#1062 2022 Miami Grand Prix

Officially known as the Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix 2022, this Formula One motor race is held on May 8, 2022, at the Miami International Autodrome in Miami Gardens, Florida. It is the first edition of the Miami Grand Prix and the fifth round of the 2022 Formula One World Championship. Charles Leclerc leads the Drivers' Championship after the fourth round -the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix- with 86 points, 27 ahead of Max Verstappen in second place, followed by Sergio Pérez in third, five points behind Verstappen. In the Constructors' Championship, Ferrari leads Red Bull Racing by 11 points and Mercedes by 47. The circuit is a non-permanent street circuit located within the grounds of the Hard Rock Stadium. It does not use public roads but employs both existing and newly constructed paved routes. The circuit receives Grade 1 homologation from the FIA, the license required to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix. The circuit runs in a counter-clockwise direction and has a length of 5,412 meters, and features 19 corners—seven to the right and twelve to the left. The average speed on the circuit is 223 km/h, with a top speed of 320 km/h. The pit-lane speed limit is set at 80 km/h, which is standard at most circuits. The track width varies between 10 meters and a maximum of 15.4 meters. The circuit includes three straights, the longest of which is 1.28 km. The estimated lap time is 1 minute and 28 seconds in qualifying and 1 minute and 35 seconds during the race, with 58% of the lap spent accelerating. The first timing sector is positioned 110 meters after Turn 8, while the second sector is 70 meters after Turn 16. The speed trap, where the maximum speed is recorded, is located 150 meters before Turn 17. Initially, the first sector had been set 122 meters after Turn 8, the second sector 101 meters after Turn 16, and the speed trap 200 meters before Turn 17. The total race distance is 57 laps, covering 308.326 km. For the first time in Formula 1 history, a Grand Prix is hosted by a community that is predominantly African-American. Ahead of the race, the organizers announce that the circuit is 95% complete. Since the race is announced during the 2021 season, 275.000 people have pre-registered to purchase tickets. Before the 2021 British Grand Prix, the event's inaugural edition receives approval from the courts after a lawsuit seeking its cancellation on grounds of discrimination is dismissed. Local residents near the venue, who believed that hosting the race on land surrounding the Hard Rock Stadium would amount to racial discrimination, had filed the suit. As for Mercedes, Toto Wolff states that the team had made improvements after the difficult weekend at Imola. They identified several directions for improving the car:

"It was a very difficult weekend for us in Imola. George did a great job to finish P4 from an unpromising starting position but with Lewis, we didn't give him the tools or track position to show his true pace. Since we returned from Italy, we've learned as much from the weekend as we can and, in parallel, our learning has continued in the wind tunnel and simulations. We have found several directions for improving the car, and we will be conducting experiments in Miami to correlate those simulations, and hopefully confirm the development path for the coming races. Both drivers have been working in the simulator ahead of Miami and the factories have been busy producing updates for the next races. The saying' smooth seas do not make good sailors' comes to mind. This team has shown its resilience over many years and the difficult start to this season has lit a fire within every team member, determined to put it right. Miami is an exciting new challenge and a complete step into the unknown. The track looks demanding, with a real mix of low and high-speed corners, and it's set to be a spectacular showcase for the sport to our growing US fanbase. So, we're set for a fantastic event, and we can't wait to see how it all plays out".

Enrico Sampò, Head of Scuderia Ferrari driving simulator, discusses his work within the team in the days leading up to the race:

"The driving simulator is a key element in preparing for a race. The work starts several weeks before an event, looking at the previous year's race if possible. Then, a test driver undertakes several sessions to get an understanding of tire behavior, to predict car balance, to check the behavior of special components and lastly, to test different set-up options. A few days before the event, the race drivers and their group of engineers tackle a session on the simulator to provide their input to the preparation and car set-up. With a new circuit like Miami, Charles and Carlos will also use the simulator to learn the track and to go through the various race weekend procedures".

After many years working in the simulator area, Sampò explains how the simulator is also essential in preparing for the race:

"Would usually be during the first free practice session on Friday as that's when you get the first set of data and driver comments about the track. This is when we can compare the simulator data to the actual data from the track. With a new venue such as Miami, it's also important to check actual track data, such as the nature of the kerbs and the presence or absence of elements that the simulator model did not foresee. The correlation between how the car behaves on track and in the simulator is refined over the weekend, but having a good starting point is definitely essential so that the track engineers can focus on the details".

