[Official] Miami Grand Prix 2022: Grand Prix Weekend Thread - Round 5

[Born Racer]

It's a bit ramshackle, but here's a little preview.

With the United States boasting its own motorsport pedigree, legacy and traditions, for a long time F1 seemed a foreigner of sorts on its soil – an outsider taking its own circus to town, and with some fantastic and memorable events at times, but never making any major inroads into the American psyche. A big push in the country since Liberty Media got a grasp on the series, though, and it now figures as an integral part of its plans. In 2022, with Miami and Austin, Formula 1 will host two races in the USA for the first time since 1984, when the Dallas Grand Prix and Detroit Grand Prix were both run. Next year, Las Vegas will join the party to form a trio, with a race taking in its iconic Strip.


The history

Some of the earliest racing in Florida began in 1926, when the AAA (American Automobile Association) ran an event on a board track, the Fulford-Miami Speedway, which was a banked oval using wooden planks. The name was the Carl G.Fisher Trophy Race and the victor of the 300-mile event was Pete DePaolo in a Dusenberg. The circuit was destroyed in a hurricane a mere seven months later. The name of 'Grand Prix of Miami' has been attributed to this in various places on the net, but I could find no source which confirmed this to not be erroneous. The 'Grand Prix of Miami' designation was, however, used for IMSA, Grand Am and Indycar.

In Formula 1 terms, though, Florida, in fact, hosted the first United States Grand Prix to count for the championship, with the exception of the Indy 500 (which featured from 1950 to 1960), when a race was run at Sebring in 1959. Jack Brabham, Stirling Moss and the recently-departed Tony Brooks all entered the events in title contention. Moss led away off the start, while Brooks was hit by Wolfgang von Trips. Moss retired on Lap 5 with a transmission failure. There was a strange climax of the race when Brabham had some problems and waved Bruce McLaren through, who upon seeing the other Cooper slow, lifted himself, only just speeding up in time to take over first and keep the lead over Maurice Trintignant who was runner-up in his Cooper. Brooks just beat Brabham to the podium, but the Australian was drivers' champion and Cooper constructors' champions. The race was also unusual for seeing the Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser midget of Rodger Ward take part. The event was a financial failure, though, and the promoter took the event to Riverside in California the following season.


The track

The new circuit, Miami International Autodrome, is set around the Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL's Miami Dolphins, and features a 5.412 km layout, with 19 turns and three DRS zones.

Turn 1 is a slow 90-degree right, before the track segues into a faster and more flowing section, with the left at 2 and long Turn 3, before drivers bring the car to the right in order to chuck it into the fast left-hander Turn 4, which is swiftly followed by the switch to 5, before 6, 7 and 8, treated as one corner bring us to the end of Sector 1. There's the potential for a number of lines here as they approach the end of this complex, perhaps hugging the inside or keeping it to the right for 8, and the risk of a lock-up as braking is completed under turning, as at Sakhir.

Now it's all fast sweepers before the big stop at Turn 11 with the 90-left and then the more curved 12 before dipping into 13. Climbing uphill into the clumsy 14 and 15 left-right chicane, drivers meet the crest and then speed downhill towards the more 90-left at 16. This takes them into Sector 3 and after a massive straight and a big stop at 17, the quicker 18 and 19 vault them back onto the start-finish straight.




Other information

Circuit length: 5.412 km
Number of laps: 57
Race distance: 308.326 km
Race lap record: n/a
Dry weather tyre compounds: C2, C3 & C4
First Miami Grand Prix: 2022

Join in the fun with the Predictions Contest and Fantasy F1:

https://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=157099

https://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=156986


Trivia

The US is the country with the highest number of venues of Formula 1 races, with eleven – Indianapolis (both in its Indy 500 guise and later with the infield track), Sebring, Riverside, Watkins Glen, Long Beach, Las Vegas, Detroit, Dallas, Phoenix, Austin and now Miami.

These eleven venues have taken in ten different states, with only Miami seeing a return to the same state – Florida – which previously hosted the Sebring race.

The top speed should be around 320 km/h, just shy of Jeddah.

All four of Charles Leclerc's wins have come from pole.

