SEATTLE - For the first time this season, the Formula 1 circuit travels to the Americas. During Cinco de Mayo weekend, drivers will compete at this year's Miami Grand Prix, the third-ever race to be held in South Florida.
Three-time world champion Max Verstappen leads the pack again, holding an advantage of 25 points in the drivers' standings over his teammate Sergio "Checo" Pérez. The 'Flying Dutchman' has been dominant in the fairly new circuit, crossing the finish line more than five seconds ahead of Pérez last year even after starting the race in ninth position.
Verstappen has been a dominant figure in Formula 1 for the past three seasons, winning 38 of the 49 races he has entered since the start of 2022. In fact, Verstappen remains unbeaten in American soil since 2021, winning all six races across the three circuits in the Formula 1 calendar (Austin, Las Vegas and Miami).
Sergio Pérez had a promising weekend in Miami last year, earning the pole position. But unfortunately for the Mexican, this wasn't enough to overcome Verstappen's speed at the end, finishing second place behind his Red Bull teammate.
Last year's Miami race was the last time Pérez finished in pole position during qualifying, the third in his career. If Pérez wants to continue with his strong start to the season, he will need another starting grid if he is to beat Verstappen, who has started in pole position in each of the five races so far.
Pérez sits in second place in the drivers' standings with 85 points thanks to four podiums in five races. The Mexican is currently on his longest streak without a win since he joined Red Bull, going 23 races without a first-place finish. The closest Pérez has been to snapping that winless streak was last year at the Miami circuit.
For a third straight year, the city of Miami is expected to host one of the best races in the Formula 1 calendar. Last year, more than 240,000 fans attended the three-day event, with tourists spending $150 million during the race week.
The economic impact the race has had in the city of Miami has been significant. According to an independently commissioned study by Applied Analysis, the local economy brought in nearly $350 million to the surrounding area.
The addition of a third race in the United States had a huge impact not only in the host cities, but also all around the country. Last year's ABC's Miami GP broadcast drew 1.96 million average viewers, the second-largest live audience for a Formula 1 race in U.S. television, only behind the 2022 Miami Grand Prix that averaged 2.6 million viewers.
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