Formula 1 Miami GP 2023 Qualifying Highlights: Sergio Perez takes pole, Max Verstappen to start P9 on Sunday

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After the Azerbaijan GP, Formula 1 moves over to the United States for the fifth race of the F1 2023 season, the Miami GP 2023. Azerbaijan saw Sergio Perez win the Grand Prix, with Max Verstappen finishing in P2, completing Red Bull’s 25th 1-2 finish. The Miami GP 2023 qualifying will take place in the traditional format on Saturday.

Max Verstappen would ideally want to win the race to extend the gap in the championship but considering Miami GP is a street circuit, “King of Streets” Sergio Perez has a very good chance to win the race for himself and overtake teammate Verstappen in the Driver’s Championship.

Perez has won two races this year, both being street circuits- Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) and Baku (Azerbaijan). The Mexican has brought down the point deficit between him and Max Verstappen to six points in the Driver’s Championship and is threatening to topple Verstappen this year.

A street circuit, the 2022 Miami GP saw Charles Leclerc achieve pole position with his teammate Carlos Sainz starting the race from P2, completing a Ferrari front-row lockout. 2022 Champion Max Verstappen started the race in P3 but quickly got ahead of the Spaniard and then, overtook Leclerc for the lead and clinched the race win.

Perez finished P4 in 2022 but this year, Red Bull have a very different car and have dominated each and every race till now. It will take a lot of effort from Ferrari, Mercedes and Aston Martin to pull off an upset in Miami.

The Miami GP is set to be the fifth race of this year’s F1 calendar and is scheduled to take place on the weekend of 5-7 May. The track layout is 5.41 km long with three straights, potentially three DRS zones and 19 corners with average speed being 220 km/h.