The Miami Grand Prix was a thrilling race, with plenty of wheel-to-wheel action and strategic battles. But it was Max Verstappen who emerged victorious, after a masterclass in tyre management and strategy.
Simply… lovely!
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) May 7, 2023
What a great win today! A very strong race 🙌
The car felt really good and the strategy paid off perfectly @redbullracing 👏 This is a fantastic 1-2 team result again, let’s keep this going 💪
Thank you, Miami - You have been great🌴 pic.twitter.com/FdTdxeMITR
Starting from ninth on the grid, Verstappen had his work cut out for him. But he and his engineer Gianpiero Lambiase had already hatched a plan to start the race on hard tyres – a decision that would ultimately prove to be the key to their success.
While most of the front runners opted for the medium compound, Verstappen committed early to starting on hards. It was a bold move, as there was only one set of hard tyres available, and a puncture or other incident could have scuppered the entire strategy.
But Verstappen was willing to take that risk, and it paid off in spades. He managed the hard tyres brilliantly for a long first stint, while those at the front struggled with graining on the medium compound.
By lap 14, Verstappen was already up into a podium position, and from there he was able to drive in clean air and keep his tyres in good condition.
Reflecting on the inspired tyre choice, Verstappen said: “It was something I wondered about already [on Saturday], together with my engineer. We were quite strongly opinionated on that already.”
He added: “Of course, when you start on the hard, the risk is a bit higher because we only had one, so if you had a lap one puncture or whatever, then of course, your race is a bit tougher. But I was happy to take that gamble and do it the other way around.”
Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez, who started from pole position, said he never considered starting on hard tyres as it would have been too much of a risk from up front.
“When you are starting on pole, starting on the hard is much more like a gamble that can go right or wrong with safety cars,” he said. “I think at the time, none of us were expecting the medium to be [not performing well]… because pretty much the whole grid went for the medium start.”
Perez added: “I think once we did a few laps on it, we realised that it was quite a poor tyre.”
Verstappen’s tyre strategy was not just about starting on hards – it was also about managing them throughout the race. He was able to keep his tyres in good condition, even when pushing hard to overtake other drivers.
“I just felt like maybe it gave me a better opportunity to get through the field initially,” he said. “By lap 14, I think, I was already on a podium position, so from there onwards it’s mostly about driving in clean air and you have to look after your tyres anyway.”
Verstappen’s win at Miami was a reminder of his ability to make strategic decisions and manage tyres – skills that will be crucial in the title fight this season.
But it was also a testament to the hard work and expertise of the Red Bull team. Verstappen may have come up with the tyre plan himself, but it was the team’s strategists who helped to refine and execute it.
“Then, of course, you have to discuss it with the team, with the strategists, and they were like: ‘OK. In terms of race time, it was very close between doing a medium/hard or hard/medium, so it didn’t really matter,” Verstappen said.
The Red Bull team has been one of the most competitive in Formula 1 this season, and their success is due in no small part to their ability to make smart strategic decisions.
Verstappen’s victory at Miami was a perfect example of this – a win that was built on the foundation of an inspired tyre strategy and flawless execution.
But if Verstappen can continue to make smart decisions and manage his tyres as well as he did at Miami, he may just have the edge in the title fight.
