Style over substance? Miami Grand Prix delivered both
The race itself was almost lost among the celebrations, but the Miami Grand Prix delivered on its promise of both style and substance.
Max Verstappen celebrates on the podium in Miami. (Getty Images/Red Bull)
The inaugural Formula 1 event in Miami and the first new circuit in the United States under the ownership of Liberty Media, the Miami Grand Prix was a proving ground in a lot of ways for the sport.
While there were complaints over the hospitality experience for top-paying fans and the Miami-kitsch of the fake marina, the race delivered a classic F1 battle that pitted its two young stars head-to-head.
Going into the weekend, the F1 teams proved their status as well-oiled PR machines, taking drivers and personalities on events with the hype and excitement of the pre-season.
Every team took drivers on special activations, from Red Bull taking Sergio Perez on a 'road trip' from New York to Miami and Max Verstappen swamp racing in the everglades, to McLaren sending team boss Zak Brown sky-high with the Blue Angels.
Once the official launch was underway with David Croft and Naomi Schiff introducing drivers and teams on-stage before a televised DJ set from Kygo, you could be forgiven for getting dizzy among all the excitement.
Combine the early-morning time zone for Australian fans with the fever-dream scenes of James Corden leading McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo around the paddock in customised crop tops, and by Sunday the race itself was almost an afterthought.
But then came the track action, and for a brand new circuit, Miami delivered.
Alfa Tauri driver Pierre Gasly with Race Service’s James Kirkham at the Red Bull after party. (Red Bull)
Its worth bearing in mind the challenges for any new track - Sochi and Baku both delivering absolute snooze-fests the first year as drivers tentatively found their way around the high-G and high-speed sections of each track.
In Sochi too, the track surface was a concern, with tyre wear almost non-existent as Pirelli had little data for the new circuit.
Tyre inconsistency and track surfaces has been an issue at old circuits as well, with resurfacing in Turkey proving an issue when F1 returned to the track after a long hiatus.
Miami was no Sochi, providing ample opportunities for drivers to overtake despite not necessarily being shown on the big screen.
According to reddit user /u/catchingisonething who has been tracking F1 overtaking statistics, the race had the most overtakes of any race so far this season.
Miami International Autodrome saw 54 overtakes during the race, compared to 34 in Australia, 33 in Saudi Arabia, and 22 in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
This included the olive branch of late-race strategy calls offered to teams when Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris collided, bringing out the safety car.
Christian Horner told Sky Sports that it was the team's "worst nightmare" when a safety car was called after leader Max Verstappen had already crossed the pit line, and that the team "got lucky" that Ferrari did not take the opportunity to pit for fresh tyres.
Instead, Leclerc was brought back into the fold and able to chase down Verstappen in the final stages.
Within DRS range and with equivalent tyres, it was a test of driver skill and peak performance for each vehicle, which Red Bull won convincingly.
That is a classic F1 battle.
Not an "instant classic" Hollywood finish as Formula 1 has increasingly provided recently after a long period of Mercedes dominance, but a classic head-to-head battle between two of the best drivers in the world and the brawn of the machinery beneath them.
Behind them there were enjoyable battles in the midfield with drivers experimenting throughout the race on different lines on the new circuit - some legal, some not, in the case of Daniel Ricciardo and Fernando Alonso.
With a multi-year deal, not that it matters much anyway what Miami provided, but it was an enjoyable race that thankfully stood high amid all the hype.
If Sochi or Baku is the example, now drivers know the track and the work is in place for next year, we are sure to see an even better event in future.
To top it off, the Pirelli football helmets and police escort to the podium were a nice sign that the sport doesn't have to take itself too seriously despite its luxury image.
