by John N May 3, 2022, 3:22 pm inUncategorized

The stats behind the all-new Miami Grand Prix [VIDEOS]

Formula 1 is heading to the Sunshine State this week for the inaugural Miami Grand Prix on a stunning temporary street circuit. Here are the key numbers to get you up to speed.

Bringing that F1 HEAT to Miami 🔥

You ready, @f1miami? 😏#MiamiGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/AIjpKwqY13

— Formula 1 (@F1) May 2, 2022

11

Formula 1 and the United States have a long history together. No country has had as many F1 host venues as America. Miami Gardens will be the 11th different venue in the USA. Indianapolis was the first to host a World Championship round in 1950, albeit under Indy 500 regulations, not F1. Then came Sebring (also in Florida), Riverside in California, Watkins Glen in upstate New York, Long Beach in California, Las Vegas in Nevada, Detroit in Michigan, Dallas in Texas, Phoenix in Arizona, and Indianapolis again (on a road circuit) and Austin in Texas. Between them, they have hosted 71 Grands Prix.

77

The Miami International Autodrome will be the 77th venue to hold a Grand Prix and the only new track on the 2022 F1 calendar. It’s one of two US races on this year’s schedule and Austin’s Circuit of The Americas. Next year, there’ll be a trio, with Las Vegas joining the party.

19

There are 19 corners on the 5.41km track that sweeps around the Hard Rock Stadium – home to the Miami Dolphins. Of those, two provide good opportunities to overtake. The first is left-hander Turn 11. The second is Turn 17, a tighter left-hander at the end of the circuit’s long straight.

3

Speaking of straights, there are three of them on this circuit, with the longest at 1.28km long. There are also three planned DRS zones, intending to produce overtaking opportunities at the heart of the track’s design.

320

Our simulations suggest the cars will hit a top speed of 320km/h, or 198mph, which is only just short of what is possible at Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Corniche Circuit. The venue will have an average speed of around 223km/h or 138mph, with cars expected to be at full throttle for 58% of the lap.

24,000

A staggering 24,000 tonnes of asphalt has been laid. A high proportion of the track surface in Miami is locally-sourced limestone, which has a high silica content. That makes it more hard-wearing and abrasive, so it’s been fused with a granite mix composition.

Drivin' drivin' our way to Miami 🌴

🏁 @LandoNorris 🤜🤛 @JimmyButler 🏀

🏁 @McLarenF1 🤜🤛 @MiamiHEAT 🏀#MiamiGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/xOZDQMf9sZ

— Formula 1 (@F1) May 2, 2022

37,000

As ever, safety is paramount. Thirty-seven thousand feet of concrete barriers line the 19-turn circuit, with 2,870 Geobrugg blocks installed.

14

For the first time in F1’s long history, a predominantly African-American community will host the championship. Miami Gardens, located 14 miles from Downtown Miami, is renowned for its small businesses and impressive food scene, particularly its soul food and Caribbean restaurants.

1

This may be the first F1 Grand Prix in Miami, but the city is no stranger to the high-level sport. At the heart of the track is the Hard Rock Stadium, home to National Football League outfit the Miami Dolphins.

You’ve also got the National Basketball Association’s Miami Heat in town, Major League Baseball’s Miami Marlins, and Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami, part-owned, of course, by football legend David Beckham. And to complete the quintet of major sports teams, there’s the National Hockey League’s Florida Panthers, who play in nearby Sunrise.

There’s an international sport, too. The Miami Open, one of the biggest tournaments on the tennis calendar and lower only in prestige than a Grand Slam, takes place in the Hard Rock tennis center next door to the Dolphins’ stadium.