F1
Course of Action: Miami Grand Prix
With two races under its belt, we look at Miami's action points and take some educated guesses on how race strategy might shape up this weekend.
START/FINISH STRAIGHT
Track Preview The start/finish straight isn’t long, but it does have a 383-yard DRS zone, making it a good place to get an overtake done into Turn 1. That said, at the start of the race there are just 177 yards from pole to Turn 1, so there’s usually some perilous jockeying for position at lights out.
Any action? Definitely. In year one, Max Verstappen passed pole sitter Charles Leclerc here on Lap 9 to take the lead. And last year, at the end of Lap 3, Verstappen shadowed a battle between Leclerc and Haas’s Kevin Magnussen through Turn 17 and then used DRS to slingshot past both as they tussled across the line. An inspired move.
01
TURN 1
Track Preview A tight right-hander taken at 60-plus mph in third gear, and as noted above, it gets pretty crowded at the start, so expect fireworks.
Any action? The start is the most likely time to see flying carbon. In 2022, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso made contact here, with the Mercedes driver sliding back to eighth after the incident, while in 2023 Nyck de Vries locked up and ran into the back of Lando Norris’s car, with Norris dropping to 19th as a result. It’s not the favorite overtaking spot during the race (that honor goes to T11 and T17) but it does see its fair share of moves. In 2022, Verstappen was able to pass Carlos Sainz here on the first lap to take P2. Last year, after a tight tussle through the final corners of the previous lap, Verstappen got past Sergio Pérez here on Lap 48 to take the lead for good.
02
TURNS 2 & 3
Track Preview Not a lot to write home about here. This left-right complex will see drivers hard on the throttle building up speed all the way to Turn 6.
Any action? Only if you like seeing drivers get the hammer down and put energy through tires on the long curve of Turn 3.
Miami Grand Prix map
© The Red Bulletin
03
TURNS 4–8
Track Preview Drivers’ speeds just build—from 90 mph in Turn 2 to 180 by the time they reach Turn 4—so the shifts in balance as drivers go left in four and right in five look pretty dramatic. The section from Turn 5 to Turn 8 is really a long, continuous arc and should put strain on both man and machine.
Any action? In 2022, Pierre Gasly went wide in Turn 8 and smashed into Norris. Last year, Leclerc crashed spectacularly in Q3 at Turn 7 to bring out the red flags.
04
TURNS 9–11
Track Preview MIA’s first big straight is not really a straight, but more a 0.86-mile, snaking almost straight that runs from T8 all the way to T11. There’s a DRS zone here too, with activation just after Turn 9, making 11 a choice overtaking point.
Any action? In 2022, while battling on Lap 56, Kevin Magnussen collided with Lance Stroll and had to retire with one lap to go in the race. Last year, during Verstappen’s march from P9 to victory, T11 was one of the Dutch driver’s favored overtaking spots. On Lap 14 he got past Sainz here under DRS to take P3 and then put the same move on Alonso on the following lap to take P2.
05
TURNS 12–15
Track Preview A series of low-speed bends as the track winds through the offramps for Florida’s Turnpike. This is the track’s most technical section, where fans can really see the drivers at work and where drivers will moan about the low speeds.
Any action? During FP2 in 2022, Sainz crashed his Ferrari into the wall after exiting Turn 13.
06
TURNS 16–19
Track Preview This zone is one for the speed freaks. Out of Turn 16, the track opens up into a 0.8-mile-long straightaway. Cars will reach speeds in excess of 200 mph in this second DRS zone and then brake hard for Turn 17. For this year, the pit entrance has been moved farther downstream toward Turn 19, which could slightly reduce pit-loss times.
Any action? Absolutely. This is MIA’s second prime overtaking spot. In 2022, on Lap 50, Hamilton and then George Russell passed Valtteri Bottas when he went wide on Turn 17. Last year, on Lap 8, Verstappen, late on the brakes, passed Russell in the braking zone into T17 and then repeated the move on Gasly on the next lap to take P4 on his way to victory.
07
Setup guide
Miami is a track that imposes two conflicting demands. In the early part of the lap, the fast sweeps from Turn 1 to Turn 8 require good levels of downforce to maximize grip and lap time. The same is true of the twisty bits in the stretch from Turn 11 to Turn 16. However, the two massive straights that link those sections reward cars that aren’t draggy. Those demands are not compatible, so finding the perfect setup at the MIA is a tough balancing act.
08
Strategy guide
The Miami GP debuted in 2022 with a freshly surfaced circuit that proved to be a rather slippery customer. The event came back last year to a new, grippier grade of asphalt, but the race strategies remained largely unchanged. Miami is a one-stop race, with the most common approach being to start the race with a medium tire and switch to a hard tire at about one-third race distance (last year, between Laps 14 and 24).
For drivers starting farther back and out-of-position, the reverse, hard-medium approach has also worked. Max Verstappen has won both ways. The only tire that hasn’t proved popular is the soft compound. Only Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, finishing ninth last year, has scored points racing on a soft tire.
What bearing does this have on the 2024 race? So far this year, strategies have largely replicated 2023, so another medium-hard race is likely. The wildcard is the sprint format and its unique tire rules. Teams may be out of new medium tires by race day and if so, would have to run a used set. This is unlikely to change anyone’s strategic thinking, but it might open a wider pit-stop window.
