For the second F1 race weekend running Oscar Piastri came out on top in a duel against Max Verstappen and went on to win the race.
After aggressively forcing Verstappen to cut the first chicane and receive a penalty in Saudi Arabia, Piastri battled past the Red Bull driver again in Miami to claim his fourth victory of the season and extend his lead over Lando Norris in the championship to 16 points.
Norris had the opportunity to gain points on Piastri on Sunday but lost places on the opening lap when trying to overtake pole-sitter Verstappen, then lost time to him later in the race.
It has raised the question of whether Piastri is more clever when racing other drivers, particularly Verstappen, compared to team-mate Norris – a factor which could be crucial when it comes to this year’s title race.
“Oscar’s racecraft is good. He’s definitely got the edge over Norris on racecraft,” said Sky Sports F1‘s Martin Brundle.
“Norris has a fraction of an edge on pace when he hooks it all up. Piastri’s getting the job done, getting the moves made, not making mistakes and getting victories.”
Highlights of the Miami Grand Prix
Piastri ‘starting to understand’ how to race Verstappen
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix felt like Piastri put down a marker to Verstappen as the McLaren driver played the rulebook perfectly and used a tactic which the Dutchman probably would have used himself.
After controversial incidents between Verstappen and Norris when last year’s title race was heating up, the F1 Driving Standards Guidelines were updated ahead of this season.
The new rules effectively allow the driver on the inside line to run their rival wide, as long as they stay within track limits themselves, thus not having to leave space on the outside.
Piastri did that perfectly, putting Verstappen in a situation where he needed to back out or cut the corner, which he ended up doing and receiving a penalty for.
First corner drama as Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri go head-to-head at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix while Max’s Red Bull teammate Yuki Tsunoda retires after making contact with Pierre Gasly.
“I’m starting to understand what you can and can’t do around Max. In Saudi I did what I needed to, to win myself the race,” Piastri told Sky Sports F1.
From fourth on the grid in Miami, Piastri showed the opposite of aggression and played the patient game as he made up a spot due to Norris running wide at Turn 2, quickly got by Antonelli and set about finding a way past Verstappen in the fight for the lead.
Piastri spent several laps behind Verstappen, who defended well, and forced his rival into a mistake on Lap 14 into the first corner.
Oscar Piastri snatches the lead from Max Verstappen, followed by Lando Norris into second after an intense battle at the Miami Grand Prix
“Even though it took me a fair few laps to get past him, that was probably as efficient as I could have overtaken him,” said Piastri.
“I learned through my years of watching Max and racing against him that being on his outside is not a very fun place and I had to try something different. It felt like a matter of when, rather than if, but I had to pick my moment wisely.”
Kimi Antonelli gets pushed wide and loses the lead to Oscar Piastri in the Sprint at the Miami GP
What about Norris’ battles with Verstappen?
Norris found out what racing Verstappen is all about at the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix when the pair collided following a frantic battle for the lead.
Later in the year, Norris was penalised for overtaking Verstappen off the track in a contentious move at the United States Grand Prix
Just one week later in Mexico City, Verstappen received two 10-second time penalties for leaving the track and gaining an advantage against Norris, but ultimately stopped Norris from winning the race.
Lando Norris keeps smiling whilst answering questions on Max Verstappen’s defending during the Miami GP
Their latest clash in Miami may have resulted in a penalty for Verstappen last year but the updated Driver Standards Guidelines allowed the Red Bull driver, despite a slide, to run Norris wide.
“If there’s a gap, I’m going to go for it. I’m not going to back out. I’m here to race,” said Norris afterwards.
Norris also spent several laps stuck behind Verstappen, which is no different to Piastri, before being let through by the Dutchman.
Lando Norris drops places after colliding with Max Verstappen at the start of the Miami Grand Prix
The British driver thought it was “not very smart” from Verstappen to battle so hard against the much quicker McLarens.
However, did Norris miss a trick by simply not tucking in behind Verstappen in second place after the first corner?
Sky Sports F1‘s Jenson Button and Anthony Davidson believe Norris had to go for it, given he had better traction, but McLaren team principal Andrea Stella says “with hindsight it would have been potentially wiser for Lando to lift”.
Lando Norris believes Max Verstappen is not racing very smart when reflecting on their battles during the Miami Grand Prix
Whether Piastri would have done that is hard to say but as Norris points out, critics would say he did the wrong thing unless, no matter what unless he came out on top.
“If I don’t go for it, people complain. If I go for it, people complain. So, you can’t win,” said Norris.
“But it’s the way it is with Max – it’s crash or don’t pass. Unless you get it really right and you put him in the perfect position, then you can just about get there. But I paid the price for not doing a good enough job.”
Oscar Piastri pulls out the ‘Griddy’ dance for his post-race celebrations and then instantly regrets it!
So is there a difference between Norris and Piastri?
Perhaps Piastri and Norris’ contrasting demeanours and personalities outside of the car may lead some to think they race differently.
On one hand you have the cool, calm Piastri while Norris shows a bit more emotion and is generally more open.
Both are supremely fast and the big test when it comes to racing will be how they fight each other for the same piece of track. McLaren boss Stella says there is no difference between his drivers
Sky F1’s Ted Kravitz reflects on all the big talking points from the Miami Grand Prix
“So I don’t think we should over-read too much into situations. I think it’s like, as I said before, a matter sometimes of a fraction of a second, or a fraction of a metre,” he said.
“I think in terms of overtaking manoeuvre and precision and determination, I don’t see that there’s any difference between our two drivers.”
F1’s European season begins with the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on May 16-18, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime
This news was originally published on this post .
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