Miami Grand Prix: Stage Preview

      It seems that the accident in Tamburello, on the same spring and sunny day as the day before, happened just yesterday. In the broadcast, a Williams FW16, thrown from a concrete wall, suddenly froze in a cloud of dust. The race was stopped, paramedics arrived, and a helicopter arrived. No one believed the worst, but in the evening the news announced that Ayrton Senna was no longer with us, repeating the recording of the fatal accident over and over again.

      More than thirty years have passed. Our lives and the world around us have changed irreversibly. Every year we remember Senna on May 1st, not only because he is a racing driver. For many, Senna was a symbol of hope for a better future, which changed with his passing. But he remained in our memory the same symbol of hope. The last romantic.

      For a short time, the race around the stadium played the role of Liberty Media's favorite, but the stage remains interesting in its own way. The new owners of Formula 1 have been working towards this for years, changing the configuration several times, suing the authorities, but in the end they achieved their goal – the stage in Miami was the first that they organized on their own.

      This Grand Prix replaced Monaco for them – it is easier and closer to invite American partners and sponsors to Miami. And there are prestigious hotels for every taste, and more entertainment. Great view, comfortable boxes, beautiful TV picture. Even the marina is like in Monaco, even if it's painted. But very soon, the Las Vegas race became Liberty Media's favorite. And there can only be one favorite.

      For the fifth time in the history of Formula 1, three Grand Prix events will be held in one country. This has happened twice in the United States, and in 2020, three stages were held in Italy - in Monza, Mugello and Imola due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

      The Miami stage always stands out on the calendar. We need to deliver cars and equipment, go through customs – with all possible allowances for the World Cup, it takes several days.

      This is the first "solo" stage since last year's Canadian Grand Prix, which is not part of a series of two or three races in a row. The teams are using this break to upgrade their cars for the start of the European part of the season, which starts in two weeks in Imola this year, but many will have new cars in Miami, although the upcoming weekend in the Saturday sprint format is not suitable for testing.

      The situation in the championship after five Grands Prix is extremely interesting. In the Constructors' Cup, McLaren has a clear advantage, but in the individual standings, the top three are separated by only twelve points, and this weekend there will be thirty-three points for victory.

      Last year, Max Verstappen led all the sessions in Miami, but Lando Norris won the race, which was full of struggles, with his first career victory at the time. Now Norris already has a victory on the first stage in Australia, but his team–mate Piastri has three wins and the lead in the individual standings - the internal confrontation at McLaren is gaining momentum, rivals expect Norris and Piastri to take points from each other while the rest strive to make their cars faster.

      This is the second stage of the season with a Saturday sprint. Saturday's qualifying and Sunday's race will start at 23:00 Moscow time, so we'll stock up on coffee.