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2023 Miami GP Preview – After Sergio Perez scored a comfortable victory in both the Sprint and Azerbaijan Grand Prix on the streets of Baku to close-in on Driver’s Championship leading team-mate Max Verstappen, round five of the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship returns to the Miami International Autodrome in Miami, Florida, United States for the Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix 2023.

 

 

2023 Miami GP Preview – A look at the Miami International Autodrome

 

 

The Miami International Autodrome is a purpose-built temporary circuit around the Hard Rock Stadium, the home of the Miami Dolphins NFL team and it’s private facilities in the Miami suburb of Miami Gardens, Florida. The circuit is 5.412 kilometres in length and features 19 corners, three straights a potential for three DRS zones and an expected average speed of 223kph. Top speeds are estimated to be 320kph. The circuit was designed to Formula One standards by track designers, Apex Circuit Design, for the Miami Grand Prix.

 

There are elevation changes too, with the main one between turns 13 and 16, with the circuit heading over an exit ramp and under various flyovers across uneven ground. The turn 14-15 chicane has an uphill approach, with a crest in the middle, then drops down on the exit.

 

This track, which will be within the private Hard Rock Stadium grounds will be using all-new and existing roads within, with new permanent asphalt pathways of the circuit integrated into the Hard Rock Stadium grounds. The track is a temporary-type circuit, which will not use any public streets that are located around the Hard Rock Stadium.

 

A few weeks before the Grand Prix, the circuit and its safety features will be set up just for the race weekend. After the race, the circuit will be dismantled, and the Hard Rock Stadium facility returned back to its normal state.

 

The Grand Prix circuit layout is 5.412 kilometres (3.363 miles) in length and runs in an anti-clockwise direction.

 

Race distance is 308.326 kilometres (191.584 miles) in length with 57 laps in total and 19 corners.

 

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen set the fastest lap record at the inaugural Miami GP with a 1:31.361 in his Oracle Red Bull Racing – RBPT, RB18 racer and was the first race winner at the Miami International Autodrome.

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2023 Miami GP Preview – A lap of the Miami International Autodrome

 

 

Here is the onboard pole lap from last season’s inaugural Miami Grand Prix set by Charles Leclerc in his Scuderia Ferrari F1-75 racer. The Monegasque driver posted a 1:28.796. You can see the footage right here at the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kKpmeoZ54U

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2023 Miami GP Preview – Tyres

 

 

Pirelli will be bringing with them to the Miami International Autodrome, the C2 white side-walled Hard tyres, the C3 yellow-marked Mediums and the red-branded C4 Softs alongside the green side-walled Intermediates and blue-marked Full Wets in-case of rain.

 

Drivers will have a fixed allocation of two sets of the hards, three sets of the mediums and eight of the softs.

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2023 Miami GP Preview – DRS Zones

 

There will be three DRS Zones at the Miami International Autodrome with the first detection point just after turn eight with the first activation zone just after the turn nine kink running down to turn 11. The second detection zone is after the turn 16 left-hander with the activation zone almost half-way down the long back straight in-between turns 16 and 17. The final detection point is just after the turn 17 hairpin with the final activation zone half-way through the last corner kink onto the main-straight on the run-down to turn one.

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2023 Miami GP Preview – Pitlane Speed Limits

 

Pitlane speeds will be 80km/h during practice, qualifying and the race.

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ICYMI: Azerbaijan GP Race Report – Perez takes second victory in Baku

 

 

Sergio Perez scored a comfortable victory at the Azerbaijan GP, assuming the lead from Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen amid the safety car pit-stops, which he did not give up.

 

The Mexican took advantage of a pitstop under the deployment of the safety car to emerge in the lead after Verstappen had led the early proceedings of the Grand Prix from pole-sitter Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

 

When the 51 lap Azerbaijan GP began, pole-sitter Leclerc got a comfortable getaway into the first corner with Verstappen second, Perez third, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz fourth and Mercedes’ Sir Lewis Hamilton fifth.

 

Behind them, there was contact between McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, Haas F1 Team’s Kevin Magnussen and Williams Racing’s Alexander Albon, which brought out double-waved yellow flags due to debris.

 

At the end of the opening tour, Leclerc was half-a-second ahead of Verstappen with Perez third, Sainz fourth and Hamilton fifth.

 

On the start of lap four, Verstappen breezed past Leclerc with DRS assistance into the lead on the main-straight and Perez is close on the Ferrari’s tail with Sainz fourth and Hamilton fifth with the fastest lap set by the Mercedes driver.

 

On the beginning of lap six, Verstappen held a 1.251 second gap over Perez who blasted his way past Leclerc into second place with DRS into the opening corner and off to chase his leading Red Bull team-mate, Sainz held fourth by 0.917 seconds in-front of Hamilton with Alonso a further 1.474 behind the Silver Arrows.

 

On lap 10, Verstappen lead team-mate Perez by 0.651 seconds who held the fastest lap time with Leclerc a further 2.933 behind the Mexican in third with Sainz fourth and Alonso completing the top five with Hamilton pitting for a set of hards and emerging in 12^th.

