2024 Miami GP Sprint Race Preview & Tips – JP
2024 Miami GP Sprint Race Preview
Now, it is time for James Punt’s 2024 Miami GP Sprint Race and Race Qualifying Preview.
2024 Miami GP Sprint Race
It was a very disappointing Sprint qualifying for our bets yesterday. Lando Norris in the McLaren set the fastest time, but that was in Q2, on the medium tyre. In Q3, when everyone has to run the soft, he made an error into the first corner and the lap was gone. He ended up ninth, Piastri sixth. It was a great opportunity missed.
It was clear that the upgraded McLaren, and it is heavily upgraded, on the medium tyre is very much a match for the Red Bull. However, starting from sixth and ninth, in a short race, means that Lando is likely to be outside of the top 3 later today, but maybe Piastri can get into the podium fight.
Disappointing Alonso
Alonso was a disappointing eighth, three places behind Sainz, and Sauber failed to carry their good form of China to Miami. The Finn qualifying eighteenth (later demoted to last for blocking Piastri), four places off Magnussen.
The rest of the weekend is a recovery mission, starting with the Sprint Race.
Looking back at the last seven sprint races, the driver starting on pole has won four, two have been won from second and one, China 2024, was one from fourth. Verstappen has won five, Perez one and Piastri one. Usually the first three on the grid finish as the top three. There is no pit stop to mix things up and they are a pale imitation for the Grand Prix proper.
Sprint Race Preview
With the dangermen starting 6th and 9th, this looks to be another easy cruise and collect for Verstappen. It is not a track on which overtaking is easy, and following a car in front takes a toll on the tyres.
The car that looks very much out of place on the grid is Ricciardo, who will start from fourth place. He said the recent upgrades on the car, including a new floor this weekend, have improved its performance.
It is more likely that he was able to get the soft tyre working well, as most drivers really struggled with it. He will be trying to hang in a score some points, but Piastri and Sainz will be hard to keep behind.
McLaren Fast
The McLaren looks to be the fastest car, at least the fully upgraded version which Norris is driving. It didn’t go well on the soft tyre but they can run the medium today, and they will be quick.
Piastri starts 6th and we have seen two cars come from 6th to finish third in the previous seven sprints. Piastri only has a round 50% of the upgrades that are on the other McLaren, but he will still be competitive. Norris starts ninth and should be able to beat the slower Aston Martins ahead of him.
2024 Miami GP Sprint Race Tip: 1 point Oscar Piastri to finish on the sprint race podium @ 7.00 generally available
Ricciardo’s teammate didn’t manage to set a time in Q2, so Tsunoda starts 15th in a car that was capable of 4th place. He could be one to watch making up places.
2024 Miami GP Sprint Race Tip: 1 point Yuki Tsunoda to beat Esteban Ocon @ 1.67 with Ladbrokes (alternative MB 4)
Mercedes brought some upgrades for their car, and it was a familiar story. Russell was fourth in FP1, Hamilton seventh, but come sprint qualifying their pace disappeared and they ended up eleventh and twelfth.
It is just a bad car and bringing upgrades is like trying to polish the proverbial turd. Hamilton summed it up well. “We just have to accept it for the moment that we’re seven-tenths off.”
Verstappen is the 1.18 favourite to win the sprint race and he should have few problems making it four sprint wins in a row.
Ricciardo to finish in the points (top 8 for the sprint races) looks a decent bet. He didn’t get there by luck and while the Visa RB is not as quick as the McLarens, or the Ferrari of Sainz, he looks to be fighting the two Aston Martins for the minor points. Lando Norris will be fighting Alonso and Stroll in the early stages, and that might give Ricciardo a bit of breathing space.
2024 Miami GP Sprint Race Tip: 1 point Daniel Ricciardo to finish in the points @ 2.75 with Skybet
2024 Miami Grand Prix Qualifying
It is hard to ignore the chances of Lando Norris for this evening’s qualifying session. He looked to have the sprint qualifying in the bag right up to the final run. He blames a mistake he made into the first corner, but there has to be some concern about how the McLaren went of the soft tyre.
Lando doesn’t have to use the soft tyre tonight, but with the track evolving, maybe the soft will be easier to switch on.
It is not often that Red Bull face a car that is a match on pure pace, but they do now. Ferrari were able to nick the odd pole position last year. The Red Bull is at its best over a race distance and it is much more likely that they can be beaten in qualifying than in the actual race. You can get 7.00 and that is worth a bet.