Regarding the circuit, he states:

"The fact it is a new circuit means that simulation is even more important. We expect the track to be quick, with some high-speed corners in the first sector as well as some rather slow ones especially in sector three. There are some very long straights, with three DRS zones and good opportunities for overtaking. In terms of car balance, it is definitely a complex circuit and it will be important to find the right compromise to suit the various corner types and to run the car efficiently down the long straights. We have prepared for this event going through our usual procedures, being particularly careful as we are less certain than usual about the data we have. That means we are having to predict a wider than usual range of conditions and problems. Charles and Carlos both spent a lot of time on the simulator to learn the track and to explore the car's possible limitations, while trying different set-up solutions to optimize car balance and lap time".

Friday, May 6, 2022, marks the first practice sessions of the inaugural Miami Grand Prix- a memorable day. In FP1, Championship leader Charles Leclerc sets the fastest time on soft compound tyres, just 0.071 seconds ahead George Russell, who is contesting his fifth Grand Prix Weekend with Mercedes. After this first practice session, the upgrades introduced by Mercedes -including a new low-downforce rear wing, a revised front wing, and a beam wing- appear to be guiding the car in the right direction. Reigning World Champions Max Verstappen records the third fastest time, +0.179 seconds to Charles, despite spending a considerable portion of the session in the garage after skimming the wall on a green track. Behind the leading trio is Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Pérez in fourth place, ahead of Pierre Gasly in the AlphaTauri, running his third engine of the season: this means that a fourth one will result in a grid penalty. Ferrari Driver Carlos Sainz is unable to set a time on soft tyres after he picked up a puncture into Turn 1, ending in sixth position. Williams driver Alex Albon delivers a notably strong performance on FP1, finishing seventh place. 

He ends the session roughly 0.1 seconds ahead the seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton, who encounters traffic during his soft tyre run. Kevin Magnussen places ninth, and Daniel Ricciardo completes the top 10 of the drivers. Lando Norris finishes eleventh, just behind his teammate, followed by Fernando Alonso in twelfth. Zhou Guanyu’s Alfa Romeo is thirteenth, while Valteri Bottas ends in seventeenth place, after hitting the barriers rear at Turn 7 and triggering the red flag. Behind Zhou Guanyu, Sebastian Vettel secures fourteenth place, ahead of Esteban Ocon in fifteenth position, and teammate Lance Stroll in sixteenth. The final three positions are occupied by Yuki Tsunoda for AlphaTauri in eighteenth -after hitting the wall but continuing the session, Mick Schumacher in nineteenth position, and Nicholas Latifi in his William, finishing +4.539 seconds behind championship leader Charles Leclerc. The Ferrari driver is first in this first ever practice session in Miami, which was an entertaining session with several drivers caught out by the 5.412 km, 19-turn track. Later in the day, the FP2 session takes place. The drivers begin FP2 on medium compounds, and the track temperature is 10 degrees Celsius cooler than in FP1. After setting the early benchmark on those medium tyres (1'31"463), Ferrari Driver Carlos Sainz brings out the first red flag, crashing into Turn 14 -the entry into the tight chicane- and ends up this session with over 40 minutes remaining in the wall. At the end of the session, he states:

"Obviously not the best way to start the weekend after a costly snap ended our Friday early. Still, I feel the car was competitive and I have confidence in our performance. It’s pointless to dwell on today, so we’ll put our full focus on tomorrow and the race. The extra work for the mechanics is the worst part, so I’ll definitely speak to them and the rest of the team. I look forward to tomorrow".

Five minutes later, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen begins experiencing steering issues. In the final sector, smoke comes out of his car, forcing the RB18 to return to the pits due to a hydraulic issue. Max Verstappen is visibly dissatisfied with the session, stating:

"It was not a good day for us; we wanted to get out there and learn the track and get fully up to speed but things didn’t go to plan. We just had some hydraulic issues, as soon as I went out, I couldn’t really steer and also my breaks were on fire, so there were a few problems. We don’t have a huge amount of information and data for my car which could prove difficult for qualifying and the race but we will do our best. Of course, I will try to catch up tomorrow, we will work very hard as a Team to overcome the issues and hopefully we will be in a good place come qualifying tomorrow".

