Piastri, Norris, Sainz… The five challenges of the Miami Grand Prix

Piastri – Verstappen, act II?

And if it was him, the main opponent of Max Verstappen in 2025? After five Grand Prix, Oscar piastri is the man of the moment in Formula 1 with three wins to his name and the lead in the Drivers' Championship. The 24-year-old Australian is in the form of his life and in the face of his success, resistance is being organized. In Jeddah, for the first time, the driver McLaren had to fight head-on against the pilot Red Bull, and as with Lando Norris Last year, the Dutchman pushed the limits to get the better of his rival. But without success, the four-time world champion was penalized for cutting the first corner and gaining an advantage at the start of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

More solid than his teammate, rarely perturbed by racing events, Oscar Piastri seems to be Max Verstappen's alter ego. Moreover, even the Dutchman praises his opponent, whether in terms of driving or behavior, on or off the track. And something tells us that their first duel in Jeddah is certainly not the last of the season. In Miami, where only Red Bull and McLaren won, Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen should once again find themselves in the spotlight. Hopefully, with a clean and controversy-free battle at the end of the Grand Prix...

© Florent Gooden / DPPI

Norris, a saving break?

He really needed it. After a triple headers grueling, where he accumulated errors, Lando Norris really needed a little break, a break of barely a week to clear his head and start again with a new state of mind. It must be said that since his victory in Australia, at the start of the season, the Briton has struggled to confirm his status as favorite for the title. In qualifying, the Briton still makes small mistakes that sometimes have serious consequences, like his accident in Jeddah. This fragility is paid for in the race: with a distant starting position, he has to fight during the Grand Prix to "save the furniture" while his teammate Oscar Piastri, author of two pole positions, can fight for victory at the front.

Two weeks after the laborious Jeddah meeting, Lando Norris must get back on track this weekend in Miami, on the grounds of his first victory just a year ago. Now relegated behind his teammate in the championship with a 10-point deficit, the Englishman must quickly reverse the current momentum to stay in touch with Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen. In the event of another disappointment in Florida, McLaren could start banking on the Australian in the quest for the Drivers' title, both for his upgrades and for his on-track instructions...

Will Hamilton find a solution?

We had left a Lewis Hamilton perplexed after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Far from the mark against Charles Leclerc, both in qualifying and in the race, the seven-time world champion had given a terrible observation after his performance : "I'm just slow." The new pilot Ferrari is unable to become one with his mount, which has not yet revealed all its secrets to him, and the Briton suffers from the comparison with his Monegasque teammate.

Since the start of the season, the seven-time world champion's performances have been increasingly unclear, and fans have become less and less sympathetic on social media, where criticism has been very strong. Victory in the Sprint race in Shanghai already seems a long way off. After a short week off, Lewis Hamilton will get back behind the wheel of the SF-25 with the firm ambition of finding answers to his misunderstandings in Miami. With the Constructors' Championship in mind, the Englishman will need to quickly get up to speed to help the Scuderia climb the rankings.

© Antonin Vincent / DPPI

Sainz on a roll?

There we are, we are beginning to find the truth Carlos Sainz. After a difficult start to the season at Williams, with an accident at the start of the race in Australia and a small point scored during the first four rounds (against 18 for Alex Albon), the Spaniard seems to have regained some of his brilliance at the last round in Jeddah, with a 6th place on the grid and an 8th place at the finish of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. For the first time, the Spaniard beat his teammate in qualifying and in the race during the same weekend and seems to finally be finding his feet with his new team.

After his strong performance on the Corniche circuit, Carlos Sainz will have to confirm his performance this weekend at the Miami Grand Prix. In the battle for 5th place in the Constructors' Championship, Williams needs both of its drivers to pull away. Haas, Racing Bulls, Aston Martin et AlpineWith a FW47 that has potential, the Madrid native must transform himself into a team leader and take the measure of Alexander Albon on a more regular basis. This requires cleaner weekends for the Spaniard, who can finally get his season underway if he confirms his momentum in Miami.

The show at the rendezvous in Miami?

This is perhaps the main question of this weekend: will we finally experience a Formula 1 Grand Prix this year? So far, the spectacle hasn't really been there this season. With the exception of the Australian Grand Prix, with changeable conditions and more competitive qualifying sessions than ever, all the Grands Prix (and the Sprint in China) have resembled more of a procession of cars on the track. Under the influence of the dirty air, overtaking is becoming less and less frequent, and the spectacle has deteriorated as a result.

So, can we hope for a better show in Miami? We're skeptical. The Florida circuit doesn't exactly offer the characteristics of an exciting layout, and with three DRS zones, it's hard to imagine any real battles on the track. Over the last three editions, the American event has never really offered memorable races, and it's hard to see how that could be the case this weekend... unless it rains.

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