It's time for MIAMI. Where were we before the break and what can we look forward to this weekend?

It has been just over a month since our last race weekend, but after an unfortunate reschedule of the F1 calender we are back into routine ! Sit down, get a drink, let's chat about what we can expect this weekend in Miami.

The season so far has welcomed races in Australia, China and Japan yet with new regulations in place, it has been full of highs and lows. Drivers are re learning how to drive these new cars, as the new power units have meant needing to try new methods and techniques to drive around the tracks. This has lead to new terms like 'superclipping'. These new cars harvest energy the more the throttle is used, which has led to the cars then loosing speed at the end of straights to recharge.

Race starts have been slightly different too as explained on the F1 app, in an article by Mark Hughes, "the higher the engine is being revved, the faster the exhausts flow, and the faster the turbo spins. When the turbo is not running with maximum boost pressure, there will be a delay between pressing the throttle and getting the full power delivery being requested". In other words, drivers have to rev their cars up for longer before they can send it. This consequently has meant their race starts have been slower - except for Ferrari who had found a solution to this pre season. A smaller turbo = a faster start. This has lead to some wonderful race starts from Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton so far.

As of now, the season has somewhat felt like testing as the teams try to learn their new cars and fans are also having to learn new terms, phrases and reasons for why qualifying hasn't been that exciting anymore. After many complaints, the FIA has revised some of the regulations and changes were made. Now do i understand the changes? No. But from what I do understand, it does seem to be positive. You can read about it in an article on the-race.com which writes about the tweaks made and what it can mean for this weekend in Miami.

Further to the regulation changes, there will most likely be a few changes to some of the cars as the teams have had a month to fix some of their issues. Aston Martin, Red Bull and Williams are likely to have to used this time to hopefully be able to fix their problems as they have been the three teams to really fall behind compared to their stance in 2025.

kymillman.com

So enough with the technical stuff, what about the storylines to look out for this weekend? This is what I'll be eyeng.

Can McLaren bounce back?

We left Japan with McLaren in a much better spot than

they were in the first two races. Both cars finished the race and Oscar Piastri finally found his way back to the podium after two horrible races to start. Miami is a track that they have been strong at and it is where we got to witness Lando's first win. All eyes will be on this team to find out if they can keep up their momentum.

Max Verstappen vs Isaac Hadjar.

Max Verstappen and Isaac Hadjar have equally been struggling with the new Red Bull with numerous complaints made by the 4 time world champion. It has been the first time in a long time however, to finally see him race alongside a teammate who can stay close to his times. It hopefully means that if Red Bull can find solutions to their problems, that it will be the first time in years that the team will have two drivers able to score points for the team. They currently however sit in 6th place in the standings equal to Alpine with 16 points. With retirement rumours swirling around the Verstappen camp, the team need a better car to keep Max interested. That man does not like these new cars and lives to win. His side quests have been a joy to watch though.

Can Kimi Antonelli keep up his winning streak?

thedrive.com

Kimi Antonelli got his maiden win in China at just 19 years old and thought that's not enough, as he then went on to win again in Japan. May I remind you that this is his second year in formula one. His teammate George Russel has also stood the top steps in Australia and China but fell short in Japan finishing in 4th. As the most senior of the two, he will be itching to keep up with the points to continue to be in the running for the world champion crown. Kimi Antonelli though is proving to be good competition. The dynamic between the two will be interesting as the season goes on and I am itching to find out if Kimi can keep up against George throughout this long season ahead. Also, i hope if Kimi does continue to win, they remember that Kimi Raikonnen retired in 2021.

The drivers have stepped foot into the paddock for media day today ready for the weekend ahead and so am I.