After switching to soft tyres, Mercedes driver Russell sets the fastest time with his upgraded W13, recording a lap of 1'29"0, which is 0.106 seconds quicker than FP1 leader Leclerc. Following these two strong sessions,George Russell defines the day as the most productive:

"We always knew that the warm conditions here in Miami would suit our car better - we've suffered with getting temperature in the tyres at previous races so that's a big factor here. The car is running well but it's only Friday, we're not getting carried away. It's probably been the most productive Friday we've had this season in terms of learning. We know that the porpoising will always be there but maybe it's working at a lower range compared to where we were previously. You generally have races that go in your favour and some that go against you - Imola obviously wasn't a strong circuit for us but from what we've seen so far, the car seems to work well around Miami. It's a unique circuit, I was a bit unsure how I would take to the slow-speed tight section underneath the bridge, it's a bit of a head-banger through there, but for the rest, they've done an amazing job - undulating in sections, with high-speed corners, I think it's great for the fans".

Charles Leclerc expresses satisfaction with his performance and with the new circuit in Miami:

"It was a good day. We focused on building up our pace little by little and learned quite a bit about this new track. It is challenging and really nice to drive, with my favourite part being the one from turn 11 to turn 16 in the second sector. Things went smoothly on our side and we tested everything we planned to. It looks like everyone is close together, which should make for an exciting weekend. The asphalt will spice things up. There is very high grip on the racing line and very low grip off it, which will make it difficult to overtake. It is also rather aggressive on tyres, so it will be important to manage them well throughout the race".

Behind these two drivers, Sergio Pérez secures third place, +0.212 seconds behind Russell, while Lewis Hamilton is fourth, +0.241 seconds behind his teammate. Lewis Hamilton is optimistic about Miami:

"Today is just practice and everyone is doing something different, not showing their true pace, so we won't get carried away. The car feels similar to me but we seem to be quicker and we've obviously improved in places. We still have the bouncing so we haven't cured it but bit by bit, we're improving the car. The race is going to be tough, particularly with the tyres overheating and it's very hot for the drivers, I've already lost a couple of kilos today".

He adds:

"The heat reminds me a little bit of driving in Malaysia - Kuala Lumpar is still number one in terms of the heat, then Singapore, and now here in Miami. There are positive elements to take from today, George looked great out there and the team are trying a lot of different things with our cars, so we'll converge and hopefully take another step forward tomorrow".

The Mexican Red Bull driver, Sergio Pérez, believes that the race is going to be interesting:

"It’s been a difficult day for every driver today. I think it was a very messy session this afternoon, in total I did one medium lap and two soft laps. On the high fuel there was nothing we could do because of all the red flags and the time we lost. We are basically going blind into the race and I think most people are in the same boat as us. For qualifying we have more of an idea, but things can change very quickly with the weather around here. There isn’t much grip off the racing line on this track and it feels very gravely out there too, it is a shame because I think racing will be hard due to that. Saying that, I think it is going to be an interesting race because all of us don’t know exactly where we are".

At the end of Qualifying session, George Russell states:

"The car was bouncing a lot more today and I just couldn't attack any of the corners as a result. It's a shame because we showed good potential yesterday but it massively went away from us today. We thought we went pretty conservative with set-up in qualifying to avoid the porpoising we experienced in FP3 but it seemed just as bad. The bouncing was going through all the corners, particularly turns 4 and 5, and you just couldn't attack into the braking zone. When you get the car in the window, it's fast and yesterday we looked to be fighting for pole but today is our worst qualifying of the year so it's difficult to make sense of".

A pleased Lewis Hamilton comments:

"Today was a much, much better qualifying session than I've had the last three races so I am grateful for that - I'll take it".

 Despite this, he acknowledges that several issues still remain:

"Unfortunately, I don't think we are moving forwards at the rate that we would like to, the gap is similar to the beginning of the year. We have just got to keep our heads down, keep focused, keep working, keep tunnelling and eventually we'll get there. It's difficult to say how we'll be on race pace, the car has generally not felt strong this weekend for me but today, once I was able to get the tyres into a better place, it was a little more promising". 

