Written by Charlie Thompson, Edited by Tay Rui En
As many people know, Formula 1 held the inaugural Miami Grand Prix at the Miami International Autodrome the past weekend where Max Verstappen won the race ahead of championship rival Charles Leclerc.
As the weekend progressed, after watching onboards and TV footage, many viewers started to become increasingly critical of the track, particularly regarding the width of the track at some parts. The cramped chicane at turn 14 was notable as Carlos Sainz and Esteban Ocon both had high impact crashes in this area, appearing to lose grip very quickly. Max Verstappen also complained in an interview that the whole complex in that area, from turn 11 to 16, was “a joke”.
It was clear that many people did not like the track. Even Lewis Hamilton reportedly compared it to a “B&Q carpark”. The whole of sector 3 could use a redesign as there were areas that seemed to be designed for the more agile Formula E cars, as any error through some areas could lead to total disaster, rather than for the less agile Formula 1 cars.
Looking past the negative aspects of the track, the track at the Miami International Autodrome also does have its plus points. Some parts of the track, mostly the first sector, were not only brilliant to look at, but also produced some brilliant racing, with the most poignant moment being Max Verstappen’s eventual race winning overtake on rival Charles Leclerc. Moreover, the whole spectacle of racing in Miami was huge, bringing increased viewership to Formula 1 in the USA. ABC’s coverage of the race reached several million concurrent viewers, and also the amount of high end celebrities we saw on the grid and in garages, provided great advertisement to encourage viewership for the sport.