In Emilia-Romagna, Aston Martin became the final team to score a point this season, albeit with both their drivers. The only drivers apart from Hülkenberg yet to get off the mark are Nicholas Latifi and Mick Schumacher, the latter of which has not scored in his Formula 1 career.

[Richard C]

Fantastic intro. Especially for a circuit that has no history.

And no mention of the fake marina? You are too kind. I can understand what they are doing with the fake marina, but I think in the end, it will at times be the focus for the media vs other positive things. I personally think its absolutely ridiculous

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVLblCHFahs

Richard

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Richard Casto

Fantastic intro. Especially for a circuit that has no history.

And no mention of the fake marina? You are too kind. I can understand what they are doing with the fake marina, but I think in the end, it will at times be the focus for the media vs other positive things. I personally think its absolutely ridiculous

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVLblCHFahs

Richard

Haven't you heard? BTCC are copying and having a marina installed on the inside of paddock hill bend ahead of the next meeting. They're going one better though - the marina is on a 1 in 5 incline....

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Haven't you heard? BTCC are copying and having a marina installed on the inside of paddock hill bend ahead of the next meeting. They're going one better though - the marina is on a 1 in 5 incline....

Well in fairness most marinas have that kinda slope (underwater) so.....


Hopefully the drainage for the parking lot works, looks to be a bit Miami for Saturday and more so for Sunday. It's summer so expect rain in the afternoon and when it rains it all falls at once, they don't do light showers

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Hopefully the drainage for the parking lot works, looks to be a bit Miami for Saturday and more so for Sunday. It's summer so expect rain in the afternoon and when it rains it all falls at once, they don't do light showers

Are thunderstorms likely to be a concern - with more than just the rain implications?

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Are thunderstorms likely to be a concern - with more than just the rain implications?

I would guess a bit of both, Florida has VERY strict lightning regulations and would require the GP to meet those. See the Sebring WEC race this year, it's also a VERY wide band from where strikes hit that the regs kick in because Florida is FLATTTTT. I've seen forecasts of storms to showers so we'll see but again, it's Miami in the summer, it rains

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Haven't you heard? BTCC are copying and having a marina installed on the inside of paddock hill bend ahead of the next meeting. They're going one better though - the marina is on a 1 in 5 incline....

Make it a water slide and charge the spectators a fee for giving it a go!

Richard

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by Born Racer

It's a bit ramshackle, but here's a little preview.

Nicely done, sir.

Florida – which previously hosted the Sebring race.

Can you imagine the porpoising on the Sebring bumps?

[Lancsbreaker]

For those of us in UK without Sky or the Now package, qualy is on C4 at 8.30 am Sunday, and the race at 12.30 am Monday. Not too bad for night owls like me, but if you are a wage slave, good luck avoiding any news/discussion of the result before you get back from work Monday evening to watch it on catch-up

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by Lancsbreaker

For those of us in UK without Sky or the Now package, qualy is on C4 at 8.30 am Sunday, and the race at 12.30 am Monday. Not too bad for night owls like me, but if you are a wage slave, good luck avoiding any news/discussion of the result before you get back from work Monday evening to watch it on catch-up

Thanks for this. I usually record both programmes and watch them (early) the following morning anyway. Looks like I'm going to have a lie-in on Sunday and still watch qualy live (which will mean not being able to fast-forward the adverts & other dross!)

[Tourer]

Well done on the intro BR - nice work for a new race venue.

Was the Sebring race the one where Jack Brabham had to push his car across the finish line? Them was the days!

Personally I quite like the "marina" at this circuit - it's a bit of fun and will certainly assist with a fun, party atmosphere for those attending. Looking forward to seeing how it all pans out.

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by Tourer

Well done on the intro BR - nice work for a new race venue.

Was the Sebring race the one where Jack Brabham had to push his car across the finish line? Them was the days!

Personally I quite like the "marina" at this circuit - it's a bit of fun and will certainly assist with a fun, party atmosphere for those attending. Looking forward to seeing how it all pans out.

well good news, there's a "beach" too along the track so there's more

[GTRMagic]

Prediction for pole position & the race win....

Sonny Crockett, Ferrari Testarossa...


"'Cause you belong to the city... you belong to the night... living in a river of darkness beneath the neon light..." - Glenn Frey

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Prediction for pole position & the race win....

Sonny Crockett, Ferrari Testarossa...