Toto Wolff remarks that today’s results -P6 and P12- do not reflect what the team expected after Friday:

"Although we are seeing glimpses of performance in some sessions, we are still not able to put it all together. We gained good reference points from Friday; we just need to continue to understand and develop but it's clear that we have a painful trajectory to follow at the moment".

On Ferrari’ side, Charles Leclerc is satisfied with today’s result:

"It feels really good to come here and put everything together on such a difficult track. Although I was not very happy with turns 1-2-3, it was a good lap and I’m really glad to have secured pole. I feel at ease with the car. It feels great to drive and really makes you think of how to extract its full potential. Tomorrow will be a tight race and it is good to have Carlos by my side. The pace is there for both our cars and hopefully we can keep our positions until the end to bring home a strong result for our team".

Carlos Sainz Jr. shares the same sentiment:

"It was a strong comeback after yesterday and I managed to improve run after run, to finally fight for pole up until the very last corner. I had fun out there, pushing the car, and we are in a good position for tomorrow. This track has proven to be very tricky and starting from the front row will help for sure. We will do everything to maximise the potential for the race, as there are a lot of factors to take into account. Congrats to the entire team and to Charles for a well-executed session". 

Laurent Mekies, Ferrari’s Racing Director, states that today’s results are:

"Important in terms of morale, for the team here at the track and for everyone working back in Maranello, after what happened in Imola".

Laurent explains that they were able to show the effectiveness of the Ferrari’s package thanks to the unique today’s qualifying conditions, which differ to those of the previous qualifying of this season, and to this unique track:

"Nevertheless, it’s clear we are in for a very close fight with our main rivals. Our drivers did a simply amazing job today. Charles produced yet another of his breathtaking laps, while Carlos came back from a difficult Friday, working hard and demonstrating real determination, which saw him get very close to his team-mate’s time so as to line up right behind him".

Laurent acknowledges that further work is required overnight as:

"Tomorrow’s race could be the hottest of the season and we have seen how tricky this track and its surface can be, so it will be very important to prepare every last detail for the race, starting with how to manage the tyres. This evening, we will work with our colleagues back in Maranello to ensure we get everything out of the car. The start will be very important and we will be up against very tough opponents, who are capable of giving us a hard time in terms of top speed. I predict a great battle".

Max Verstappen is overall pleased with today’s results. They experienced some issues with the car and still need to find an optimal balance:

"To be that competitive in qualifying was a big surprise, this is not an easy track to learn. Of course, we want to be on pole but I think we’ve done a really good job considering where we were yesterday. It’s always going to be tricky and it’s hard to push to the limits when you don’t know the track overly well. I think we have a good chance tomorrow as we have a good top speed and the car is handling quite well so I’m looking forward to it. It’s quite slippery outside the racing line, it almost feels like gravel, maybe I need to call my dad and ask for some rally advice".

Sergio Pérez states that today’s qualifying was not entirely straightforward:

"We had a poor Q3 run one, which put us on the back foot a bit. My second lap was much better, but I just didn’t get the perfect sector two and that was the main problem for me. Only a couple of hundreds would have put me P2 so you will always be disappointed with such a gap because a little improvement and you are P2 rather than P4. There is a long race ahead of us tomorrow and anything can happen; my race pace looks good so beating the Ferraris is possible if we have a better strategy than them. It will be an interesting race tomorrow with the tyre choice and what happens there. Today wasn’t ideal but I am looking forward to a strong Sunday".

Says Christian Horner:

"It was all about those fine margins today. It was looking positive for us after the first run, but then a small mistake for Max at turn four and that was it for him, and then Checo’s first sector wasn’t good for him, so we start from the second row tomorrow".

Concerning Ferrari’s team, he acknowledges that they have done an excellent job while:

"Max has been on the back foot today, he’s down on laps on the other guys and still learning about the track so it’s a good recovery from him. We know both our cars have good straight-line speed and the DRS could be pretty powerful here tomorrow, and with all the support races the breaking zones should open up a bit, so there are a couple of places where we should be able to overtake. Strategy and pitstops will be crucial, as no one has really been able to do any long runs, it should be a fascinating contest tomorrow".

