Miami GP Qualifying Review: A Tale of Two Sessions

Five Live Formula One The curtain is closed on Saturday in Miami. The music is flaring around the Miami Dolphins NFL Stadium. We've had a sprint race, we've had Grand Prix. qualifying and now everybody is uh relaxing and uh quite a nice sunny Chilled evening. The zero percent beers are flowing. It's Harry Benjamin and opposite me on our table we have Jenny Gao and we have via plays commentator, our Dutch friend Nelson Valkenberg. Have I got it

Nailed it. Absolutely nailed it. Thank you for joining me guys. Um it's been a long day today, and there's a lot to get into. And I suppose Nelson, the one of the the big takeaways from this Saturday I think is that it's been a bit of a topsy turvy day because we saw the sprints and everyone's suddenly talking about McLaren. Landon Oris took victory in the splint. What a turnaround. Upgrades galore.

We just had Grand Prix qualifying and actually McLaren's very up and down and Mercedes back on top with Kimi Antonelli on pole. Yeah, it is topsy turvy and it's a crazy thing to think about that McLaren is the only team from the top teams that's slower than they were yesterday. All the other teams improved on sprint qualifying.

So I'm wondering whether or not they are sort of taking into account tomorrow and the weather and maybe have changed their cars accordingly. Because it is weird and especially the lap that Piastri did at the end. Really bad first sector, he really screwed up there. But then his second sector was amazing. So there is potential still in that car. It isn't gone after sprint race. But it's just not easy to get the maximum out of it. And McLaren showed us that today.

Yeah, totally. But I think one of the main things to take away from today is how exceptional Kimi Antonelli has been, I think, Jen, for for this weekend. I think Whilst there's been a bit of up and downness in performance, the consistent man has actually been Antonelli. It's really impressive what he's able to do and watching him how he works

In the garage, the crew around him, it's no real surprise. Mercedes have always been really good at understanding what a driver wants and needs. And certainly Pete Wonnington, his race engineer, so familiar with Lewis Hamilton before he left. is the perfect. I couldn't think of a more perfect person. to be on by his side and develop that close relationship that is so important in this sport. And the fact that you know he came here last year, he got pole in the sprint race. Couldn't convert it.

But he he knows this track now. He every place that he goes to he's not a rookie anymore. He's got experience. and that counts for a huge amount and you just get this feeling that he is flying high and every Further meter he flies higher. George Russell is just ebbing and flowing further down and it's a worrying spiral. Maybe it'll reverse in the race tomorrow, but at this point.

I I don't know if if Kimmy's got into George's head already and that's a problem or not. We'll have to wait and see, but it's fascinating. It's Kimi Antonelli. with his per uh pink cap and purple overalls comes out from the paddock club into the back of the Mercedes garage with his um PR Lady Rosa. They're very happy right now. I mean they certainly are. The sprint race saw a messy start from Kimmy Anton. Once again. Once again. So

And while he's been blisteringly quick, that's going to be weighing on his shoulders. And George Russell managed to get ahead, and even Charles Leclerc was had a few complaints about Kimi Antonelli's wheel to wheel racing as well. But I mean what do you what do you make of of that relationship between Antonelli and George Russell and how that's gonna unfold? Well First of all sprint race was messy from Antonelli. Yes his start wasn't great.

He was passed by George and then he countered and that was the interesting point because he pulled away from George Russell and that even though the Mercedes weren't great on race pace compared to Norris, compared to the Ferraris. Still he pulled away from George. But imagine you're George Russell and you've waited for this moment for four or five years. You join Mercedes in twenty-two and you think I'm gonna join a team that knows how to win championships and it never materialized.

How difficult must it be to keep your anxiety under control? Because not only are you faced with a driver like Antonelli who has no fear, who will go for it and doesn't have the baggage that George has because of the years he spent at Mercedes. But he's now in a situation that maybe on any given day there's another team or maybe two teams that can capitalise on any mistake you made. So it's become a whole lot more complex for George Russell.

