Max Verstappen realised his chance of winning the Miami Grand Prix was slipping away in an unheard radio exchange during the Safety Car period.
While the timing of the Safety Car played into the hands of eventual winner Lando Norris, Verstappen’s disadvantage was amplified as the Safety Car joined the track in front of him instead of the race leading McLaren. Having been 11 seconds up the road when the Safety Car was deployed, Norris had an advantage of more than 30 seconds when he arrived at the pit lane entrance on lap 29, and was easily able to complete his pit stop before Verstappen arrived and take victory.
However Verstappen was already experiencing one of his more difficult grands prix of 2024. He struggled to get on top of his car’s balance during the first stint and pulled out a lead of less than four seconds over Norris’ team mate Oscar Piastri during the first 22 laps.
As more of Verstappen’s radio messages show, he and race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase were kept busy trying to improve the handling of his RB20:
| Lap: 1/57 VER: 1’34.338 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Verstappen | Certainly a lot more understeer. Can I have more open diff high-speed? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 4/57 VER: 1’33.504 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | How’s the high speed balance, Max? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Verstappen | Just on the limit of understeer. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 5/57 VER: 1’32.834 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | We have another step available if you need it. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Verstappen | Yeah. Let’s leave it for now, see later. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 7/57 VER: 1’32.895 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Deficits, Max, all areas of management between four and seven. You’re strong in the low-speed, 11 to 16 and 17. Front flap update please Max for the next stint? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Verstappen | Yeah, difficult to say with that compound but I think we can take one or two clicks more, like two maybe. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 8/57 VER: 1’32.838 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Just approaching temperature stabilisation so keep on it. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Verstappen | It’s quite tricky also with the rear in seven-eight, quite inconsistent. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 10/57 VER: 1’33.267 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Verstappen | Yeah, struggling a lot out of one and seven-eight. Car’s very inconsistent. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Okay just watch your brake application Max in turn one, 11 and 17. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 12/57 VER: 1’33.097 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | ‘Max do you actually have some margin to push your B-bias forward? Either peak or low-speed? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Verstappen | No, I don’t really. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 13/57 VER: 1’33.129 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Gap still 2.8. Main deficit still high-speed and still three-tenths in a straight line. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 14/57 VER: 1’32.918 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Okay Max so if you start to reduce the level of management a little bit from here. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other front-running drivers including Verstappen’s team mate Sergio Perez and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc had already pitted by the time the race leader slipped up on lap 21. Verstappen cut the chicane, hit a bollard and seemingly damaged his car’s floor.
The debris triggered a Virtual Safety Car period, and though Verstappen wasn’t able to take advantage of that opportunity to make a low-cost pit stop, he did come in immediately afterwards to switch from the medium tyre compound to hards.
| Lap: 21/57 VER: 1’32.926 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Verstappen | I hit that cone in 15. Check the front wing. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Understood. If you see a VSC, pit. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 22/57 VER: 1’32.906 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Verstappen | Yeah the rear just snapped on me on entry. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 23/57 VER: 1’51.938 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | VSC deployed Max. Dash positive. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | VSC ending. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 27/57 VER: 1’32.515 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Verstappen | It’s really low grip, I locked up there again. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Soon after his pit stop, a full Safety Car period was triggered by the collision between Kevin Magnussen and Alexander Albon. This was bad news for Verstappen, as it gave the new leader Norris the opportunity to pit and lose less time compared to him.
But when the Safety Car appeared in front of Verstappen instead of the race leader, the Red Bull driver realised Norris was about to gain much more time on him:
| Lap: 28/57 VER: 1’39.376 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Understood. Currently got double yellow turn two-three. Safety Car deployed, Max, Safety Car deployed. Dash positive. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 29/57 VER: 2’26.519 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Max thoughts on tyres? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Verstappen | Bit low grip, mate. I can’t really go a lot faster. I mean, I can push harder, just not sure for how long, you know? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Yeah copy that. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Verstappen | Did Lando pit? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | No, Safety Car came out just as he crossed the pit entry. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Yeah just talking about it up here Max. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Verstappen | At this rate he’s going to be a lap ahead. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 30/57 VER: 2’04.420 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Verstappen | Can we pass? Green light. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Stand by. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Verstappen | Okay you are free to overtake, Max. Free to overtake. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Verstappen briefly attacked Norris at the restart but wasn’t able to pass the McLaren. In little time Norris had more than a second’s advantage over Verstappen, who had to worry more about Leclerc behind him than the McLaren ahead:
| Lap: 31/57 VER: 1’41.077 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Still double yellows, Max, at turn two-three. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Fail 10. Okay, Safety Car has picked Lando up at turn 17 ahead of you. Okay, so running order. Lando, yourself, Charles, Piastri and Sainz. So obviously Lando on a fresh hard tyre. Piastri and Sainz did put a timed lap on their hard and Checo pitted for a scrubbed medium as well. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 32/57 VER: 2’35.033 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Okay Safety car is in this lap Max, Safety Car is in this lap. So mode three and strat seven. And recharge off when you’re ready. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 33/57 VER: 1’32.227 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | And mode six please, Max. Gap behind 0.8, ahead 1.2. DRS enabled. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 35/57 VER: 1’31.409 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Verstappen | Understood. Gap 0.8. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Verstappen | Torque six, Max, for seven-eight. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Verstappen seemed even less happy with his car’s balance on the hard tyres than he had been on the mediums. However this was potentially amplified by whatever damage had been done to his car’s floor:
| Lap: 37/57 VER: 1’31.377 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Deficit to Lando, Max, is all turn one. So that’s two-tenths. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 38/57 VER: 1’31.526 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Display… | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Verstappen | I can’t get the car to turn, it’s a disaster. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Display 11, display one one, position five. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | So diff seven, mid six. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 39/57 VER: 1’31.336 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Display 10. Position 10. Display one zero. Position one zero. You should now have two steps mor engine braking, Max, with that change in the background. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 40/57 VER: 1’31.487 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | So just confirm before that last display change you were effectively in torque eight. You are now torque six. Gap behind 2.1, Lando pace 31.2. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Verstappen | The tyres just have no grip, because also the low-speed like I don’t have a lot of rear grip at the same time. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Yeah, understood. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 44/57 VER: 1’31.452 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Verstappen | Is there more rotation for full seven-eight or not? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Stand by. So it’ll be the torque reduction Max. Either a torque reduction or a B-bias offset. I think the latter won’t work. So torque offset, six or P5. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 50/57 VER: 1’31.338 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Eight laps remaining. Gap 1.9. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Red Bull consoled their driver at the chequered flag, but given his dissatisfaction with his car’s handling, Verstappen seemed not too disappointed at finishing second.
| Chequered flag | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Okay good job Max. It’s a difficult day. But P2 on a difficult day is not a bad place to be. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Yeah it was extremely difficult. These tyres had no grip for me. Anyway, P2 is still not bad. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Horner | Yeah good effort, Max. Obviously unlucky with the Safety Car, but still very good points today. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | And just to remind you it’s not the centre board today, mate. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Horner | Nice win for Lando, but, still very good points today Max so still take plenty out of it. Plus the spirit win. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Yeah. I didn’t expect it to be that bad on the hard. But it happens, you can’t win them all. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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