The fifth race of the 2022 season sees Formula 1 break new ground in the United States with the first ever Miami Grand Prix around Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins NFL team.
But with a brand new circuit comes a number of unknowns not just about what kind of racing the track will produce, but how the ten teams will fare around the 5.4 kilometre course.
Here are five talking points heading into the first-ever Miami Grand Prix.
Will Ferrari or Red Bull make the most of Miami?
Leclerc and Verstappen have two wins eachOver the first four rounds of the 2022 season, Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen have shared two victories apiece to establish themselves as the clear favourites for the world championship.
After close contests in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, Leclerc held a clear advantage over Verstappen in Australia, before Red Bull turned the tables in Imola by romping to a comfortable victory as a late spin cost Leclerc useful points.
Heading to the Miami International Autodrome – a completely un-raced temporary circuit set around the car park of an NFL stadium – it’s difficult to predict which of the two teams, if either, will have the best package for the new track. With an estimated average lap speed of around 223km/h – almost identical to Imola – Ferrari can expect another tough battle with Red Bull for this weekend. Especially as Mattia Binotto has already said that Ferrari will not bring any “main” upgrades to Florida.
Is Miami the new Monaco?
When it makes its race-hosting debut this weekend, Miami will become the 16th circuit in the 21st century to hold a Formula 1 grand prix for the first time. However, none of them were hyped up before their inaugural race quite as much as Miami has been.
The Miami circuit is set around a stadium car parkIt’s little surprise given that Miami marks the second race in the USA – a vital market for F1 to succeed in – but Formula 1 is treating this weekend’s grand prix as if it is the most…