Robson: The heat can affect the technique and the riders

In the history of Formula 1 in the United States, ten different circuits have hosted the world championships, and the Miami International Autodrome, which will host the Miami Grand Prix for the first time this weekend, will be the eleventh. †

Built around the Hard Rock Stadium complex, the 5,412km ring consists of 19 turns and three straights and is more reminiscent of urban circuits in nature.

Dave Robson, Chief Race Engineer: “On new tracks, drivers and engineers always have to solve interesting and challenging problems. Although the riders get used to the track very quickly, the engineers have a lot of work to do over the weekend, related to factors such as tire behaviour, the initial change in tarmac condition and local conditions.

The circuit in Miami has several long straights, two bushes of fast corners and two slow twisty sections. All this with a circle length of 5.4 km, the movement of which is organized counterclockwise. When working with the settings, engineers will have to make some compromises, taking into account the different sections of the track, and it will not be easy to get good results on the circle.

Tire manufacturers brought to the track tires of the same composition that were used in Imola, i.е. they come from the middle of the Pirelli line. They should work fine for this configuration, although the exact behavior of the tires will depend on the road temperature and the settings chosen. The hardest part for riders and engineers will be figuring out how changes in settings affect rubber’s behavior.

While there is still a small chance of thunderstorms, the weather promises to be warm and sunny, and as the sessions are mainly in the afternoon, this could affect the performance of equipment, tires and riders.

Nicholas Latifi: “I’m looking forward to getting to know the new job in Miami. Formula 1 is going to have a very interesting weekend and it’s great that the presence of our sport in the US is becoming more and more visible.

I’ve only seen the track in the simulator so far and it seems there’s a good combination of slow technical sections with faster and smoother sections, so we’re facing some interesting challenges.”

Alex Albon: “It’s great that we’re going to Miami as we’re waiting for an introduction to the new track. It is also the home race for Dorilton, the owner of our team.

I used the simulator to familiarize myself with the track layout, and the first impression is that it is quite technical as there are many turns of different types. The Miami International Autodrome looks very impressive and I’m sure the fans will have a great weekend.”