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Celebrities paraded through Miami while VIPs enjoyed the entertainment and American-style extravagance of the event. Of course, a Formula 1 race was part of the festivities.
An awkward moment unfolded before the eyes of television viewers around the world when Formula 1 tested its new driver presentation format. The twenty men paraded one after the other in front of a presenter who had clearly never watched a Formula 1 race before, while Will.I.Am stood there like a fake conductor. The whole thing seemed hollow and soulless, with celebrities such as the Williams sisters, Roger Federer, Tom Cruise, and Vin Diesel watching from the sidelines and drivers who clearly would have preferred to be anywhere else fifteen minutes before the start.
This episode sums up the risky direction taken by F1: the pursuit of bling at all costs, particularly in its desire to conquer the American market. In Miami, everything seemed artificial—the atmosphere, the constant parade of stars, the incessant work of the cameras—to the point where one wondered if Vin Diesel hadn't had more airtime than Nyck de Vries. The low turnout for free practice showed that the public wasn't there for the pure racing.
Amidst all the glitz and glamour, we mustn't forget that we came to Miami for a car race and, frankly, this Grand Prix wasn't very exciting. Admittedly, the top two places are rarely contested and Verstappen clearly outperforms Pérez on all circuits except street circuits, but we still expect a bit of action behind them. There were a respectable number of overtakes, but the gaps between the cars widen quickly, making it more difficult to follow each other. Without DRS, almost nothing would have happened. The strategies—a single pit stop, as in Baku—offered no real innovation, and seeing Charles Leclerc stuck behind Magnussen's Haas for ten laps raises questions about whether the new generation of cars are really designed for racing. If overtaking remains this difficult outside of long straights, the season could feel very long.
We have entered a new era of undisputed dominance, as has been the case for nearly two decades: first Schumacher, then Vettel, Hamilton, and now Verstappen. The title will likely remain with Red Bull, but we still want to see battles between Aston Martin, Ferrari, Mercedes, and Alpine. Ideally, eight cars would be fighting for points neck and neck, but that's not the case right now. The solution may lie in the teams finding new approaches, or perhaps the problem is inherent in the 2022-era cars. As fans, we'll have to be patient and hope for more exciting races. The good news is that the circus returns to Europe in two weeks at Imola, a legendary circuit where the crowd comes to watch the race, not to make headlines. This should be a welcome change for everyone, especially for F1.
