10 Things To Watch For at Formula 1’s Miami Grand Prix

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Miami will host its third ever F1 event in May and there is plenty to watch out for as the sport heads to US shores for the first of three visits this season. Here are 10 things you should look out for, as well as an opportunity to attend the Miami Grand Prix in person with MoneyGram.

1. Will Verstappen finally claim pole position?

Max Verstappen may have won and set the fastest lap in both Miami races so far, but he has never started from pole. In 2022, a mistake in qualifying left him third on the grid and he had to pass both Ferraris to get to the front. In 2023, he was fastest in Q1 and Q2 but failed to set a time in Q3 after a red flag stopped the session. That left him ninth on the grid, but he was able to pass everyone ahead of him. After an impressive run of poles this season, however, it could be third time lucky for the Red Bull driver in Miami.

2. Sporting some sporting lids

Many of the drivers create special helmet liveries for this event and there is sure to be plenty more unique designs this year – but some of the previous efforts will be hard to beat. There is always plenty of palm trees, but the most notable creations so far have been three sports-themed lids, with Alex Albon wearing a golf ball last year and Lando Norris sporting a basketball and a beachball in the past two events. So, what will it be this time…perhaps a baseball?

3. Star-Spangled special

If there is one place where the national anthem takes center stage it is America, and this time the Star-Spangled Banner will be sung by six-time Grammy Award winner Marc Anthony. Expect something a little different, because the organizers have promised the singer, who is credited with more than 107 Billboard chart number one hits, will “bring his own flair” to the special moment. The first race saw five-time Latin Grammy Award winner Luis Fonsi gave his take on the anthem while last year it was another Puerto Rican singer, Gale, on the mic. Anthony, like those who have gone before him, was selected due to his influence on Hispanic culture.

4. Double the drama as sprint comes to town

Two wins are up for grabs in Miami this year after it was named as one of the six Sprint race hosts for 2024. The Saturday Sprint will run for 100km (62.14 miles) – around one-third a grand prix distance – with no pit stops and eight points awarded for the winner, down to one point for eighth. The other Sprint events are in China, Austria,…