And I think after Melbourne he really didn't think it would be like this. I I always had a question in my mind as to these regulations. Would it favour the young guns with their gaming background and their fast-paced understanding? Or would it benefit the older drivers who have been around for a long time?

They've done regulation changes before and they know what it's like. And I actually think that it it I always thought it would favour the younger guns and most people uh didn't think that but I'm interested to know what you think because it it does seem that if you don't have a whole baggage load of experience actually you're in a better place. Yeah, I I would have agreed with you before the season as well, Jenny, because

Mijn bagage betekent dat je het fresen en take it op. En bij niet disappointed door regulaties die niet veel de way je denkt dat ze vinden. Een guer like Lewis heeft 2007-8 F1. As a reference. So uh two for Alonso. So yeah, I would have been with you on that. Before the season I said, well, this is this has Max Verstappen written all over it because it's an experience and one of the best sim races about. But yeah, Antonelli just continues to impress and continues to grow.

Exceptional so far from Kimi Antonelli. The only F1 drivers in history to secure their first three pole positions consecutively. Senna, Schumacher, and now Kimmy Antonelli. Shall we hear from him? I think so. Here he is.

Kimmy, congratulations on pole position. You're quite good around this track, aren't you? Tell me what appeals to you, what makes it so good for you. Yeah, I don't know. I mean last year I felt good off the line. Uh I felt very good since lap one. uh comfortable and for sure you know when when you come back the year after in the same track, you know you've had the experience from the year before and it helps um to also extract a little bit more from the car, from the track, you know.

you you you know better the the points where you can make the difference uh so you m you also know better the details of the track uh where you can use the curves and not so I think uh definitely it was already a good track for me last year and uh it this year it was just uh even better.

And how is your race engineer Pete Bonington and the team helping you with the starts? Because obviously you had one already today in the sprint race. Um so you've done it here. Is there more of the process that can be tweaked to make it even better for you? Yeah, for sure. Also with the fact that we didn't do any starts in FP1, we went a bit blind into sprint race. We didn't know really well.

the grip level. So definitely having the the experience from the sprint will help a lot ahead of tomorrow. So definitely the team is already looking into it and trying to find the best compromise for tomorrow. Biggest grass, thank you. Kimmy Antonetti there, the young nineteen year old, on pole position once more. But as we mentioned, Jen, and as as you asked, it's all gonna be on that start once again and could be very different conditions.

Uh we don't know what the conditions are gonna be. We haven't even talked about that yet and I expect we will do and course of time but I was wondering how to ask Kimmy about the starts and you you go through them in your mind when you're a reporter saying okay how do I get the best answer out of him and I I thought that maybe saying you've lost I I thought by saying the status of the

You've lost thirty places off starts this season probably wasn't the thing to ask him. So I asked him, you know, if his relationship with Point Bonnington, the pr starts that he's had already this weekend would help him. And it's interesting there. He did say that they didn't have the starts in practice. So they went into the race blind. And hopefully that'll give them a little bit more to play with when it comes to the actual race start because If he has another bad start, Harry.

That will start to get into his mind. It's race four, round four. We've had two sprints. four races tomorrow. And I I just if he can't get the starts mastered, it is tricky. The start routine isn't like a an easy start. They have to one clutch, release the other and There's a whole complex uh scenario that goes into it and these regulations means it's even harder but He's gotta nail it. He's just got to nail it.

And if he does get a bad start, that could play into the hands, Nelson, of the man who starts alongside him, who is pretty unforgiving, Max Verstappen. What a qualifying. I honestly thought he might get pole at one point on that final lap. And the roller coaster of the first three races, that would have been sensational. And you know what? I think a front row start is nearly as sensational. It is unexpected and you could tell from his reaction afterwards how

incredibly boyed he is and how unexpected it was. And I don't know Jenny how you feel, but when he came to the pen he carried himself so differently to Japan or China. And see he feels reborn. In the break we had him in the theater with us at Viaplay and he was very frank about needing something to put his teeth into. And I think he has it. And what was interesting when you listened to his conversation with Lambias.

with Gian Piero Lambias about the first sector and Lambias said I have a solution but come to the the pit lane and I'll tell you and not over the basically the airwaves. and he found two and a half tens on his last lap in the first sector. This this relationship like Bono and Antonelli is firing on all cylinders. Problematic though. Antonelli's starts aren't great, Max's starts haven't been great either. So that could be very interesting heading into the first corner.