 

On the 11^th tour, the yellow flags were waving as AlphaTauri’s Nyck de Vries hit the wall at turn five, which broke his front suspension and stopped at turn six meanwhile Verstappen pitted from the lead to a set of hards.

 

The Safety Car was deployed to clear the stricken AT04 entry of de Vries and Perez stopped from the lead on lap 12 for a set hards with Leclerc and Sainz following suit by double-stacking, Aston Martin double-stacked too along with Russell pitting.

 

Perez emerged in the lead from Leclerc and Verstappen, Sainz fourth and Alonso moved up into fifth and George Russell jumped his team-mate Hamilton.

 

When the race went back to green, Perez made a comfortable getaway with Verstappen right on the rear of Leclerc’s Ferrari meanwhile Stroll made a very bold move on Russell into turn two as Verstappen made his way by Leclerc into turn three.

 

On lap 18, race leader Perez made his way out of DRS range to his Red Bull team-mate, as Russell was let off the hook in his battle with Stroll.

 

Behind them Haas F1 Team’s Magnussen picked off Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu for 16^th, but the Dane then overcooks it into the opening corner and Zhou snatches the place back.

 

On the 20^th lap, Hamilton overtook Stroll down the main-straight into sixth place.

 

At the end of the 21^st tour Perez lead team-mate Verstappen by 1.311 seconds with the latter holding the fastest lap bonus point, Leclerc was a distant 8.137 behind in third, Alonso fourth and Sainz completing the top five.

 

On lap 25, Perez was 1.5 seconds clear of Red Bull team-mate Verstappen with Leclerc third, Alonso fourth and Sainz rounding out the top five.

 

Perez and Verstappen began trading blows, and a fight for the fastest lap occurred – but the gap began to slowly open in the former’s favour, particularly when Verstappen started to complain of a lack of balance in his RB19 racer between his differential and engine braking.

 

By the end of the 36^th tour, Perez was setting laps in the 1:44 bracket, with Verstappen still in the 1:45 range to help the Mexican’s lead increase to 2.5 seconds – which broke into the three second mark two laps later as Perez continued his great pace.

 

Continuing to set pace, Perez built the gap up to 3.6 seconds but lost 0.6 to Verstappen in attempting to overlap the twice-pitted Alfa Romeo of Valtteri Bottas, forcing him to maintain his defences in the following tour with another string of fastest laps.

 

Perez crossed the line to clinch the Azerbaijan GP victory by 2.137 seconds ahead of team-mate Verstappen with the latter going in search of the fastest lap, Alonso snatched the point away provisionally until Verstappen posted a 1:44.474.

 

But Alonso, however, went two-tenths faster than his fellow two-time world champion to add to his points tally whilst hunting down Leclerc.

 

Alonso was 0.8 seconds adrift to Leclerc who came a very distant 21.217 in third from race winner Perez.

 

Ferrari’s Sainz who rounded out the top five and Mercedes’ Hamilton who was sixth.

 

The other Aston Martin AMR23 entry of Stroll took seventh and ahead of Russell who came home eighth and with the fastest lap bonus point.

 

McLaren’s Lando Norris finished ninth and ahead of AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda who completed the final points place.

 

The second McLaren MCL60 of Oscar Piastri ended the Baku Grand Prix outside the top 10 in 11^th place and in-front of Williams Racing’s Albon who was 12^th and Haas F1 Team’s Magnussen who came 13^th in the classification.

 

The Alpine pairing of Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon followed in 14^th and 15^th respectively as Williams Racing’s Logan Sargeant placed 16^th in the order.

 

Haas F1 Team’s Hulkenberg and Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas brought up the rear and a lap down.

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2023 Miami GP Preview – The Situation

 

 

Two-time World Champion and defending Miami Grand Prix racer winner Max Verstappen returns to Miami sitting on top of the World Driver’s Championship with 93 points and a six-point advantage over Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez who is second on 87 points, meanwhile Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso is a further 33 points behind the leading Dutchman in third on 60 points.

 

Perez’s victories in both the Sprint and Grand Prix at Baku have re-ignited the title battle ahead of the second half of the initial double-header of the 2023 campaign as Formula 1 heads to the US for the first time this year.

 

The Mexican trails his team-mate Verstappen by only six points and a victory at the Miami International Autodrome will give him the championship lead.

 

And with the Miami International Autodrome being another circuit with street-track characteristics, Perez will feel confident of beating team-mate Verstappen again.

 

Oracle Red Bull Racing head to Florida sitting top of the World Constructor’s Championship standings with 187 points and a 93-points lead over closest rival Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team who are second on 87 points, whilst Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team are a further 104 points behind the Milton Keynes based-outfit on 76 points.

 

Click here for the 2023 Formula 1 World Driver’s (Top 10) and Constructor’s Championship Standings

 

The Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix 2023 race weekend kicks off Friday May 5 with Free Practice 1 and 2, followed by Free Practice 3 and Qualifying Saturday May 6, then the 57-lap Race Sunday May 7.