God save Jackie Stewart – Up and down in Miami
The 2023 Festival of Greed – sorry, Miami GP – lived up to all the off-track hyperbole by delivering a race of little substance. Job done!
Jackie reading the comments
Getty Images
No one said sporting excellence was exciting. In 1963 Jim Clark won seven of the Formula 1 World Championship’s ten races in a show of crushing dominance. By all accounts it was an awful season for the spectator.
Does it stop F1 aficionados waxing lyrical about Clark and Lotus now? Not in the slightest.
Max Verstappen’s win from ninth on the grid in Miami felt almost inevitable, as those looking on had to concede that Sergio Perez probably isn’t going to mount a title challenge after all. Ah well, so much for that one.
The on-track excitement – or lack of – was in inverse proportion to impressive madness Liberty managed to concoct off it. Here’s what was going up and down at the 2023 Miami GP.
Goin’ Up
JYS trumps security
Protect this man
Getty Images
Nothing quite summed F1 up like one of its own legends being semi-manhandled by security on the grid of its own diamond encrusted car park-athon.
Three-time world champion Jackie Stewart managed to bat away a whole team of security guards as he got hold of tennis GOAT Roger Federer for Martin Brundle’s gridwalk – with George Russell getting involved too.
God save JYS.
"You can't beat up Sir Jackie Stewart!" 😱
Gonna leave you with Sir Jackie Stewart being the legend that he is 👏 pic.twitter.com/CxVktDHDcZ
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) May 7, 2023
Coming up roses
Despite running at the front of the world’s apparently elite motor sport series at the age of 42 years old, Alonso still has wind-up capacity in reserve.
no one:
alonso: *sniffin flowers randomly* pic.twitter.com/00NPjLltRw— léon YMA DAY (@jmkfine) May 7, 2023
Walk of cringe
So awkward it was good. We’re all for it. And Will.i.am’s atrociously bad fake conducting.
𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡.𝙞.𝙖𝙢. 𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙥 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙬 🎻🎵
LL Cool J on the mic 🎤 pic.twitter.com/LQ1sDTXyJu
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) May 7, 2023
Goin’ down
Running the Rossi gauntlet
F1 non-professional tells F1 professionals they need to get more professional at the F1 processional
DPPI
Laurent Rossi, the CEO of the Alpine car company who seems to be inexplicably at all GPs, appearing lots and lots in Netflix’s Drive to Survive series and generally calling the shots in an F1 team he isn’t actually in charge of, told the Enstone crew it had to wise-up after a rubbish start to the season.
Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly were clearly listening, filing a double points finish in the…shudder…305.
Wrong IndyCar driver!
Erm. That’s 2021 IndyCar champion Alex Palou.
F1 literally just put on screen and called out Pato Onward, but it was Alex Palou. pic.twitter.com/5vKLcsjiLw
— Zebulon Yrttima (@ZebulonDal) May 5, 2023
Lost Leclerc
Crash Leclerc
Ferrari
But for heading FP1, Charles Leclerc looked lost for most of the weekend with a practice crash, bonus qualifying crash and having to battle Kevin Magnussen – driving a car made from left over bits at Maranello – to seventh.
Imola next. Eek.
Miami edition.
Hmm…we’re just disappointed there were no Azerbaijan-themed crash helmets and pyjamas.
When in Miami, add a few 🌴🌴#HaasF1 #MiamiGP pic.twitter.com/VNNpyBwydd
— MoneyGram Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) May 4, 2023
Toto elation
Fantastisch!
DPPI
Team boss of eight-time world champions Mercedes Toto Wolff looked chuffed with fourth and sixth in Miami. How times change so quickly.