Miami race weekend gets underway!

The Track

This is only the second race to be held on the sub-stadium car park, which has been converted into a street circuit.

The track has 5,412 metres, 19 corners and showcases the cars' capabilities - fast corners, high speeds and overtaking straights. 

A year ago, before the Miami GP, Charles Leclerc was leading the standings with Ferrari blocking the front row. Verstappen and Leclerc fought a fierce battle for victory, but in the end, the Dutch champion crossed the line first. Carlos Sainz completed the podium. The race itself is a sign of the times and the changes that Formula One has undergone. The track, built on a car park, contrasts with other classic circuits such as Monza, Spa-Francorchamps and Silverstone.

Pompous Miami is the beginning of what we will see in the years to come - and this year we still have a visit to Las Vegas to look forward to. Last year's Miami GP was not the first F1 race to be held in Florida. The first was the 1959 Grand Prix at Sebring, where Bruce McLaren took his first victory. It took 63 years for the F1 paddock to return to the Sunshine State. Not too long ago, Miami and the circuit itself were severely waterlogged by torrential downpours. It will be interesting to see what effect this will have on next weekend's race.

Current Standings

Max Verstappen currently leads the Drivers' Championship with 93 points. Close on his heels is Sergio Perez, who is just six points behind the Dutchman. Fernando Alonso is third with 60 points. The constructors' championship is led by Red Bull (180 points), followed by Aston Martin (87) and, on the bottom step of the podium, Mercedes (76).

DRS Zones

Miami International has three long DRS zones. The first of these starts after turn 9, winds through turn 10 and ends at the braking point for turn 11. The second zone runs for more than half of the track's longest straight, between T16 and T17. The last one starts at the apex of turn nineteen and ends at turn one. Each of the DRS zones has its own separate detection point.

FIA has confirmed that the first two zones in Miami will be shortened by 75 metres this year. This is another such move by the governing body, following a similar decision in Baku.

The Weather

On Friday, the air temperature will not exceed 31 degrees Celsius. On Saturday and Friday, around 11:00 to 19:00 local time, the temperature will peak without falling below 28 degrees. The exception is expected to be Sunday - the temperature will be a few degrees lower and there could be a thunderstorm just after the race (18:30 local time). However, it promises that the only water we will see on the course will be in the marina between T6 and T8 (although this year it was artificial).

Tyre Compounds

For the first race in the USA, Pirelli has prepared a little harder than they did for last week's Grand Prix. The teams in Miami will have compounds from the C2, C3 and C4 ranges at their disposal. The characteristics of the track are very demanding for the tyres. Pirelli explain that the high track temperatures prevented them from using the softest tyres for this weekend. The Italian company also points out that the asphalt on the track surface has been replaced this year.

Miami Grand Prix Weekend Schedule