The circuit is located around the Hard Rock Stadium, the home of the Dolphins of the National Football League
FROM THE ENROLLED TO MIAMI. Formula 1 debuts in Miami for the first of two races scheduled this season in the United States (the second will be in Austin on October 23, Italy is the only other nation to host two events, Imola and Monza). The Miami GP will be held on the new Miami International Autodrome, a 5412-meter circuit with an estimated average speed of 223 km / h and a maximum speed of 320 km / h, located around the Hard Rock Stadium, the home of the Dolphins of the National Football League. . The track has two long straights that should facilitate overtaking, also thanks to the three Drs areas provided.
In the absence of tests and other data, the technicians must best simulate the characteristics of the track. Enrico Sampò, head of the Ferrari simulator, talks about it, which this year proved to be a strength of the Scuderia.
The simulation took the place of the track tests. «The driving simulator – explains Sampò – is a fundamental element in the preparation of a race weekend. The activity begins several weeks earlier with a review of the previous year’s Grand Prix, if available. A few sessions are then carried out with a test driver to understand the behavior of the tires, to predict the car balance, to verify the behavior of specific components and finally to test different set-up options. A few days before the event, the drivers and their track engineers face a simulator session to help prepare themselves and the car. In the case of new circuits, such as Miami, Leclerc and Sainz use the simulator to train, to get to know the circuit better and to repeat the various procedures of the race weekend ».
What is the first moment in the weekend when you know if the simulator has been done a good job?
«It is the first free practice session on Friday. At that moment the first data and comments from the track begin to arrive. At this point we begin to compare the simulator data with those collected on the track. In the case of a new track such as Miami, the data on the layout of the circuit itself, on the layout of the curbs and on the presence or absence of elements that the simulator model did not foresee are also important. The correlation between the car’s behavior on the track and in the simulator is refined over the weekend. However, having a good starting point is essential to give the engineers on the track the opportunity to concentrate on the details ».
Miami is a whole new track. What characteristics does it have and how did you prepare for this weekend together with the two riders?
«We expect a fast track, with some high-speed corners in the first sector and others rather slow, especially in the third. There are some very long straights, with three Drs zones and a good chance of overtaking. From the point of view of car balance, it is a complex circuit where you need to find a good compromise between the various types of corners and have good efficiency to tackle the long straights. The event was prepared in the simulator following our standard procedures, with particular attention due to the fact that the uncertainty of the information in our possession is greater. For this reason, the series of conditions and problems that we try to predict is wider than usual. Charles and Carlos both went through a long preparation session to get to know the circuit, explore the possible limitations of the car and try out different setup solutions to optimize balance and lap time ».
The program (Italian time): Friday 6 May the two free practice sessions (20.30 and 23.30). Free practice (19) and qualifying (23) again on Saturday. The race will take place on Sunday at 9.30 pm. Ranking after the first 4 GPs: 1. Leclerc (Ferrari) 86; 2. Verstappen (Red Bull) 59; 3. Perez (Red Bull) 54; 4. Russell (Mercedes) 49; 5. Sainz (Ferrari) 38; 6. Norris (McLaren) 35; 7. Hamilton (Mercedes) 28. Constructors: 1. Ferrari 124; 2. Red Bull 113; 3. Mercedes 77. 4. McLaren 46; 5. Alfa Romeo 25.
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