Miami Grand Prix Delivers High-Octane Drama

The Formula 1 Co-Op Season 4 made its long-awaited return to the Miami International Autodrome for the third race of the season. The last time this grid took on the streets of Miami was in Season 1, when both The Captain and Kruimel were still rookies. Fast forward to today, and the two childhood friends now find themselves as Ferrari teammates—Kruimel as a three-time world champion and The Captain hungry to establish himself as a title contender. After a disappointing start to the season, The Captain was determined to turn things around, and he delivered a thrilling performance that kept fans on the edge of their seats.

Sprint Qualifying: The Captain’s Statement

The weekend kicked off with a short sprint qualifying session, and it was The Captain who emerged as the fastest driver on the grid, securing pole position ahead of Charles Leclerc’s Aston Martin. Kruimel, struggling to find his rhythm on the Miami circuit, managed only third place but was set to start the sprint race from P8 due to a grid penalty.

Sprint Race: The Captain’s Last-Lap Heroics

At lights out, Leclerc got a blistering start and overtook The Captain heading into Turn 1. The Ferrari driver attempted a switchback move but was forced to concede. Moments later, Carlos Sainz’s Mercedes also found a way past, with minor contact between the two. The Captain, starting on Medium tires along with Leclerc, immediately fought back, regaining P2 from Sainz on the next straight.

Meanwhile, Kruimel, starting from P8, played the waiting game. In Lap 2, he made his first move, taking P7, before setting his sights on George Russell in P6. As The Captain struggled to keep up with Leclerc’s rapid Aston Martin, he attempted an overtake on Lap 4 and took the lead, only to strategically allow Leclerc back through before the DRS detection zone.

Further back, Kruimel joined the fight for the top five, dispatching Verstappen and then Sainz with consecutive DRS moves. The battle for the lead intensified in the closing laps. The Captain remained within striking distance of Leclerc as the final lap began. Using DRS and ERS, he pulled alongside Leclerc on the back straight, but the Aston Martin driver aggressively defended. In a masterstroke move, The Captain switched to the outside and swept around Leclerc in the final corner, crossing the line first in a breathtaking finish.

Leclerc finished second, while Fernando Alonso secured P3 for Aston Martin. Kruimel limited the damage with a P4 finish, ensuring he remained in the championship hunt.

Grand Prix Qualifying: Ferrari Lockout

In the main qualifying session, The Captain once again demonstrated his raw pace, taking pole with a 1:24.127. Kruimel, despite his earlier struggles, found some form and secured P2, ensuring a Ferrari front-row lockout. Aston Martin’s Leclerc and Alonso filled the second row, while McLaren’s Russell and Red Bull’s Verstappen rounded out the top six.

Miami Grand Prix: A Strategic Masterclass

The race strategy played a crucial role, with most of the grid opting for a Soft-Medium tire plan. However, Ferrari chose an alternate strategy, putting both The Captain and Kruimel on Mediums for the start.

As the lights went out, The Captain held onto his lead, but behind him, chaos ensued. Kruimel came under immediate pressure from the Aston Martins but pulled off an audacious maneuver in Turn 1 to reclaim P2, holding them up long enough to give The Captain a much-needed buffer. By the end of the first lap, The Captain had already built a four-second lead. However, Leclerc and Alonso soon found their way past Kruimel, and the gap to the leader began to shrink.

On Lap 6, a Virtual Safety Car was deployed following a minor incident involving Alexander Albon. Unfortunately for The Captain, the timing of the VSC favored Leclerc, who suddenly found himself within half a second of the Ferrari driver. The Captain held firm, but Leclerc pitted on Lap 9 for Medium tires. Ferrari responded a lap later, but The Captain’s pit stop was a disaster—a sluggish 4.6-second service cost him valuable time, and he rejoined three seconds behind Leclerc on the slower Hard tires.

The Captain pushed hard to close the gap, but he soon had to contend with Alonso, who was also on fresher Mediums. In Lap 12, Alonso attempted a daring overtake on the DRS straight but failed to complete the move before the corners began. The two cars went wheel-to-wheel, resulting in slight contact that damaged The Captain’s floor. Despite the setback, he managed to keep Alonso behind him—at least for the moment.

By Lap 13, Alonso finally got past, and The Captain found himself six and a half seconds behind Leclerc. With his damaged car, it seemed like his fight for the win was over. Meanwhile, further back, Kruimel was locked in an intense battle with Verstappen and Russell for P4, the three drivers constantly swapping positions.

Heading into the final lap, Leclerc had a comfortable eight-second lead over Alonso and The Captain. But The Captain had one last trick up his sleeve. Using every ounce of saved-up ERS and DRS, he surged past Alonso on the first DRS straight. With superior grip on his Hard tires in the narrow section that followed, he managed to stay ahead. Alonso had one last chance on the final DRS straight, but The Captain’s defensive driving held firm. He crossed the line in P2, just tenths ahead of Alonso.

Kruimel, in a last-gasp move, attempted a bold dive on Verstappen for P4 in the final corner. He nearly lost control, but ultimately, Verstappen held on, leaving Kruimel to settle for P5. The three-time world champion took home 10 points—not the result he wanted, but it could have been much worse.

Post-Race Reactions: Ferrari’s Mixed Emotions

For Charles Leclerc, the win marked his first victory with Aston Martin, a significant moment in his new chapter.

The Captain, despite finishing second, remained upbeat: “We maximized everything this weekend. I was quick in qualifying, and I won the sprint. Twice, I pulled off a last-lap overtake for an extra position. But we need to fix these pit stops. Losing time like that at Ferrari is unacceptable.”

Kruimel, on the other hand, was left frustrated: “It just wasn’t my weekend. I couldn’t get into a rhythm, and the car didn’t feel right. I’m glad I got some points, but I need to reset for Monaco.”

The Road to Monaco

With Miami behind them, all eyes now turn to Monaco—a circuit where qualifying is king and track position is everything. Can The Captain continue his upward trajectory and challenge for his first race win of the season? Will Kruimel bounce back and reclaim his dominant form? One thing is certain: the rivalry between these two Ferrari teammates is only just beginning.