Preview of the 2022 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix: the second race for the US
The Miami Grand Prix, the fifth round of the 2022 F1 World Championship, will be held this weekend in Florida.
This will be the second race for the U.S. along with the existing U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Texas; starting in 2023, the Las Vegas Grand Prix will be added to the calendar, hosting the third race. [The Miami International Autodrome is a temporary circuit built around Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL's Miami Dolphins, where approximately 58% of each lap will be run at full throttle and the top speed is expected to be around 201 mph (150 km/h).
The course is 3.36 miles long, with a mix of low-speed and high-speed corners, a total of 19 corners and three DRS zones. Low-speed corners are often followed by long straights, so low-speed traction exiting the corners is important and requires compromises in car setup.
The course is very narrow in some areas compared to a normal permanent race track, especially around the third sector. This makes it difficult to clear the cars and debris and increases the likelihood that the safety car will be introduced.
Being a new circuit, the asphalt will most likely cause the track to evolve, especially early in the weekend. The weather is unpredictable, with temperatures expected to hover around 90 degrees throughout the weekend, and rain is possible for Saturday's qualifying session. Sunday's race should be dry. Pirelli has set the C2 compound as white hard, C3 as yellow medium, and C4 as red soft. [Ferrari's Charles Leclerc leads the 2022 drivers' championship with 86 points. Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing is second with 59 points and Sergio Perez, also of Red Bull, is third with 54 points. In the constructors' championship, Ferrari leads with 124 points to Red Bull's 113 and Mercedes-Benz AMG's 77.
In other F1 news, Reuters reported on Thursday that it is looking increasingly unlikely that Audi will buy McLaren and enter F1, based on comments from a source. The news comes just days after Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess acknowledged the decision to allow Audi and Porsche to enter F1, with both VW Group brands likely to become power unit suppliers and Porsche preparing to sign a deal with Red Bull. is believed to be preparing to sign a deal with Red Bull.