F1 News: Max Verstappen's Unconventional Strategy Behind Miami Grand Prix Win

Max Verstappen, the reigning F1 world champion, showcased his driving prowess at the Miami GP with a remarkable victory. Starting from ninth on the grid, Verstappen opted for an alternative tyre strategy that proved to be a game-changer.

Verstappen's masterful management of the hard tyres during a lengthy first stint allowed him to outshine the front runners who struggled with graining on the medium compound. Reflecting on his inspired choice, Verstappen revealed that the idea was conceived through discussions with his engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase.

The Dutch driver shared:

"It was something I wondered about already [on Saturday], together with my engineer. We were quite strongly opinionated on that already. Then, of course, you have to discuss it with the team, with the strategists, and they were like: 'OK. In terms of race time, it was very close between doing a medium/hard or hard/medium, so it didn't really matter.'"

While acknowledging the higher risk associated with starting on the hard tyres, Verstappen was willing to take the gamble and deviate from the team's strategy. He believed it would provide a better opportunity to make progress through the field, which it did.

Verstappen's strategy paid off handsomely, as he found himself in a podium position by lap 14. From there onwards, his focus shifted to driving in clean air and managing his tyres effectively.

Verstappen's teammate, Sergio Perez, admitted that he never considered the hard tyre option from the front of the grid due to the associated risks. Perez explained:

"When you are starting on pole, starting on the hard is much more like a gamble that can go right or wrong with safety cars. I think at the time, none of us were expecting the medium to be [not performing well]… because pretty much the whole grid went for the medium start."

Perez further emphasised the underestimated weakness of the medium compound, stating:

"I think none of us realized how weak of a tyre it was. I think once we did a few laps on it, we realized that it was quite a poor tyre."

When asked if he believed he could have secured victory had he started on the hard tyres, Perez admitted the uncertainty but highlighted the potential benefits of a different approach.

"Certainly my mileage would have looked a little bit better simply by spending less time on the medium compound, which was very weak," he added.