Inaugural Miami GP: What to Expect
The inaugural Miami GP is fast approaching, and we can’t wait to see what the F1 teams have in store for us. The track is expected to be an exciting new addition to the F1 calendar, and we can’t wait to see what the teams have in store for us this weekend.
Ferrari Must Raise Their Game
The Ferrari squad hopes to make a comeback in the United States after Red Bull wrecked the Italian giants on their home turf with a spectacular 1-2 finish.
Last time out at Imola, Ferrari had their first terrible weekend of the season, with Carlos Sainz crashing out on the first lap and Charles Leclerc spinning after going over a kerb, eventually finishing sixth.
Sainz had not retired in his previous 24 races until DNFs in Imola and Melbourne, and he will be trying to rebound at a circuit that could suit this year’s Ferrari package.
Even after Imola, Ferrari still leads the driver’s and constructor’s championships by 27 and 11 points, respectively.
Following his victories in Bahrain and Australia, Charles Leclerc has the potential to match Ferrari’s victory total from the previous three seasons with all three wins coming in 2019. Although the Monegasque driver won from pole position at Albert Park, he has only won four times in his career. In that aspect, reigning world champion Max Verstappen has been far more efficient, converting 14 pole positions into ten race victories. He also won in the States last year.
Midfield points fight
The midfield competition has been a particular source of pain for Mercedes this season. After both Aston Martin drivers finished in the top ten at Imola, only Mick Schumacher and Nicholas Latifi remain without points in 2022.
Because all of the teams behind Red Bull and Ferrari are so close, any of McLaren, Mercedes, Alpine, Alfa Romeo, or even Haas might be the best of the rest on any given weekend. Yet, at the same time, AlphaTauri, Aston Martin, and Williams have all demonstrated their ability to score.
Will Mercedes make a comeback?
Mercedes has been pretty successful on new Formula 1 tracks in the turbo-hybrid era, but winning the Miami GP is doubtful.
Mercedes is suddenly experiencing performance concerns after eight years of supremacy. Except for the Drivers’ Championship last year, they won every title between 2014 and 2021. Many people anticipated them to keep winning despite the stricter technical regulations this year. Instead, however, they’ve had a tough start to the year. Seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton, in particular, has struggled to get his W13 up to speed.
Mercedes had a miserable weekend at Imola. Russell was able to salvage a fourth-place finish partly due to what occurred to both Ferrari drivers. The issue is the inability to bring enhancements because of a lack of understanding of the car.
Although George Russell is now fourth in the driver’s standings, Ferrari and Red Bull have had the two finest packages on the grid thus far this season. Mercedes has struggled to match them in speed and performance as they adjust to the car’s harsh porpoising in braking zones.
The Brackley-based team must enhance the W13 in all areas. Still, porpoising will undoubtedly be at the top of their priority list (particularly considering the lengthy Miami straight).
