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Tyres NorthamptonThe Formula One marketing machine is going into overdrive as the sport heads to the USA for the first time this year for the maiden Miami Grand Prix. This weekend will be the first of two American races in 2022, with the now-traditional United States Grand Prix at Austin's Circuit of the Americas retaining its usual October slot. However, the all-new venue means it's a trip into the unknown for all drivers and teams, so it's all to play for.
After championship leader Charles Leclerc's worst Grand Prix of the season last time out at Imola, the Ferrari driver will look to bounce back strong in Florida. Leclerc's P6 finish ended an impressive run of top-two finishes in every session; that's Practice, all three Qualifyings, the races, plus the Sprint event last round.
Leclerc's spin on the drying track in Italy when trying to master the Pirelli soft compound of tyre in cold temperatures dropped him down the order from a likely podium finish. The Monegasque still retains a 27-point advantage over reigning champion Max Verstappen who sits in second, but Verstappen may be galvanised by seeing his up-to-now faultless rival slip up.
The all-new circuit around the roads surrounding the Miami Dolphins' Hard Rock Stadium means it's another street track for the 20 drivers to tackle after their Jeddah adventures in March. The layout will see the cars go around the stadium on a semi-permanent setup, although this isn't like Monaco or Singapore, where all the roads are usually open to the public.
There's no expense spared at Miami with the asphalt newly laid, meaning the teams expect a smooth surface. As a result, there'll be plenty of track evolution as the F1 cars lay down rubber, and the lap times should drop as the weekend progresses. Pirelli is providing the C2, C3, and C4 compounds for Miami, seemingly playing it safe by bringing the "middle" tyre options – a sensible choice without any historical data available.
Although you may think of sunshine when thinking of Florida, the Pirelli intermediate or wet tyres could appear in Miami because the weather can be unpredictable at this time of year down the Floridian coast. There's a chance of rain, particularly on Friday afternoon and evening when the drivers will be trying to maximise their practice time.
Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has suggested that his team have found "several directions" to improve their car after a disastrous year thus far. The two Silver Arrows will boast some new developments, although Wolff stressed that these will be to assess their learnings from Imola and will assist in the direction of future enhancements rather than fix their woes. Unfortunately, it sounds as though the first 2022 Merc win won't be at Miami for any Lewis Hamilton or George Russell fans.
Red Bull and Ferrari will still be the teams to beat out front. You may remember that Verstappen and Leclerc were in a league of their own in Jeddah earlier in the season. The Jeddah Corchice Circuit bears perhaps the closest resemblance to the Miami International Autodrome, suggesting they'll be the front two once again.
However, simulations suggest that Miami won't be as much of a high-speed thrill ride as Saudi Arabia was. The 19-corner track features much tighter sections with low speed turns, particularly before the final straight. The complex of corners between Turns 11 and 16 sit between two DRS zones, and the drivers will need to manage their Pirelli tyres well here to make sure they don't lock up into or oversteer out of the slowest part of the circuit.
With the race and qualifying underway in Miami's afternoon, the UK audience can enjoy some evening weekend racing entertainment. Qualifying starts at 9PM on Saturday, with the race at 8:30PM on Sunday.
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