventh-place finish in Jeddah. Team boss Fred Vasseur, however, didn't want to see it that negatively. The Frenchman said they had made "good progress."