The Strategist Makes Their Miami Picks

We’re stateside for Round 6 of Pit Wall Predictions, presented by Gulf, and the F1 paddock has touched down in Miami. The Florida sun, intense humidity, and a street circuit packed with unpredictability – it’s the kind of race where strategy can make or break a weekend.

After five rounds of insight and guesses, our secretive Grove guru – The Strategist – is back with their latest set of predictions for what promises to be another unmissable Grand Prix.

Let’s take a look at how they see the race playing out…

Lap 11–20. Alex boxed on Lap 10 here in 2024, just on the cusp of this bracket. With the potential for some early movement in the midfield, our guru is leaning towards a slightly longer opening stint this time around.

Lap 11-20. Carlos was the later stopper last year, coming in on Lap 27. This time around, though, The Strategist expects our duo to run similar early strategies – perhaps even a mirrored plan.

31+ laps. There was a monster 43-lap stint for Alex in Miami last year, and with relatively low degradation looking likely, the call here is for another long-haul run.

P6-P10. Carlos pitted from P6 in Saudi and we've been consistently in or around the top 10 this season. It’s a confident call, but The Strategist is expecting strong qualifying form to carry into race day.

0.1–2.5 secs. Tight margins. That’s what The Strategist is banking on, forecasting Alex will be close in tow when he heads his first stop.

0.1–2.5 secs. Same logic applies here. Expect both drivers to be in the thick of it when pit windows open.

Zero. There was one VSC in Miami last year, but The Strategist is calling a cleaner race this time around.

One. Street circuit? Check. Barriers nearby? Always. This is the kind of place where a full Safety Car is rarely far away.