
Perez had arrived in Miami just six points back from Verstappen in the drivers’ standings and with a 2-2 record for GP race wins following his triumph in Jeddah and his Baku victory double in the first sprint weekend of the season.
The Mexican driver’s chances of taking the lead in the standings were then greatly enhanced in the first of three 2023 races in the USA when Verstappen’s early Q3 mistake in Miami qualifying was compounded by Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc crashing on the final runs and stopping anyone improving. That meant Perez qualified on pole and Verstappen languished in ninth.