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1 of 5 | Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing is interviewed successful nan paddock earlier nan 2024 Miami Grand Prix connected Thursday astatine nan Miami International Autodrome successful Miami Gardens, Fla. Photo by Greg Nash/UPI | License Photo
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla., May 3 (UPI) -- Formula 1 drivers opportunity nan Miami Grand Prix hasn't mislaid its luster up of its 3rd rendition Sunday successful Miami Gardens, Fla. Max Verstappen, who won nan erstwhile 2 editions, is simply a dense favourite to repetition arsenic champion.
The Miami Grand Prix will commencement astatine 4 p.m. EDT Sunday astatine nan Miami International Autodrome, a way constructed astir nan Miami Dolphins' Hard Rock Stadium. The arena will aerial connected ABC.
"I deliberation nan sport's gotten bigger here," American Logan Sargeant, a driver for Williams said Thursday astatine a news conference. "It's sewage a batch much awareness.
"Every metropolis that I spell to, group are excited. It's now a athletics present successful nan States. Before, it was conscionable an arena that arrived erstwhile a year. Now, we're benignant of a portion of nan civilization here, which is really, really cool."
Celebrities are again expected to flock to nan event, watching nan high-performance vehicles eclipse speeds of 200 mph. Sports stars Patrick Mahomes, David Beckham, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Serena Williams, character Tom Cruise and billionaires Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos were among nan stars who attended nan past 2 years. More than 270,000 fans attended past year's event.
Three-day wide admittance tickets for this year's arena are disposable for $450. Those fans could beryllium treated to different triumph by Verstappen, now 1 of nan astir ascendant athletes successful nan world.
Verstappen, nan victor of nan past 3 Formula 1 championships, has won 4 of 5 races this play and 21 of 23 making love backmost to past season.
He holds a 25-point lead connected Oracle Red Bull Racing teammate Sergio Perez, who sits successful 2nd spot successful nan Formula 1 driver standings. Ferrari teammates Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz beryllium successful 3rd and fourth, respectively. McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are 5th and sixth.
Mercedes teammates George Russell and Lewis Hamilton rank seventh and ninth, respectively. Aston Martin duo Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll are eighth and 10th.
Many of nan drivers faced questions astir their futures Thursday, arsenic nan sport's scenery continues to alteration because of driver-team rotations and unit moves.
Hamilton, 1 of nan astir dressed up Formula 1 drivers successful history, will move to Ferrari successful 2025, replacing Sainz. He said it has been "difficult" to title this play arsenic nan move looms, but he continues to springiness his champion effort to Mercedes.
"Right now my bosom is still pinch Mercedes and I really want to proceed to present and assistance them up," Hamilton said. "That's not only my job, but my desire this year. And arsenic difficult arsenic it's been, we still rally together and I'm really proud of everyone that I'm moving with. I'm really hoping that nan twelvemonth gets better."
Oracle Red Bull Racing besides announced earlier this week that main method serviceman Adrian Newey will time off nan squad successful 2025. News of nan departure sparked rumors that Newey could travel Hamilton to Ferrari. Hamilton said Thursday that he would "very much" for illustration to spot Newey subordinate his squad adjacent year, but declined to corroborate knowledge of an charismatic transaction.
Perez said it was "not ideal" for Newey to time off his team.
"Someone for illustration Adrian has been tremendous to our team, to our organization," Perez said. "And he's evidently a very bully friend of excavation arsenic good successful this clip that we spent together. But astatine nan extremity of nan day, location are times successful life. ... I deliberation he spent for illustration 20 years astatine Red Bull. I deliberation he astir apt wants to do thing else."
Perez remains without a signed statement for 2025, but said it's "just a matter of time" until his early is decided. He besides said "everything remains an option."
Verstappen, who is signed until 2028, told reporters that he is not willing successful leaving nan Oracle Red Bull Racing team.
"It's really important astir having nan quickest car, and of people a bully environment," Verstappen said. "That's what we person currently, and that's besides what I asked for. As agelong arsenic nan situation is correct and we person nan quickest car, past it's rather straightforward."
Mercedes leader Toto Wolff told Fox Sports Australia earlier this twelvemonth that that nan squad would beryllium willing successful a early national pinch Verstappen.
Perez, Leclerc, Sainz and Norris subordinate Vestappen arsenic nan apical expected contenders astatine nan 2024 Miami Grand Prix. Sargeant, who ranks No. 21 of 22 successful nan driver standings, is among those pinch nan longest likelihood to win.
Sprint qualifying for nan arena will beryllium held Friday, pinch a sprint title group for Saturday afternoon. Race qualifying will commencement astatine 4 p.m. Saturday astatine nan Miami International Autodrome.
Wings are seen extracurricular nan Mercedes-AMG Petronas car shed earlier nan Formula One Miami Grand Prix astatine nan Miami International Autodrome successful Miami Gardens, Fla., connected May 2, 2024. Photo by Greg Nash/UPI | License Photo
