Ferrari and McLaren are currently locked in a battle for the role of ‘best of the rest’ behind Red Bull. Both teams have been able to decisively leapfrog Mercedes over the winter.
Max Verstappen and Red Bull have been in another league once again, winning four of the first five races. Only reliability has defeated him so far, with a brake issue taking him out of the Australian Grand Prix in March.
It was Carlos Sainz and Ferrari who capitalised that day with a one-two finish. And that’s exactly where both teams want to be – ready to pounce on any highly uncharacteristic Red Bull mishap.
For the most part, though, it will be a matter of maximising points behind the Bulls. Ferrari have had the edge in that regard too, which is why they have a 55-point cushion in the championship.
But McLaren outfit arrived in Miami on the front foot after an unexpectedly strong weekend in China. They had been‘worried’ about how they would perform, and Lando Norris even bet his engineers that he’d lose out to the Ferraris in the race.
But as it turned out, Norris managed to split the Red Bulls, albeit with the aid of a fortunate safety car. Charles Leclerc and Sainz, meanwhile, had to settle for fourth and fifth.
The Miami circuit isn’t all that dissimilar to what the teams encountered in Shanghai. While there are a couple of quick corners in the first sector, it’s mostly a tight and technical layout.
Why Ferrari are ‘worried’ about McLaren
McLaren have arrived in Florida with an upgrade package that’s certainly caught the eye. The changes to the MCL38 are so extensive that journalist Lawrence Barretto thinks it could be called a ‘B-Spec’ car.
Ferrari, for their part, are waiting until the next race in Imola to roll out their first major updates. The ‘massive’ package could be worth as much as two and a half tenths.
But this weekend, the Scuderia seem ‘worried’ that McLaren may have an edge. Ted Kravitz can’t quite believe the scale of the developments in the neighbouring garage.
Speaking during Sky Sports F1’s coverage of FP1, he said: “Astonishing number of upgrades from McLaren. No wonder Ferrari are a bit worried. We thought they might be in an all-blue car, but they’re more green with envy when they look at all the upgrades McLaren have got.”
What fans think of Ferrari livery at Miami Grand Prix
The most striking change to the Ferrari for this weekend’s race is actually the livery. The team, who are synonymous with their scarlet record scheme, have incorporated elements of blue onto their car.
The design is a throwback to the North American Racing Team colours they sported sixty years ago amid a dispute with the FIA. But it hasn’t gone down especially well.
Many fans seem to be underwhelmed, having expected a more prominent blue presence and a generally more aesthetically pleasing effort. Some may feel that the drivers’ all-blue race suits and helmets were a little deceptive.
Ferrari aren’t the only team with a one-off look in the sunshine state. The RB car has undergone what the team calls a ‘chameleon’ paint job for the first of three US races this year.
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