And there's a Ferrari behind that is pretty notorious for good stars. Um can I ask a question? He Verstappen was saying at the end of Japan how he might walk away from the score, he wasn't happy. Now he's done a decent qualifying. He's not walking away, is he? He's happy. I tend to think that Max when his emotions are high, his adrenaline is there, talks in black and white. Everything is in absolute.

But I think he is too much of a lover of this sport to walk away from it. I do think he was trying to make a point and get more of his way with the F F and FOM. And I also believe that he's trying to force Red Bull to give him more room to do other stuff because he's so much of a lover of all forms of motorsport. But a qualifying lap like today makes you fall in love. with the sport again and you saw that in his reaction.

Harry, I was so close to asking him. So you're happy now, so you're probably happy with the car again? Not gonna leave? How do you think that would have gone, Jenny? Um much like if I'd have asked uh Kimmy if thirty place with uh drops at the start of the season was a bad thing or a good thing. Wouldn't have gone that well. So I didn't ask Well. Let's hear what you did ask him in the pen. Here he is.

Hey Max, um on the front row, so uh ha what changes have they made that make you feel more comfortable? Is it down to comfort in the car? A lot uh to comfort but also just performance. I mean the car is working a lot better, but at the same time uh yeah uh I also feel a lot more in control. Before I I just felt like a total passenger in the car. So uh yeah, everything is coming together a bit better.

We've seen how good you have been in the rain in the past. What conditions would you like tomorrow? mind dry or or wet but I I just hope that if it rains of course that we can raise because at the moment it looks like uh quite tricky with thunderstorms as well and then the rules here in the US regarding thunder uh lightning uh yeah it's a bit complicated

Everyone is so um consistent with the way that uh the weekend is scheduled. Is it slightly strange to have had this break and then come back and have a race that might be scheduled at a totally different time than usual or? We don't still don't know. No, for me it's alright. I mean I I was still racing even when there was a break, right? So for me it's uh I just keep going.

Max Verstappen then even saying in the post qualifying interviews, light at the end of the tunnel for a red bull. And th I thought that was really interesting not only for the development of the car, but as you were touching on his feelings towards the sport perhaps. We should remember that we're coming into this weekend having had a tweak of the regulations. From what you've seen so far, Nelson, and the whole idea being we want some more flat out qualifying, we want less artificial overtake.

From what you've seen from a glimpse of a sprint race and a qualifying, are we moving in the right direction or is it too early to tell? I'll say yes but with a huge caveat. Yeah. Because Miami is not an energy starved track. This would always have been an easier track for the drivers to deal with the current regulations. So Whatever improvements have been made will show up less here than let's say at Monza or Spa Francochard even. Montreal.

Silverson, all these medium to high speed corners where you just ooze um energy out of the whole package. And here it's less that, but Nonetheless I had a lovely qualifying. It was proper. It was re it felt like a proper qualifying session. And the drivers reflected that a little bit, but they've kept up the pressure in the in the press conferences all weekend. They say it's not enough, we need more. And they're united on this. And as a purist I would tend to agree. Um

But it what is interesting is that at least this was enjoyable. Very enjoyable Very enjoyable and the sprint very enjoyable. Maxnappen and Lewis Hamilton going wheel to wheel because what we've seen when we've had really good fights so far is that it tends to be teammates. So it was quite nice to see Ferrari and Rebel even if there was a bit of RG Bargy going on.

There is no fight on this track that between Hamilton and Verstappen that will ever be without R.G. Bargie. It's just the name of the game because they are alike. They refuse to give in and Just love that.

