The two biggest races on wheels this week! The Miami Grand Prix and Giro d’Italia

Miami Grand Prix

A great weekend of racing awaits F1 fans this weekend as petrolheads descend on Miami for its first ever Grand Prix. There has been much anticipation for this all-new GP venue for the past few years and it is looking like there won’t be any disappointment. The purpose-built track snakes around the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens which is home to the NFL team Miami Dolphins. The drivers have so far praised simulators that they have tried of the track, which features a long straight stretch where cars can reach speeds of up to 200 mph, as well as a tight twisting section with plenty of overtaking opportunities. We all know how adept they are at putting on a thrilling show across the pond, with their Superbowl half-time shows and frantic cheerleaders, but this time the carnival atmosphere will be outside of the football stadium and this track was built with entertainment in mind.

A clear rivalry is beginning to emerge between Ferrari and Red Bull this season. Ferrari will be out for revenge after Verstappen topped the podium and closed the gap between him and Leclerc at the previous Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Ferrari’s home soil. This victory has given Leclerc and Verstappen two victories a piece going into this race. Leclerc is still topping the table after Verstappen has been living life at two extremes after not finishing the two races that he didn’t win due to technical problems. How the rivalry plays out between these two drivers this weekend will be extremely interesting and could be a defining moment. Red Bull’s blistering performance in the last race must put them as favourites for this race and another repeat of a victory for Verstappen and poor performance from Leclerc would be extremely disheartening for Ferrari and the nerves will start to set in as the gap closes. It will be fascinating to watch how the competition plays out between these two.

Meanwhile, Hamilton and Mercedes seem to be eating their rivals’ dust. Normally, the Silver Arrows are one of the teams and drivers who are right there in the mix at the top. However, they are struggling to adapt to the thorny issue of porpoising that has been affecting cars this year due to new regulations. It is an aerodynamic phenomenon that causes the cars to bounce at high speeds and has been causing Hamilton a real headache on the track. However, nobody should write them off just yet! The trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin said new parts are in development and may be ready as soon as Miami to turn their performance around.

Will Miami be the nail in the coffin for Hamilton or will a third name be thrown into the mix to spice up the rivalry further?

Giro d’Italia

This month the first Grand Tour of the cycling season begins this Friday 6th May with the 2022 Giro d’Italia. This year the race kicks off in Budapest, Hungary before the tour makes its way to Sicily and then mainland Italy over the coming weeks. 176 riders will be racing from 22 teams, with many of them vying for one of the four main jerseys up for grabs with the “Maglia Rosa” or the pink jersey being the most iconic and sought after. This signifies the overall leader of the race based on who has the shortest overall time when all their racing times are totalled.

Some of the athletes to watch this Giro include João Almeida who caused an upset in 2020 when he managed to hold on to the Maglia Rosa for 15 days. He is now the star in the UAE Team Emirates and will have the authority to push as much as he can for the win. Richard Carapaz returns to the race after his win in 2019. Since then, he has also gained podium positions in the 2020 Vuelta a España and 2021 Tour de France.

There is also Simon Yates who has won four previous stages of the Giro in the past. He has been on top form lately and after winning two stages at the Vuelta Asturias he is one of the bookies’ favourites to get onto the podium.