Miami, FL
Miami Grand Prix wasn’t boring but F1 is… and there is a KEY reason why
‘The bigger they come, the harder they fall’ is what the age-old expression says, and it seems 2023’s Miami Grand Prix is the Formula 1 embodiment of that.
It’s not that the second edition of Formula 1’s Floridian adventure was a bad race — it was a marked improvement on last year’s pre-safety car procession — but, as with much of 2023, something seemed hollow about the whole weekend.
I disagree with those who thought that the 2023 Miami GP was a snoozefest, but I do understand why they think that, especially with the hype levels from the sport about racing around the Magic City.
Marketing for the Miami Grand Prix pushes a narrative that Liberty Media see this as an event with Monaco-level prestige with the attempts to amplify everything about it, like celebrity appearances, luxury hospitality, and VIP parties.
While much of the above is lost on television viewers, aside from Sir Jackie Stewart dragging Roger Federer to a pre-race interview, of course, the bombastic nature of the Miami GP feels like it magnified what’s lacking in 2023 far more than what Azerbaijan — a far duller race — did.Sir Jackie Stewart dragging Roger Federer to a pre-race interview
READ MORE: The key to making ‘BORING’ F1 season better for fans
Was the Miami GP that bad?
Statistics gathered by Reddit user u/catchingisonething show that Miami’s 57-lap
Sunday showdown had more overtakes in a single afternoon than any other 2023 grands prix, demonstrating the circuit had plenty of action to entertain.
However, even averaging over one overtake per lap, the race fell foul of what I can
often see in F2 and F3: a vast amount of quantity but little in the way of memorable quality.
READ MORE: Wolff delivers ‘glass half-empty’ WARNING on Mercedes upgrades
That’s not to say the overtakes weren’t richly-deserved passes or the racecraft from the drivers was of a lower-than-usual standard.
Quite the opposite, actually, with the Max Verstappen’s double overtake on Kevin Magnussen and Charles Leclerc being a particular highlight.
It’s that these moves didn’t pack a punch in the way that overtakes in a hotly-contested championship scrap or race-long back-and-forth podium fight do. Like Formula 1 in 2023, everything felt so… inevitable.
I knew Red Bull could sleepwalk into a win; that Verstappen has the edge over his
team-mate; that Ferrari lacks race pace; Lewis Hamilton and George Russell will yo-yo race-by-race; that Alpine will pick up the pieces behind the big four teams, and that three of those four will vie for the best-of-the-rest award.
Why is Formula 1 suffering?
There’s no overarching story that is gripping me when I tune in this season, and it’s that, rather than Miami itself, where F1 suffered most last weekend.
No matter how fun it was to witness Leclerc and Magnussen duel it out for 40 laps, few battles for P8 scratch the itch of a flat-out fight for first – and certainly not when that P8 battle is between two mismatched, out-of-position runners.
Yes, there was the intra-Red Bull contrary strategy and an on-track overtake for the lead. Yet even that felt predestined by Lap 15 after Verstappen had closed in to within three seconds of Sergio Perez, who had started the race on softer tyres and eight positions further up the road.
READ MORE: Russell urges FIA to make KEY F1 rule changes for larger SPECTACLE
For all the plaudits Perez got for his Azerbaijan excellence, you’d have to be kidding yourself to think there’d be a season-long scrap between cars 1 and 11, and Miami exemplified that.
Formula 1 can’t always provide the equivalent of a football 5-4 thriller, I’ve watched
races for enough decades to understand that, but 2023 looks set to be a series of 3-0 thumpings by Red Bull that only the most fervent fan of the Milton Keynes outfit can relish.
The artificial sense of importance surrounding Miami merely meant that this race felt like a 5-0 thrashing instead — yes, there might be more to see, but the end result remains.
Just 18 more to go…
Miami, FL
Miami-Dade’s new mental health facility opening delays
MIAMI — There was an extraordinary hearing in Miami Federal Court this week, in which a judge grilled Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava about why a new Mental Health facility the county has been promising, still isn’t open.
CBS News Miami’s Jim DeFede talks with a Miami Herald reporter who was inside the courtroom and provides us with a first-hand account of exactly went on, where cameras were not allowed.
Guest: Brittany Wallman/Miami Herald Reporter
Miami, FL
Man arrested after officer sees attempted kidnapping, leads police on Northwest Miami-Dade car chase
MIAMI — A man was arrested late Sunday morning after a Miami-Dade Police officer witnessed an attempted kidnapping that led to a car chase in Northwest Miami-Dade.
Around 11:10 a.m., an on-duty MDPD sergeant saw a woman “engaging in a struggle” with a man who was attempting to force her inside of his car in the area of Northwest 35th Avenue and 101st Street in West Little River. The man then fled and while doing so, intentionally struck a marked police vehicle, MDPD told CBS News Miami.