I think this track, as you say, lends itself to a more normal race weekend and I think That w is reflected in the fact that the race, the sprint race was fairly boring. I mean it we had some incidents, but it was a bit more normal, what we'd expect it to be. It wasn't like Mickey Mouse.

Overtake, overtake, overtake, overtake, swapping back and forth. So I think it'll be interesting to see what happens in the actual race and the Grand Prix. But I can already feel the fans going, oh this is a bit boring, isn't it? Yeah, but you can't win. You know, you can't win, but what is important to me is that when you see an overtake, that it a it matters and that it feels like an achievement.

Very good point. Well it certainly felt like an achievement watching match the stappen put that red bull in second for the Grand Prix. Behind him, let's talk about Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari. Actually he's looked quick again all weekend but he's just been missing that little extra something and I think maybe the the tyres coming into effect with that Ferrari eating them up a little bit more than they would like.

It feels to me when you are on board with him, it's definitely in the race as well, is that the rear of the Ferrari lacks some down force and then they just rely on mechanical grip. That runs through the tires and it eats tires at the rear. You could really see at the end of the sprint race how he had to hell ho hang on to it and he was looking to pass Piastri and suddenly he was gone. He overheated the rears and that was it.

Listen, Ferraris had a very decent start of the season, but now the big question is can they match especially McLaren's development rate. Because McLaren is the world championship team in developing a car and a package. And we've seen it here, they bring a package, it works. And Ferrari has yet to show us that and are the gains they make big enough? So I don't know. Also historically, Jen, we've seen from McLaren every time they introduce an upgrade from the years gone by, it's a massive jump.

Especially at a new regulation cycle, they tend to start off okay, but they can't develop and they bring upgrades and it and it gets worse. I mean if you look at the upgrade packages this weekend, Ferrari have 11 tweaks to their car and changes, whereas likes of McLaren have seven. Now we know McLaren have got a further upgrade coming the next race.

And just look at I'm just interested in what you think about the Macarena wing. This wing that Ferrari have, Red Bull have copied and done that in really quick Well I had a very long conversation with Macis about the rear wing and he was adamant and the lead times would suggest Yes true, yes, because he's because the Brits will always get them first. Uh we are very sad as the Dutch with our axes with Red Bull. It's all very sad now. He is adamant that this was in the works for months and months.

And it's a it's a different um it's also a different system to the Ferrari system. And if you look at the the slot gap when it opens, that's a Okay. It's amazing and and uh they will on tracks like Montreal that will work really quickly and you can bet that now other teams will try to copy it. I'm not sure that Red Bull copied Ferrari, but Ferrari tried to bring it first, and they will always tell you, no, we brought it first, but that's Ferrari.

Bring it first, but it is is it as good as the Red Bull one? That's I'm not sure of. Is this the first weekend that actually used the Macarena wing? Yeah, right. In a racing scenario, yeah. So bizarre if you're right and and they are telling us the truth that they had it in development all along that

They both turn up at this race, maybe it's an optimal race for it, and that's why, but they both turn up at this race with a similar operating wing, the Macarena movement, if even if the operating process is slightly different. And and th this is the race that they just go, oh yeah, by the way. I think it's a virtue of the fact that Bahrain and Jeddah were cancelled. It has condensed all the development into this weekend.

Um but you can bet mu I will bet money on at least two or three teams in the next month turning up with a similar version.

For Charles Leclerc, he will line up third on the grid. And well, with a caveat of what the weather will do for Sunday, if the trait continues of Kimi Antonelli and Max Tapan having poor starts, even with the tweaks that they've made to help the drivers not get as As bad a start as they might ordinarily get. Charles Leclerc and that small turbo Ferrari could well find himself leading after turn one. So let's see what happens there. Behind them in qualifying, Lando Norris.

