Miami Grand Prix Tips: Isack Hadjar to Achieve Top 10?
For the first time in his career, Oscar Piastri will begin a Formula 1 weekend as the world championship leader when the F1 teams reconvene in Florida for this week's Miami Grand Prix.
The Australian replaced his McLaren team-mate Lando Norris at the head of the standings after his Saudi Arabian Grand Prix victory - his third of the season - last time out.
Miami stages the second of six sprint-format weekends this season, with a single practice hour followed by sprint qualifying on Friday and the shorter race taking place before the Grand Prix proceedings begin on Saturday afternoon.
However, to judge from the first sprint race of the season in China, the unusual format shouldn't have a huge impact on Sunday's result.
Miami Grand Prix Favourites:
- Lando Norris @ 6/4
- Oscar Piastri @ 6/4
- Max Verstappen @ 4/1
- George Russell @ 12/1
- Charles Leclerc @ 14/1
Tip 1 - Lando Norris to win Miami Grand Prix @ 6/4
Lando Norris entered the season as the F1 world championship favourite following his breakthrough campaign last year. Following his polished performance in difficult conditions in the season-opener in Australia, his backers must have been confident in their selection.
However, a number of costly errors, particularly in qualifying, have hurt Norris’ form and clearly knocked his confidence.
A week off should have helped him reset after a frustrating triple-header of races, and there is still a feeling that the Bristolian is the more complete McLaren driver when both deliver their best. Returning to the scene of his first career victory last year should put him in the right frame of mind.
Norris has lost the championship lead, but he trails Piastri by only 10 points and there is still a long way to go in the season.
The Briton looked on his way to taking pole position at Jeddah before hitting the wall in qualifying and having to start 10th, and the market for Miami might have looked very different if he had started that race from the front.
Tip 2 - Isack Hadjar top-10 finish @ 5/4
Isack Hadjar has bounced back really well from his disastrous debut, and in a season which features some seriously impressive rookies, the Racing Bulls driver has looked on a par with the best of them.
Hadjar lost his chance to win last year's Formula 2 championship by stalling on the grid at the final race, and his F1 career began in similarly heartbreaking fashion as he spun off on the formation lap of a rainy Australian Grand Prix in March.
Since then, though, he has scored two points finishes from his next four starts, and he has comprehensively outperformed his team-mate Liam Lawson in their three races together.
The New Zealander had been considered good enough for a Red Bull seat at the start of the season.
The Racing Bulls car looks among the strongest in the midfield pack. Only clever team tactics from the Williams drivers prevented Hadjar finishing higher than 10th in Saudi Arabia last time, and an odds-against price looks generous for him to pick up more points on Sunday.
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to fluctuation