Pirelli celebrates the Miami GP with a commemorative podium cap. ~ Rio de Janeiro garage

The Miami Grand Prix marks the sixth stage of the season, being the first of three that will take place in the United States. This is only the third edition of this event, which debuted on the calendar in 2022. This urban circuit surrounds the Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins, an American football team, which in 2024 will host, among other events, the Copa América football final. Within this enclosure are the work spaces of the Formula 1 teams, creating a truly exclusive environment.

The 5,412 meter long track, which the drivers will have to travel 57 times on Sunday, has 19 corners, three straights, three DRS zones and some points where the speed can exceed 340 km/h. Its topography features several elevation changes, the largest of which is between turns 13 and 16. You also need to tackle a small climb in the chicane formed by turns 14 and 15.

The three sectors are very varied and offer a tour with a bit of everything. The first section features a series of eight high-speed corners, while the second sector features a long straight and some low-speed corners. The final part consists of a straight line and three flowing curves. Although there is only historical data from two races, we can deduce that the Miami Grand Prix is ​​average in terms of the number of overtakings. The lateral and longitudinal forces to which the tires will be subjected are also medium level, as the single-seaters will have to run with medium or low load aerodynamic configurations.

Pirelli has selected the intermediate compounds from the F1 range for this Grand Prix: C2 (Hard), C3 (Medium) and C4 (Soft). The track was resurfaced before last year’s race and is very smooth, which ensures very low levels of grip, a feature made worse by the fact that it is not used for any motorsport event other than Formula 1. Therefore, the evolution of the track will be very significant over the weekend and the phenomenon of ‘graining’ is possible, especially with the Medium and Soft compounds.

Miami has a tropical climate, with ambient temperatures generally exceeding 25°C, and often reaching 30°C (the record is 33°C). Sunny days are expected in the first ten days of May, although the possibility of rain or thunderstorms cannot be ruled out. Another factor to consider is the wind, with a constant sea breeze that can reach gusts of up to 50 km/h. In 2023 the asphalt temperature reached 55°C, one of the highest of the entire season.

In terms of strategy, the Miami Grand Prix can be understood as a classic one-stop race, normally contested on the Hard and Medium compounds. Last season, Max Verstappen, who would go on to win the race, started from ninth on the grid on Hard tires before switching to Mediums on his only visit to the pits. His podium companions, Sergio Pérez and Fernando Alonso, did the opposite (Medium-Hard).

As happened in China, Miami will also host the second weekend with the Sprint format. Therefore, drivers and teams will only have one hour of free practice on Saturday morning to find the best configuration and evaluate the behavior of the tyres. The Sprint classification will begin in the afternoon, rearranging the starting grid for the Sprint race, scheduled for Saturday morning. Once completed, parc fermé regulations will be lifted to allow teams to work on the two Grand Prix sessions: Saturday afternoon qualifying and Sunday’s race.

Miami will also host the second round of the F1 Academy 2024. Unlike the first round, held in Jeddah, this race, in the United States, will recover the usual format for the rest of the season, with two free practice sessions, a single qualifying session and two races. Abbi Pulling (Rodin Motorsport-Alpine) arrives in Florida as leader, with 44 points, and a victory, followed by Maya Weug (Prema Racing-Ferrari) with ten points less and Doriane Pin (Prema Racing-Mercedes) with eleven points less, winner of race 1 in Jeddah. A week after Miami, Pin will compete for the Iron Dames team alongside Marta García in the first round of the Formula Regional Alpine European Championship (FRECA) in Hockenheim, Germany. García won his first F1 Academy title in 2023 and, as part of the prize, receives financial support from Pirelli.