I'm gonna say sort of salvaged fourth, because the day started so well with the with a dominant sprint victory and a whole Conversation of well the pecking orders changed. McLaren are back, and there's no doubt they've improved. But what happened during qualifying, do you think for that it felt very messy. They had some issues on deployment and I think they were cagey on the onboard radio. They blamed the weather, they blamed the wind. Yeah.

But we heard in the paddock that there has been some issue on the usage of boost and deployment in qualifying. So could be that that Lando was a little bit hamstrung with that. But if I would guess I also think they made uh a bet on the weather for tomorrow as well. It just was a not as quick as yesterday and they were the only team of the top teams again to be slower uh than yesterday, so

Messy but still there and their race space if tomorrow's dry looked immense looked really strong so I don't think they're too worried. Also, the McLaren have great starts, Jenny, and they are Mercedes-powered as well. but have their own gearbox. Very interesting that they do get their starts right. And on this race weekend as well, where the c weather could be a big factor, McLaren are very good at making a call and making a decisive op opportunity count for them.

And I'm not sure as you say that I totally buy what they're saying today after qualifying. I think they're in a better place. And I think what happened in the race and what happened y yesterday shows that actually They are ready to go out there, Harry, and perform in front of the crowds. They know what they did last time. They know what they did two years ago. And they are just waiting, I think, to pounce. Feels like their season has well and proper started now today. Oh, yeah.

Certainly has bagged some big points from the sprint. The eight points that you get for a sprint victory. We'll line up fourth for the Grand Prix. Let's hear from Miami sprint winner in 2026, Lando Norris. I said after quality yesterday that uh the others were just as quick as us and um in fact they're quicker than us so uh not a surprise at all honestly. Um I still feel like Maybe my labs were not quite so so clean um and maybe P three was possible today, but that's all. I think um

What was clear today is uh we're just not quick enough. Um but we knew that already yesterday. We think I think we just did an amazing job yesterday to put some good laps in and the race was easy from the front. Um and today we're just more where we deserve to be. Lando we obviously have got weather warnings for tomorrow. What would you prefer? Wet race, dry race, is there any conditions that suits the car or you better?

Uh not really. Um I think we're just a little bit off today and we'll probably be a little bit off tomorrow. I think we're where we deserve to be, but I've never driven in the way yet in this car, so pretty nice.

Lannon Oris who will line up fourth for the Grand Prix, but a good day for him on Saturday with the sprint victory. Up and down not only for McLaren for Oscar Piastri as well, uh who was second in the sprint. Yeah. under pressure from Charles Leclerc in the latter stages, only just made it through into Q2 on the s even on the second attempt on his second lap. Piastri was really flirting with with being knocked out.

But I think one thing that will worry him is is the the gap seems to be consistent that he is behind the reigning world champion. This weekend definitely. They really really gave him a tough job in the first part of qualifying because it was on us tyres en they let him do a couple of runs open set of tires so they flirted with danger there.

And then uh final lap of qualifying, he messed up the first sector because the second sector was purple. Uh he really was there. Take the normal first sector there, Jenny. It would have been it would have been real well up there. I think it's artificial that gap. And I think he's more competitive than today looks. Absolutely and I think the sprint race defines that because they were one to

And while we know that Leclerc was pressuring Piastri, he wasn't really getting to him, he wasn't in the place where he could have overtaken him, I don't think. So I think Piastri will have more to offer in the race. And we we did see this trait that actually he didn't give away too much to Norris and he keeps something like i in the reserves because they share so much data between the two drivers.

I'm just wondering'cause he made mistakes today, it wasn't it didn't work too well for him. I d just wonder if it's got more in the in the keg for tomorrow. I'm not sure he would have beaten Norris though if he had nailed the first sector. Because Norris here in Miami is just exceptional. I think that is I dunno I don't think we're saying he would have beaten Norris, but he would have been m much closer than he is right now.

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the other driver in the team and we're used to them coming in two by two like Noah's Ark. This racetrack it differs. I think the type of track it is, you see one driver excel and the other driver struggle and I think certainly with Mercedes and with um McLaren one driver excelled and the likes of Russell and Piastri did not and they don't like this track as much as the other driver.

