The Miami Grand Prix was a largely straightforward affair until a collision between Lando Norris and Pierre Gasly triggered the only Safety Car appearance of the race.
The collision initially prompted a Virtual Safety Car period, then the Safety Car was summoned. The leading trio all decided to stay out.
Sergio Perez, running fourth, was the first driver to take advantage of the opportunity to make a pit stop while the Safety Car was out. He was able to do so and maintain his position in front of George Russell.
The Safety Car was an absolute godsend for the Mercedes driver. Russell had started the race from 12th place on hard tyres while the majority of his rivals chose mediums. He lost three places immediately notwithstanding the fact the two Aston Martin drivers had to start from the pit lane. But over the course of a long opening stint on hard tyres the race gradually came to him.
Had the Safety Car not being deployed it’s likely he and Esteban Ocon, running eighth on the same strategy, might have continued on the same set of tyres before making their mandatory pit stop on the final lap as Alexander Albon did in Australia.
Russell therefore restarted the race on a set of medium tyres. Ocon was even more aggressive, picking a set of softs, but even then it took him several laps to clear Mick Schumacher’s has.
Over the course of the opening stint on the medium tyres Verstappen had a clear pace advantage compared to Leclerc. But once they switched to hards the pair were evenly matched, Leclerc perhaps a fraction quicker. Once the Safety Car brought them together he was briefly able to pressure the Red Bull driver.
Before the race Pirelli said there was a strong chance drivers would have to make two pit stops. However the very hot track conditions seen earlier in the week eased on race day when a few brief showers fell in the build up to the start.
What remains unclear is how easily some of the…