The inaugural Miami Grand Prix takes place on Sunday, May 8, 2022. Light rain begins an hour before the start, though it did not intensify during the race. Ferrari secures the front row, with pole-sitter Charles Leclerc alongside Carlos Sainz, while the second row is occupied by the Red Bulls, Max Verstappen ahead of Sergio Pérez. Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas shares the third row with former Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton. Prior to the start, Aston Martin faces fuel temperature issues, so both Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel start from the pit lane. Esteban Ocon begins at the back due to his crash in FP2. Four drivers -Stroll, Vettel, George Russell and Ocon- start on hard compounds, while the remaining 16 start on mediums. At the start, Leclerc maintains the lead, while Sainz loses positions to Verstappen approaching Turn 1. Hamilton falls to eighth, and Fernando Alonso advances from eleventh to seventh, making slight contact with Hamilton. Leclerc still leads the race, with Verstappen just over a second behind. Hamilton complains about some damage due to a contact with Alonso but manages to pass him and reaches the seventh position by Turn 11 on lap 3. On lap 6, he passes Gasly for sixth. On Lap 8, Verstappen gets into DRS range behind Leclerc, and overtakes him on the main straight at the start of lap 9. Leclerc attempts to reclaim the position on the following lap, but is unsuccessful. Ferrari begins to struggle. By lap 13, Leclerc trails Verstappen by 2.5 seconds, while Pérez closes in on Sainz for third position. Russell advances past Ricciardo, and Alonso pits: unfortunately, his stop exceeds five seconds relegates him to P13. Lando Norris pits shortly thereafter, initially dropping to P12, but loses positions to both Aston Martins by lap 19. Russell moves up to seventh, behind Hamilton. Back in the fight for the podium, Perez experiences a temporary power loss caused by a sensor issue, quickly resolved by the team is able, allowing him to continue despite losing considerable time to Sainz. Hamilton pits on lap 23, emerging in seventh ahead of Ricciardo. Leclerc switches to hard tyres in 3.2 seconds, returning in fourth position on lap 25. 

A sensor issue costed Pérez time and power. Without it, he might have been able to fight for second place, but he hopes for a better outcomes in future:

"It is a big disappointment today but at least we managed to finish with the points we have. We were putting the pressure on Carlos and then we had a problem with the power. It was caused by a sensor failure and meant we lost a lot of power, which limited our ability to attack. I was a second from Carlos and then the engine dropped and I lost around 30 seconds in two laps and then the issue affected me throughout the race. We had the pace to be up there on the podium and I pushed as much as I could in the position we were in. It was difficult to look after the tyres too, it was so hard in the corners and I was losing a lot of grip towards the end of the race. I went for it after the safety car restart but there was no grip at all and I just couldn't get past Carlos. We are working really hard on reliability and we will keep pushing as a Team, it is unfortunate, but I am pleased we managed to finish today. In Barcelona I want to be back battling at the top".

While congratulating Max Verstappen, who remained focused and drove flawlessly, Christian Horner expresses disappointment for Pérez:

"It was a real tactical race today and we threw everything we had at it; we were quite lucky that Ferrari didn't pit under the safety car, Max was under so much pressure from Charles Leclerc but he kept focus and didn't make any mistakes and was gradually able to break the DRS, which was very powerful today and manage the victory from there. Checo was really unlucky today, he had a sensor issue early on and lost about 30 horsepower, and he gave it a real go when we pitted him and gave him the tyre advantage and without that issue, he may even have finished second. We've got some interesting races coming up, the car is running well, we have some development coming in the summer and we need to lose some weight, but we're pleased with what we've come away with this weekend".

Charles Leclerc maintained the lead in the early stages of the race but came under pressure from Verstappen once DRS was enabled. From that point on, he remained in second position. After the Safety Car period, he attempted to challenge Verstappen more than once, but was unable to retake the lead:

"All in all, we had a good weekend here in Miami, so of course I am disappointed to miss out on first place. While we had good pace on the Hard tyres, it was more tricky for us on the Mediums which our competitors were just faster on today, so we couldn’t close the gap in the first stint. I thought we’d have a shot at taking back the lead after the Safety Car, but it just wasn’t enough today. I thought the atmosphere was amazing this weekend and there was a really great show around the race and I look forward to coming back".