Well, for Piastri it was seventh in qualifying behind Lewis Hamilton, who's been tailing his teammate all weekend long as well. Um Franco Colapinto, P8 in the Alpine. His best weekend so far as a Formula One driver into the top eight. Pretty much in every session in the top ten and ahead of his teammate Pierre Gasly. Yeah, yeah, it's amazing and don't I know it because next to me in the commentary booth is Argentine TV and all I know that he's doing well. I can hear it through the wall.

complaining about me through the walls. I will still do it but now you're seven doors down. I asked. Is that you? Yes, but I got I got Argentina back for it. Yeah. But it's nice because it's just so happy and well deserved because Colopinto's really doing well. He's he's got a development chassis from Alpine which is slightly different to

um to Pierre Gassi's. I don't think it's much lighter than Pierre Gassi's, but the I think it's the placement of the ballast weight is a little bit different. That's sort of what I'm hearing and I think it aids the balance in that car. Gasly in the other car has a development rear wing, but he says he's struggling with rear grip. So that may not be working to his favor, but you can't fold Colapinto. He's doing an exceptional job. And what a week he's had from Buenos Aires.

But I also think so even if if we've got this slight disparity between the Alpine drivers, Alpine overall Pretty competitive. Yes, they want to be higher up, but they were last last year, so this is this is a win for them so far. I mean this is manna from heaven.

for Alpine, they've made a bold decision to get rid of their engine structure and department and go okay we won't use Viri to produce our engines for Renault. We will use Mercedes engines. Now you look at that and go my goodness yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n.

Day one they beat Mercedes. Um so it's not out of the the ordinary now to be a customer and to be better than the works team. And this just demonstrates And the the difference between Williams, who have Mercedes Power, and Alpine, who were Last last year, how many points did they store? I can't even remember. It was it was a handful like twelve points or something. Um and and I mean it's just it's massive what the the turnarounds of that age.

And consistently so and it was led by Pierre Gasly over the last three ra races. because I think Gasly is extremely underrated this year. I think he's been top six in terms of his performances. But this weekend I'm very happy for Franco and it's a weekend that he needed. It's starting to look like an also ran. And sometimes you need to remind people why you're you why you deserve to be here.

The money is a big factor. People say he's a just a pay driver, he brings so much money to that seat. This weekend he's trying desperately to prove yes, I have brought lots of money. but I've got 600,000 fans behind me and I can drive this car successfully. I must admit I'm not sure he brings that much money. I think that he brings some some uh combinations, but I I don't believe he has a contract where money has changed. But he opens up the opportunity.

There is commercial opportunities there, but I don't I tend to believe that he didn't pay for his Interesting. A great weekend so far for Franco. Let's see if he could convert it

to points on Sunday and he was ahead of the second Red Bull Isaac Hajar struggling this weekend. Gasly rounding out the top ten. Um I wanna get your predictions, but as we sit here it is hot. Beautiful sunshine, couple of white puffy clouds. It's expected to be the total opposite for Sunday's Grand Prix. Deluge, thunderstorms, lightning, and we don't quite know as we record this now what's going to happen in terms of a time that we get a race going. So

With that in mind, what are we expecting Nelson? What do you think is going to happen? Well I know that uh all the stakeholders will be talking here on Saturday night as we sit here. About what is the meeting idea scenario en watching starting time. Het is not zoveel de rain, omdat we last jaar we hadden veel water en de drainage at the track is het grootste.

and we lost a race in the F1 Academy because of that. But the big problem is lightning. Thunderstorms are expected in the area and there's a local law where you can't have lightning within an eight mile radius of your event. As soon as that happens they have to cancel it for the time being. So I know F one and and AFIA and the local organizers are looking at all the best options. So we may have an amended starting time, but that it's going to be wet seems to be a certainty.