"'Cause you belong to the city... you belong to the night... living in a river of darkness beneath the neon light..." - Glenn Frey

You know it would be a classic Miami Vice episode that if during the GP race, they ended up chasing some drug dealer onto the track in cars and they would be passing the F1 cars in that Testarossa during the chase. Probably would take the checkered flag and Sonny would joke that he won the race.

Richard

[Richard C]

I was joking but they had an episode that was nearly that. But it was with GTP cars!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSa496URPdk

Richard

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by Richard Casto

I was joking but they had an episode that was nearly that. But it was with GTP cars!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSa496URPdk

Richard

They sure did... and I agree, a 'Driven'-style race round the streets of Miami without helmets on the drivers could be fun..

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Richard Casto

I was joking but they had an episode that was nearly that. But it was with GTP cars!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSa496URPdk

Richard

That was fantastic! Love the Derek Bell cameo too!

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by joeb

That was fantastic! Love the Derek Bell cameo too!

Yes, I saw that. Very cool. That would have been filmed during the period in which I think he and Al Hobert would have been racing that Lowenbrau 962 in IMSA. It may not be obvious to all here, but the "Danny" character is played by "Danny Sullivan". Ex-F1 racer, Indy 500 winner, CART champion and semi-recent F1 steward. Danny was in a recent "Beyond the Grid" podcast and it was very interesting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBz7-G4zY4E

Richard

[Tourer]

Miami Vice hard at work in the pit lane. Maybe they need Crockett and Tubbs this weekend to chase down drivers and police the jewellery and underwear requirements?

[steve_r]

Live qualy for this race is showing up on my TV package on one of the "free" sky channels, so maybe worth checking your own setup. The race is normal, in that it is ch4 hilights.

[S griffin]

I did wonder if we were gonna get some Miami Vice references on here and I was right. To get us really in the mood this weekend, let's listen to this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UmOY6ek_Y4

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by S griffin

I did wonder if we were gonna get some Miami Vice references on here and I was right. To get us really in the mood this weekend, let's listen to this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UmOY6ek_Y4

Nice. I hope they sneak some Jan Hammer into the broadcast this weekend.

Richard

[crmalcolm]

For UK viewers with Sky.

Sat 7th May:
Qualifying is on Sky Showcase from 8:15pm (Session starts 9pm).

Sun 9th May:
Qualifying highlights on Ch4 from 8:30am.
Qualifying highlights on Sky Showcase from 9:15am.

Monday 10th May:
Race highlights on Ch4 from 00:30am to 02:00am.
Race highlights on Sky Showcase from 00:30am to 01:30am.

[broadrun96]

Good news, the Miami GP is in all the news here in Atlanta. And every paper/news outlet had a story.

Oh wait, just seeing they're ALL about Lewis/FIA/jewelery and zero about the race. Everyone seems to think the Lewis threatening to skip is THE story but no mention of the actual race. Guess any coverage is good?

Seems like an odd time to choose, I get them enforcing a rule that's been on the books. But choose the start of the season or returning from the summer break, that's a natural reset point. But I'm old fat white guy and think it's all garbage on both sides, lol foolish wearing it racing in a sport where engineers whinge about grams, and FIA looks like old farts worrying about it. Hopefully better minds prevail and rule enforced with allowances made for things like closed loop or other non-removable bits

[mstets]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Good news, the Miami GP is in all the news here in Atlanta. And every paper/news outlet had a story.

Oh wait, just seeing they're ALL about Lewis/FIA/jewelery and zero about the race. Everyone seems to think the Lewis threatening to skip is THE story but no mention of the actual race. Guess any coverage is good?

Seems like an odd time to choose, I get them enforcing a rule that's been on the books. But choose the start of the season or returning from the summer break, that's a natural reset point. But I'm old fat white guy and think it's all garbage on both sides, lol foolish wearing it racing in a sport where engineers whinge about grams, and FIA looks like old farts worrying about it. Hopefully better minds prevail and rule enforced with allowances made for things like closed loop or other non-removable bits

Interesting point about the grams involved, though in Lewis's case it might amount to a pound. Are current F1 cars at the minimum weight limit or below and ballasted? Is the driver weight a part of the car weight, or is a heavier driver/jewelry package an add on to the car weight?