Strategy choices for Miami: Added twist to shake things up?

The tyre supplier expects the one-stop to be the quickest in Miami this Sunday. That could be either completed by starting on the medium tyres and switching to the hards around Lap 19 to Lap 25, or the other way around, having the mediums as the second stint after a pit stop around from Lap 32 to 38.

The two-stop strategy is also an option, where teams would need to rely on two hard tyres according to Pirelli, after either starting on the mediums. However, it has to be taken into account that the pit limiter in the state of Florida is at 60 kph.

The final option presented by the Italians is also a two-stop strategy, with the drivers starting on the C5 soft compound. According to the tyre manufacturer, the soft has a significant advantage at the start, and therefore could be used by the drivers looking gain position immediately.

Each frontrunner has all the first three possibilities available to them in terms of having fresh tyres, with two sets of hards and a set of mediums ready to be used.

Compared to the Verstappen and the two Mercedes drivers, Ferrari and Lando Norris also have one more used set of mediums available to them this Sunday.

After getting eliminated in Q2 and having to start from P12 on the grid, Lewis Hamilton has a set of fresh soft tyres as well.

According to the FIA's weather system, it could also rain in Miami. There is a 40% chance of heavy rain possible, and that number will increase to 60%.

Therefore, teams not only have to take the intermediates into account if there is rain, but many could get a lucky break if the race is red flagged due to visibility issues like the start was delayed during Saturday's Sprint.