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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla., May 7 (UPI) -- Max Verstappen broke wide left and punched the gas, flying by Sergio Perez with 10 laps to go en route to a title defense Sunday at the 2023 Miami Grand Prix on Sunday in Miami Gardens, Fla. Verstappen's key move at the Miami International Autodrome resulted in the final lead change of the 57-lap Formula 1 event. He later passed the checkered flag 5.3 seconds before Perez.
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Verstappen, who started ninth, breezed by most of the field within the first 15 laps. He jumped into first during a Perez pit stop and opted to run on his initial set of tires for the majority of the race, a strategy utilized to avoid surrendering the ground he gained with his early aggression.
"Knowing you have a quick car, once it all settles down, you just try to pick them off one by one," Verstappen said.
Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin placed third. George Russell of Mercedes and Carlos Sainz of Ferrari rounded out the Top 5 finishers. Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon and Kevin Magnussen also placed inside the Top 10.
The threat of rain loomed, with a dark cloud ceiling shading the 19-turn, 3.3-mile track, but no showers arrived. Instead, it was Verstappen who bolted like lightning from the middle to the front of the 20-car field.
Perez and Verstappen, teammates at Red Bull Racing, were the only drivers to hold a lead in the 191-mile battle. Drivers navigated the track at speeds upwards of 200 mph.
"We had a bit of a fight on the track, to the limit, but clean," Perez said. "Obviously we put the team in front of us. It was a great team result, but Max deserved the victory because he had the strongest car."
Perez, the pole winner, led for first 20 laps before he went into pit lane for 2.2 seconds to swap tires. Verstappen took his first lead on lap 21.
The two-time defending Formula 1 champion built a lead of more than 18 seconds before he went into the pits to finally improve his traction.
Perez took over the lead on lap 46. Verstappen caught up with 10 laps to go and blew by Perez for the final time. He held onto that advantage down the stretch to earn another victory.
Verstappen entered the race with a 6-point first-place lead on second-place Perez. He picked up another 26 points Sunday with his third win of the season, increasing his standings advantage to 14 points. Alonso remains in third, 30 points behind Perez.
Verstappen finished first or second in all five races this season. Perez was first or second in four of five races.
"The two Red Bull [cars of Verstappen and Perez] are unbreakable and super fast," Alonso said. "But maybe in Monaco or Barcelona we will have a possibility [to win]."
The Formula 1 schedule will continue with the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix on May 21 in Imola, Italy.
The circuit will return to the United States on Oct. 22 for the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.
