Why drivers hope for better surface in 2023, chicane remedy.
Anadolu AgencyGetty Images- The main issue drivers encountered was the lack of grip once they dipped a wheel outside of the optimum racing line.
- Drivers were also unhappy that they were not listened to by the FIA after requesting a TecPro barrier be installed in place of concrete at the exit of Turn 13.
- The complex drivers tended to dislike was the awkward Turn 14/15 chicane that leads drivers beneath the turnpike.
The racing action in the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix was so-so, with a few passes, and a fair bit of battling—quite a lot of it scrappy—in the midfield.
Most of the track layout was also positively received. The main issue drivers encountered was the lack of grip once they dipped a wheel outside of the optimum racing line.
“They need to do something,” said George Russell, who is also a chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association. “One, it’s a safety issue, and secondly it just does not offer good racing. You can’t go side-by-side around the corner because there’s zero grip offline. It’s like driving on slicks after it’s been wet and there’s only one dry line. It is driveable, but it depends if you want to offer good racing.”
Alpine’s Esteban Ocon commented that “we were told before coming here these stones from Georgia are the best in the world, best tarmac in the world, and it’s a disaster. You cannot do a dive on the inside of anybody, when you go off-line you lose half a second, there was only one line. It’s not working at all.”
Race winner Verstappen added that “we had good examples lately with new tracks where we had good tarmac, like Saudi actually, which was pretty grippy. You know, the racing line, of course has a bit more grip then off-line, but I think the difference here is a bit too much in places.”
Drivers were also unhappy that they were not listened to by the FIA after requesting a TecPro barrier be installed in place of concrete at the exit of Turn 13, following a Friday accident for Carlos Sainz. Ocon then went off at the same corner on Saturday and suffered a “pretty painful” shunt that was measured at 51G and cracked his chassis.
Formula 1 drivers said that sticking to the racing line was key to racing in Miami.
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The complex drivers tended to dislike was the awkward Turn 14/15 chicane that leads drivers beneath the turnpike.
“There’s a couple of bumps that we could probably fix,” said Lewis Hamilton. “We should probably get rid of the chicane. Otherwise, it’s great.”
Verstappen added that “if I would have been in a go kart, it would be a nice chicane to take, but not in an F1 car like we have at the moment.”
Leclerc understood the decision to feature the chicane but hopes a solution can be sought.
“It’s a corner that is just a bit unnatural and it’s a corner that I think it can be easily manipulated to look a bit different and create a better combination, you know,” he said.
“I think it’s still needed because there’s not a lot of space there and you need to be quite slow approaching 16 because there’s no runoff. So we need something slow, we need something tight. It’s a new track that you’re always going to go through these phases and we’re already in touch with FOM, with Ross (Brawn) and his team to actually sort it out and put together a better piece of circuit.”
Keyword: F1 Drivers Want Changes to Miami Grand Prix Circuit for 2023