And that's all the certainty we have for tomorrow because none of these teams really know what these cars, these engine packages, this torque level that you get, instant torque from this hybrid engine, how it will react, what the drivability will be in the web. And wasn't it Lewis on Thursday who told us Jenny in the pen that he feels that he is the best prepare of all the drivers because he had two days in Fiorano in wet conditions?

And that is fascinating insight because Max said to me tonight about the weather and the fact that No one really knows what to expect, but actually some people do and as you pointed out Lewis is one of those people and who would you say both of you are the best drivers in the West? Well, Lewis Hamilton. And Max was that. Exactly. Yeah, I tend to agree. But I'm gonna keep my eye on Pierre Gasly. He's also had a wet session, I believe, in Silverstone.

Yeah. And don't forget how quick Pierre Gasly was all those years ago, a couple of years ago in Brazil, in the wet as well, in the Alpine at that point. There are some it's all gonna come down to the drivability and we know the smaller turbo for the Ferrari could actually help them because the kick up the backside that you get from the turbo is less intense could help you in terms of drivability in the weather. So it's anybody's guess, but I can't wait for it.

I also think it might be interesting if there's a rolling start because if it's wet there will be a rolling start rather than a start like normal on the grids. Well not necessarily. I think you're right. They normally st well no, if it's really wet they start with a rolling star. Which means Antonelli is praying for the yeah.

Exactly my point. Kimmy Antonelli, the worst starter on the grid in pole position. What is he gonna do? Pray for rain and hope that actually it's a rolling start. He doesn't lose anything, visibility's low, he's got the best.

visibility off that and um yeah it's simple for him. He just goes and finishes and I don't even know if they're gonna get a full race if it if it's monsoon conditions They might end up just calling it as a ten lap race or whatever they need to do in the regulations to get this away and then shut it down. But there's so many variables. They don't know these tires. Completely new type of wet weather tire. Completely different car. Completely different engine package and torque levels.

It is going to be extremely interesting to see what it does to regeneration and deployment because nobody knows what works in the wet. It is going to be a voyage of discovery tomorrow if we actually get underway at the at a good moment with not too much water on the track. Hope. That the conditions are such that everybody here that have bought tickets is able to enjoy something really cool. I cannot wait.

Assuming the best, we get underway, it's a wet race. Who's winning? Prediction, please. I want a name. I'll go for Max Verstappen. I will not bet against Verstappen in the wet, but V Hamilton and George Russell with his smooth driving style could make life very interesting at the front. I'm I'm gonna back Hamilton. Um the Ferrari you know is good off the starts. Um he's a w wet weather master.

America feels like a second home for him. He has a place out here. He spent a lot of time out here with Kim Kardashian if you believe those rumours and pictures and I just think there's a lot of people cheering him on. Een lot to do from his spot on the grid. But there's gonna be mayhem and that's exactly what we need. There's going to be points for someone that we don't expect. Oh yeah, who do you think?

I I I've said it at the beginning of the year. I will bet something on just a crazy point for can you imagine here for the fans, Sergio Perez getting a point. Oh you know what? He's he's looked decent this weekend so far, so Did I say that and the predictions that I did on the preview podcast? I think I did because I was at an event and someone said Perez, Cadillac, and I backed them. So I'm all in on that. Yeah. A point will be a win.

We'll have to go back through the archives on uh on BBC Sounds. I'm gonna go for a Max with Stappen. I'm gonna Copy my Dutch colleague. But look, we're out of time I think. So thank you very much Nelson. Thank you very much, Jedi, for your company. What a Saturday it has been in Miami. Fingers crossed. We get a race for Sunday. I think it'll be wet, whatever happens. Thanks for your company. This has been an IMG production for BBC Radio 5 Live. Hello, I'm Nikki Campbell.

This could well be the podcast. been waiting for. We are calling it. Don't say a word. but it couldn't make Don't listen to that song. Субтитры сделал DimaTorzok Don't laugh at me. To make sense of it all. If you sometimes sit on the fence because you're worried about the five years, you can't Don't say that. You listen to this podcast with me, Nikki Campbell. Listen on BBC.