The Formula One circus rolls into Miami this weekend as the coastal city prepares to host its first-ever Grand Prix.
The first of two American destinations on the F1 calendar in 2022, the Miami Gardens street track is staging round five of an unpredictable season which has already thrown up a number of surprises.
What’s clear, however, is that Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc have already emerged as the front-runners for the world title. The pair have won two of the opening four races each, with Ferrari at the top of both leaderboards but their rivals seemingly boasting a marginal edge on the tarmac.
Will things play out as expected on Sunday? The threat of rain could play into the hands of wet race specialists Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, while it’s surely only a matter of time before Mercedes find their feet.
Miami Grand Prix Latest Outright Odds
| CONTENDERS | ODDS |
| Max Verstappen | Evens (Fav) |
| Charles Leclerc | 6/5 |
| Sergio Perez | 11/1 |
| Carlos Sainz | 11/1 |
| Lando Norris | 40/1 |
| George Russell | 50/1 |
| Lewis Hamilton | 50/1 |
All odds within this article are accurate at the time of writing (17:30, 05/05/2022). 18+ BeGambleAware.
Two Red Bulls On The Podium?
Red Bull appear to have put their reliability issues behind them heading into the Miami weekend, where the high-speed nature of the track should play into their hands.
A significant gulf to the rest of the field means it really does look like a two-horse race between Red Bull and Ferrari this season, but the former look like a team better-equipped for a title fight.
This is Charles Leclerc’s first title battle and the manner in which he threw away a podium in front of the Tifosi last time out showed he is not necessarily used to fighting at the front on a regular basis. Given his early title lead, the Monegasque would’ve been better off banking a podium than pushing hard to snatch Sergio Perez’s P2 — a decision that ultimately cost him big points.
Carlos Sainz had similar trouble as he scrambled to make up positions after a difficult start at Albert Park in race three. Red Bull’s first one-two in six years at Imola is surely only a sign of things to come.
McLaren Coming On Strong
If you’re looking for a longer shot, Norris is a driver in form.
McLaren had a nightmare start in Bahrain, but Norris has scored points in the three subsequent races to breathe new life into their 2022 season.
Tracks, conditions and a helping of luck have played into McLaren’s hands, but their package now stands out among midfield competitors as the third-best on the grid. That puts them in prime position to gobble up a podium if Ferrari or Red Bull falter.
Norris, who leads team-mate Daniel Ricciardo 3-1 in the race head-to-head, enjoyed the damp conditions in Imola to land his first podium of the season, capitalising on Charles Leclerc’s error to clinch P3. Rain is forecast for Miami on Sunday, which could play into the Brit’s hands again.
Mercedes Head-To-Head
Lewis Hamilton had a miserable weekend in Imola as team-mate George Russell posted his fourth successive top-five finish to keep Mercedes clear of a resurgent McLaren in the constructor standings.
But Hamilton’s race was impeded heavily by a DRS train which prevented him from climbing up the midfield and hunting down the gearbox of his stable-mate.
The seven-time world champion will be determined to post a response in Miami.
Mercedes will also hope their Miami upgrades go some way to nullifying the porpoising issue which has hamstrung them at high-speed circuits. Hamilton has already ruled himself out of the championship battle, but you can bet he’ll be determined to flip the script on his in-house battle with Russell.
Race prediction:
1 – Max Verstappen
2 – Charles Leclerc
3 – Sergio Perez