After a brief police chase, the man bailed out of his car near the 2700 block of Northwest 132nd Street in Opa-Locka, prompting officers to run after him. Shortly afterward, he was taken into custody without further incident.
MDPD told CBS News Miami that no one was injured during the incident.
Miami, FL
Washington Nationals vs Miami Marlins Prediction 6-16-24 Picks | Sports Chat Place
Miami Marlins (23-47) vs. Washington Nationals (34-36)
June 16, 2024 1:35 pm EDT
The Line: Washington Nationals -113 / Miami Marlins +103; Over/Under: +8
(Get latest betting odds)
The Miami Marlins and the Washington Nationals meet Sunday in MLB action from Nationals Park. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Washington Nationals vs Miami Marlins Prediction.
Starting Pitching Matchup
The Miami Marlins will send out Jesus Luzardo for the start here and Luzardo is 3-5 with a 5.11 ERA and 56 strikeouts this season. In his last five starts against Washington, Luzardo is 1-1 with a 4.78 ERA and 21 strikeouts. Mitchell Parker will get the start for the Nationals and is 4-3 with a 3.21 ERA and 46 strikeouts this season. This will be Parker’s second career start against Miami.
Miami Marlins Recap
The Miami Marlins will try to salvage something from this series after falling flat in a 4-0 loss in Saturday’s matchup. It was yet another series loss for the Marlins though, following up series losses to the Mets, Guardians and Rays over the last week and a half.
Marlins Still Struggling Offensively
Bryan De La Cruz has 66 hits including 13 doubles, 11 home runs and 30 RBIs while Josh Bell has 12 doubles, 7 home runs and 31 RBIs of his own. Jazz Chisholm Jr. has a team-high 67 hits with 11 doubles, 3 triples, 10 home runs, 33 RBIs and a team-high 13 stolen bases while Jesus Sanchez has 6 stolen bases as well this season.
Why the Miami Marlins will win
- The Nationals have lost four of their last five games as favorites against NL East opponents following a win.
- The underdogs have won four of the last six games between the Marlins and Nationals.
- The road team has covered the run line in 13 of the last 15 games between the Marlins and Nationals.
- The Nationals have failed to cover the run line in six of their last seven games as favorites against National League opponents following a win.
- The Nationals have trailed after 5 innings in four of their last six games as favorites against National League opponents.
Washington Nationals Recap
The Washington Nationals come into this one looking to keep the ball rolling and complete the sweep after their win over the Fish on Saturday. The win kept the Nationals series win streak alive after wins over the Tigers and Braves over the last week.
Nationals Starting To Pick It Up At The Plate
CJ Abrams leads the Nationals with 67 hits along with 11 home runs and 36 RBIs to go along with 15 doubles, 5 triples and 10 stolen bases. Luis Garcia Jr. has a team-high 12 doubles with 28 RBIs and 9 stolen bases. Jacob Young has a team-high 17 stolen bases while Lane Thomas has 16 stolen bases and Jesse Winker has 11 stolen bases this season. Joey Meneses also has 36 RBIs as well this season.
Why the Washington Nationals will win
- The Marlins have lost each of their last 10 games against NL East opponents following a road loss.
- The favorites have won each of the Marlins’ last 10 games at Nationals Park.
- The Nationals have covered the run line in each of their last nine games against the Marlins following a win.
- The Marlins have failed to cover the run line in eight of their last nine games after playing the previous day.
- The Nationals have led after 5 innings in each of their last five games against the Marlins.
- The Marlins have trailed after 3 innings in each of their last four day games.
- The Marlins have lost the first inning in each of their last four day games against NL East opponents.
Washington Nationals vs Miami Marlins Prediction
I’m on the Nationals here. Jesus Luzardo is one of the better pitchers that the Marlins have in that rotation, but once again, as it has been for the last couple of years, run support continues to be an issue as the Marlins simply can’t score enough to help their starting pitchers. I think the Nationals do enough to back up Parker here and to complete the sweep of their division rival in this one. Give me the Nationals at home.
-
Politics1 week ago
Newson, Dem leaders try to negotiate Prop 47 reform off California ballots, as GOP wants to let voters decide
-
World1 week ago
Dozens killed near Sudan’s capital as UN warns of soaring displacement
-
World1 week ago
Video: U.S. Official Responds to Israeli Strike on a U.N. School in Gaza
-
World1 week ago
‘Bloody policies’: Bodies of 11 refugees and migrants recovered off Libya
-
Politics1 week ago
Embattled Biden border order loaded with loopholes 'to drive a truck through': critics
-
Politics1 week ago
Gun group vows to 'defend' Trump's concealed carry license after conviction
-
Politics7 days ago
Should Trump have confidence in his lawyers? Legal experts weigh in
-
News1 week ago
Would President Biden’s asylum restrictions work? It’s a short-term fix, analysts say