Carlos Sainz Jr. lost out to Verstappen at the start. Later, he performed well in defending against Pérez, who was on fresh tyres:

"After a couple of eventful GPs, it’s good to be back on the podium and to have both cars up there for the team. In general, it was a solid race but also a very tough one. The neck is still not 100% and half way through the race it became a limitation. Defending from Checo who was on new Mediums after the restart was also very tough and the slightest mistake would have meant losing P3. I managed to fend him off well and the podium was the reward. I think I needed a race like this to reset a bit and build on it for the upcoming races. Up next is my home Grand Prix and we’ll make sure we get there in the very best. Miami has been a unique weekend. Thanks to all the fans out there for their support".

Mattia Binotto states that although the car is competitive, Red Bull Racing was faster. He is remains satisfied with the points gained the team scored:

"We can’t be completely happy with today’s race because, although the F1-75 was competitive, our rivals were a few tenths per lap quicker than us. If you consider how many points we are taking home from here, we can’t be too disappointed, given that we are leading both championships, but it’s clear we now need to respond. We are keen to get the job done and there are still a lot of races to go. I want to congratulate both our drivers for the way they raced today. After a splendid pole yesterday, Charles left nothing on the table in his efforts to win while, from qualifying onwards, Carlos made up for Friday’s setback and this afternoon, he produced a solid performance, especially in the way he fended off Perez in style in the closing stages. Finally, I want to thank the American fans for their enthusiastic welcome and my congratulations to F1 and the Grand Prix organisers for putting on an incredible show, both on and off the track".

Concerning Mercedes, neither driver made a strong start. Russell pitted early and consequently had fresher tyres when the Safety Car was deployed, allowing him to overtake his teammate and maintain his record of top-five finishes. Despite this, he described the Miami Grand Prix as a brutal race, due in part to the hot conditions:

"It's mixed feelings to be honest because obviously based on where we were yesterday, today was a good result but if you'd told me after Friday, we'd finish P5 and P6 and that far behind P1, I'd have been pretty disappointed. We have a fast race car in there; we just don't have the key to unlock this performance. And we don't really understand why that is so there's work to do. Towards the end of the race today, when you're battling with your teammate, you've got to show respect, a bit more room than normal. The move was a bit tricky, I went a bit wide, but it's so dirty offline around this circuit. Obviously, it was clear I went off the track and had to do it all over again. I enjoyed it and I think there's good respect between us. But Lewis was unlucky today, when you are on 20 lap old Hard tyres there's not a lot you can do really. It was brutal race out there - so hot, sweating, my eyes were stinging, I had sweat pouring into my eyes, so I need to find a way to get around that".

Hamilton states that the hard tyre was probably the more suitable tyre for this circuit and he expresses satisfaction with his teammate’s performance:

"We got good points as a team today, so we'll take them and move on. I was unfortunate with the safety car and I'm waiting for a change in fortune but until then, I'll just keep working as hard as I can. George did a great job in that first stint on the Hard tyre; in hindsight the Hard tyre was probably the better race tyre for today but George did well to recover from his position and we got fifth and sixth which is good points for the team. I was a bit of a sitting duck in our move but George did great, was very fair and on old tyres, there wasn't much I could do. Even running in our positions, it's still racing, it just changes your perspective. I thought the track was great, I don't think the chicane is ideal but that's the only weak point on this circuit".

Team Principal Toto Wolff expresses satisfaction with the points earned in Miami and states that the team will analyse all the data from this weekend to better understand the performance and apply those learnings in Spain:

"We maximised our points today - with George's starting position, we could afford to roll the dice on a long stint on the Hard and it worked out for him with the safety car, while it was unfortunate for Lewis. We were third-quickest on the road, this is where we are, we don't sometimes show it in qualifying but in the races, we're generally better. We had a good Friday but didn't quite understand why that was. We will be looking at all the data we've generated this weekend, working through the sessions on Friday to better understand the strong performance, and take those learnings back to Europe".