Max Verstappen highlights Miami GP issue ‘every single year’ with F1 career claim made
Max Verstappen.
Max Verstappen may possess a faultless track record at the Miami Grand Prix, but “every single year” he comes here, he is far from pleased with his experiences on one-lap performance.
Verstappen has been on typically fine form at the Miami International Autodrome, claiming Sprint pole and the victory and following that up with pole for the Miami Grand Prix to maintain his 100 per cent pole position record in F1 2024. However, Verstappen has been far from comfortable over one lap.
‘Every single year’ Max Verstappen unhappy with Miami one-lap experience
While no driver was able to get the better of Verstappen in qualifying trim, the three-time World Champion said he finds it “extremely difficult” to get the car and tyres where he wants them over one lap on every visit to Miami.
Asked if he felt the RB20 had improved since his comparable one-lap complaints after Sprint qualifying, Verstappen replied: “Yeah, I think we definitely improved the car a bit, but I don’t know what it is, every single year that we come here I find it extremely difficult to be very consistent with the car feeling, the tyre feeling over one lap.
“And it’s super hard to just make sure that, let’s say Sector 1 feels good and Sector 3 at the end of the lap, to make that like happen together, it’s incredibly tough.
“And again today, it was really about finding that balance. I think we did okay. I mean, it’s not the most enjoyable lap out of my career, just because of how slippery it is and you’re not very confident on the lap, but we are on pole and that’s of course the most important.”
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The Sprint – which Verstappen won by just over three seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc – suggested that Verstappen’s main strength of race pace is very much with him here in Miami, Verstappen confirming that he feels things are more “under control” over long runs.
“It definitely feels a little bit more under control, which I was looking for,” he said.
“So hopefully that will help us out tomorrow, but we’ll find out.”
Leclerc and Verstappen got equally strong launches at the Sprint start, a repeat of that potentially crucial on Sunday with the Ferrari looking strong too in race trim.
But, if Verstappen can keep doing what he has been doing, then he is confident that he will pick up the desired result.
“I think we know what we did wrong, what I did wrong as well,” said Verstappen as he reflected on his Sprint start.
“So I’m sure that if I do my things correctly, and we just do what we have been doing in the last few starts, then normally, it should be alright.”
Verstappen has won four of the five grands prix held so far in F1 2024, while he is yet to be defeated in a Miami Grand Prix.