How to win the Miami Grand Prix

The Miami Grand Prix was been won in three different ways (by only two different drivers) in the first three editions of the race around the Hard Rock Stadium.

Strategy-wise, however, the event has always favoured just one pitstop and that looks unlikely to change this year judging by how the first five races of the season have gone.

Pirelli is taking a softer compound selection to Miami compared to last year, but it’s the same that was used in Saudi Arabia, where all drivers pitted only once.

That said, the 3.36 mile circuit will pose plenty of challenges that make finding the right car set-up less straightforward than teams and drivers would like.

The Miami Autodrome features 19 corners, three long straights, and three DRS zones, demanding a car that balances straight-line speed with agility in slower corners.

Teams have typically opted for low-downforce set-ups, as the long straights are often the only place where overtaking is possible, especially given it’s always very slippery off the racing line.

The straight offers a good opportunity to overtake, which means track position is not as key as in other races where passing is more difficult — making a two-stop strategy on softer tyres more feasible.

That also translates into more freedom to try to undercut a rival even if it means returning to the track in traffic.

The most common tyre strategy in Miami has been to start on mediums and switch to hards, although drivers starting further down the grid — particularly if they are out of position — have often opted to go the other way around.

The soft tyre has not been a popular choice in previous races in Miami, and they were used by very few drivers even in last year’s short sprint. It remains to be seen if the softer compounds used this year will change that.

How past Miami GPs were won

2022

Miami has been on the Formula 1 calendar since 2022, a race won by Verstappen from third on the grid. The Red Bull driver won the inaugural event thanks to a good start in which he overtook Carlos Sainz at Turn 1, before using the superior top speed of his car to pass Charles Leclerc on the straight on lap 9.

Verstappen and Leclerc used a similar strategy, both going from medium to hard tyres in a one-stop race. Although Leclerc attempted an undercut by pitting two laps before his rival, Verstappen managed to stay ahead and withstood the pressure from the Ferrari driver to clinch victory by less than four seconds.

2023

The 2023 race was also won by Verstappen, but it was quite a different victory, as the world champion had started from ninth on the grid after a red flag triggered by Leclerc in qualifying meant the Red Bull star was unable to set a time in Q3.

Verstappen opted for the alternative strategy, starting the race on hards to extend his first stint, but that wasn’t even a major factor as the Dutchman was in a league apart regardless of tyre choice. After losing one place at the start, it took him just 15 laps to move up to second place behind Sergio Perez.

Verstappen finally pitted on lap 47 and rejoined behind Perez, but didn’t take too long before he was able to pass the Mexican and go on to win by over five seconds.

2024

Verstappen looked set for his third straight win in Miami in 2024 before things started to unravel for the Red Bull man. Starting from pole position, he easily opened up a gap in the opening stint until he went off track at Turn 16, hitting a bollard and damaging his front wing and floor in the process.

Verstappen pitted a couple of laps later, leaving Oscar Piastri in the lead followed by Sainz and Norris. The Australian and the Spaniard pitted on lap 28, leaving Norris in the lead, 11 seconds in front of Verstappen.

But then Norris had a stroke of luck as Kevin Magnussen and Logan Sargeant clashed. The safety car was deployed, and that allowed the McLaren driver to make his pitstop and rejoin still in the lead.

Norris resisted the attacks from Verstappen when the safety car pulled off, but the Briton clearly had better pace and began to open a gap that increased by nearly eight seconds by the time the McLaren driver celebrated his maiden grand prix win.