World champion Max Verstappen will seek to ignore all the hype and razzmatazz this weekend when he bids to trim Charles Leclerc’s lead with a third win of the season at the inaugural Miami Grand Prix.
Fresh from victory at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix where he led Sergio Perez home in a resounding Red Bull one-two, the 24-year-old Dutchman arrives in Florida trailing championship leader Leclerc of Ferrari by 27 points.
After four races, both drivers know there is a long way to go in the title race and will be aware that their long-awaited Formula One duel has captured the imagination ahead of Sunday’s keenly-anticipated contest.
Round five of the new era battle between a younger generation of racers takes place at the self-styled Miami International Autodrome, a fast street track built around car parks at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.