Nick de Vries: There are some difficult sections in Miami

On the eve of the Miami Grand Prix, AlphaTauri riders Nick de Vries and Yuki Tsunoda summed up the results of the final stage in Baku and talked about preparing for the Miami Grand Prix.

Nick deVries: “The best thing to do after a weekend like the one I had in Baku is to get back behind the wheel right away. Fortunately, this is exactly what I can do in the second leg of the doubles series.

Honestly, I have to say I’m a bit unlucky, but what happened in the race on Sunday is entirely my fault. It was a difficult weekend – not only for me, but also for the mechanics, to whom I put in a lot of work. My apologies and appreciate all they did to get my car back on the track.

The good news is that the team did a good job between the Melbourne and Baku races, adding noticeably. In Miami there is an opportunity to get the most out of new products and learn more about their effectiveness.

I’ve never been to the Miami track before, although I did the Ocean Drive demo last year and it was a unique experience. It’s just great to roll donuts behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car. I had a good time then – it’s great that the popularity of Formula 1 is growing in the US.

Miami has an interesting track and I’m looking forward to racing. Usually it’s a very hot day, so we’re waiting for a pretty tough race. As the weekend progresses, I’m moving forward one step at a time.

After working on the simulator, I know there are some difficult sections on the track. For example, under the bridge, and the very slow and twisty part is quite tricky for modern Formula 1 cars, because they are wide for it.

Yuki Tsunoda: “The stage in Baku turned out to be difficult, but I am going to Miami in a good mood, as we have seen many signs of progress. The car upgrades prepared in Bicester increased our top speed, so the new items worked.

The most enjoyable episode of the stage in Azerbaijan was eighth place in qualifying. It was great to earn points, but I had hoped for more. In addition, I am satisfied with my aerobatics and how I coped with the various challenges of a busy sprint weekend.

Last year I reached the final in Miami and I love the track. There is a special atmosphere in the stands and the American fans are overwhelmed with enthusiasm. About last year’s stage, I remember there was strong heat and high humidity, so the race turned out to be physically difficult. Last year I didn’t expect such weather, but this time I prepared myself well.

I worked a lot on the simulator for the stage in Miami. Some parts of the track are reminiscent of Baku, so I hope we can keep up the pace and keep making progress.”