Max Verstappen is continuing his dominance at the Miami GP as he added another pole position to his record. This made the Dutchman one of only five drivers in the sport’s history to claim seven consecutive poles. With Red Bull having great race pace, it would be difficult for the two Ferrari drivers behind Verstappen to attack him in the Grand Prix. However, Carlos Sainz feels the Scuderia has pace and a plan of attack to take the fight to the three-time champion.
Sainz, who qualified in P3 behind his teammate Charles Leclerc, revealed it in his post-qualifying interview as seen on X posted by user @FanaticsFerrari. He confessed, “When Max starts in front it’s always difficult to find a way to beat him.”
However, the Spaniard plans to work with his teammate to beat the dominant Dutchman. “But if at the end of the first laps Charles and I maintain our positions we will have the chance to challenge Max with two single-seaters,” he added.
️| Carlos Sainz:
“When Max starts in front it’s always difficult to find a way to beat him.”
“But if at the end of the first laps Charles and I maintain our positions we will have the chance to challenge Max with two single-seaters.”
— Ferrari News (@FanaticsFerrari) May 5, 2024
The two Ferrari men split the Red Bulls in the qualifying session. The difference between Verstappen and Sainz was 0.214 seconds. When compared to Leclerc, the reigning world champion was just a tenth of a second ahead of the Monegasque. This puts the Red Bull man well within touching distance.
S,o if the Ferrari men can execute a faultless start and maintain their positions, they have a chance. A chance to not only catch the reigning champion but also keep his teammate at bay to ensure a double podium.
However, Sainz’s ambition is greater as he wants to attack and steal another race win for the team. With the way things are going, the Italian team surely has a chance. Still, Red Bull’s supreme race pace may catch Ferrari out once again, given the way the Dutchman stormed to victory in Miami last year.
Will there be a battle between Max Verstappen and the Ferrari men at the Miami GP?
One can already tell the difference in Max Verstappen’s level of dominance from 2023 to 2024. In the current campaign, the grid is considerably closer. It wasn’t the case in the previous race weekend in China where Verstappen maintained a healthy lead in all sessions.
However, Miami is a different story altogether with a marginal difference. In the Sprint, Leclerc’s SF-24 was always in the three-time champion’s mirrors. The minuscule difference in qualifying added to this narrative.
Throughout the Miami GP weekend, Ferrari has once again proved itself as Red Bull’s closest challenger. Starting the race from P2 and P3, there is a real opportunity to steal the race win away for the second time in the season.
However, catching up to Verstappen starting from the front is a difficult task. This is exactly why the two Ferrari men are heading to the race more as teammates than competitors, unlike the Chinese GP weekend.
The Italian team aims to catch up with the runaway Red Bulls at any cost. Leclerc was perhaps less aggressive in the Sprint race to consolidate his P2 finish. Although, if he feels there is a chance to match Verstappen and beat him, Leclerc and Sainz won’t hesitate to get their elbows out.
