How Verstappen gave a tyre masterclass to defeat Perez in Miami

Left out of place on the grid by an error on his first Q3 lap and Charles Leclerc's crash causing a red flag, Max Verstappen had to work rather more for his third win of the 2023 campaign. From ninth on the grid, the Red Bull driver's recovery to a 38th F1 victory was the result of a tyre management masterclass to overcome team-mate Sergio Perez on an alternate strategy

Mathematically speaking, the odds weren’t quite on Max Verstappen’s side to win the Miami Grand Prix. Of the 1083 world championship events held prior to the Floridian race’s second edition, only four drivers had ever won from ninth place – the most recent being 39 years ago courtesy of Niki Lauda at the 1984 French Grand Prix. Surprisingly, just 0.37% of races had been won from ninth. For comparison, three more races have been won from 14th on the grid.

Thankfully for Red Bull, it appears to have a car that defies all mathematical principles. Verstappen has already converted lowly grid positions into big results so far this year. He turned 15th on the grid in Saudi Arabia, following his driveshaft issue in qualifying, into second as he executed a combative drive towards the front. Taking a win from ninth would hardly be a bridge too far given the colossal advantage held by the RB19 package.

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Author Jake Boxall-Legge

Having studied Automotive Engineering with Motorsport at the University of Hertfordshire, West Country-born Jake's original ambition was to design racing cars. During a year between studies in which he accidentally rekindled a love of writing, he took up a Master's in Motorsport Engineering at Oxford Brookes. Halfway through his master's year, he was offered a place on the Autosport Academy, conducting occasional freelance duties before becoming the press officer for Formula 2 and GP3 in 2018. Autosport offered him a return to the fold later that year to serve as its Technical Editor. His voice appears on a number of videos and podcasts, and can often be found writing about terrible Formula 1 cars in excruciating detail. In his spare time, Jake enjoys baking and blames his failure to make it past the Great British Bake-Off interviews on his tenuous grasp on choux pastry. His dream is to open a brunch cafe - and his willingness to make outrageous puns in inappropriate situations has earned him the contempt of his colleagues.