So, there was this super close race between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris in Formula 1 qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix. Like, we’re talking a tiny 0.065-second difference here. Now, depending on which part of the lap you look at, you can interpret this gap in two ways.
Some folks are saying that Norris messed up his chances of getting pole position by turning in a bit too early at Turn 17. Apparently, this move made him lose some speed coming out of the final corner and kind of messed up his exit, creating that gap between him and Verstappen.
On the other hand, it’s been suggested that Norris actually lost out in the first sector, where Verstappen managed to pull ahead through Turns 4 to 8. And hey, these two ideas aren’t mutually exclusive. But in the end, it didn’t really matter because Verstappen nailed his lap, and Norris didn’t.
Throughout the weekend, Verstappen had been showing off his skills in the first sector. Despite all the talk about how stable the RB21 is this year, it’s proven to be pretty speedy in those high-speed corners as long as the driver can handle it. And well, that’s right up the Dutchman’s alley – he knows how to make that car work for him.
Even though Verstappen made a mistake in the first corner, he managed to squeeze out a bit more speed on his second Q3 lap compared to his first in the opening sector. It all came down to his exit from Turn 8, where he had to really push it to make up for that error at Turn 1.
By looking at the lap data, it seems like Verstappen was able to hit the throttle earlier on his first Q3 run, giving him that extra edge on the exit. On his second try, he took those high-speed corners a bit more cautiously, which helped him keep up the pace without losing time.
Now, I’m not really sure why this matters, but let’s dive into the details of Verstappen’s performance in each sector. In the first sector, he managed to gain 0.022s by braking just a tad later into Turn 7 and keeping that engine speed up. And hey, it worked out for him.
Moving on to the second sector, Verstappen pulled off a neat trick by carrying more speed into Turn 11, which set him up nicely for the rest of the lap. This move gave him a quarter of a second advantage that he carried through to the finish line.
Despite a little hiccup in the first sector, Verstappen showed that he could recover and still come out on top. And hey, that’s what racing is all about, right? Making those split-second decisions and pushing through the mistakes.
Now, let’s talk about the showdown between Verstappen and Norris. Red Bull had some concerns about Verstappen’s engine affecting his straight-line speed, especially when compared to Norris and his fresh power unit. The battle was real when it came to traction and efficiency through the straights.
Norris wasn’t too far off in the first sector, but things started to unravel as they hit Turns 4-5-6. The gap widened as Verstappen recovered from his Turn 1 mishap, and Norris struggled to keep up.
In the end, Norris put up a good fight, but Verstappen’s skills and the Red Bull’s setup gave him the edge. It was a close call, but Verstappen came out on top and secured that pole position.
So, there you have it – a thrilling qualifying session with Verstappen and Norris going head-to-head. It was a battle of skill, speed, and strategy, and in the end, Verstappen showed why he’s a force to be reckoned with on the track. Until next time, folks!
