This weekend, Formula 1 will be in Miami. This will be the third race in the United States for this season. Last year’s race was won by Max Vertappen with a narrow margin over Charles Leclerc. This year, Verstappen and Sergio Perez are the two favorites.
This season, Verstappen has won in Bahrain and Australia while his teammate Perez has won in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan. The Dutchman has won in Bahrain, Australia and Saudi Arabia while his teammate has won in Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia. Verstappen currently has a six-point lead. In 2023, it seems like the Red Bull teammates will have the biggest title fight. Currently, no other team is able to compete with them, but this could change in Miami.
The RB19 is the best, especially in the races. Leclerc won two poles at Baku but was beaten by miles in both the sprint race and feature race. Miami is another important stop on the title race. Perez’s win here could close the gap, or even reverse it. After he won Verstappen on merit in Baku, this race will cement his title credentials.
The Miami GP is held on the grounds of Hard Rock Stadium, at the Miami International Autodrome. The circuit is 5.412 kilometers long, has 19 turns and 57 total laps. The total distance is 308,326 kilometers. It’s technically (temporary), purpose-built, but it’s referred to as a “street circuit” by many. The weather is the main reason for the race’s physical difficulty. It takes place in the afternoon with high temperatures and humidity.
Ferrari will introduce the first of its major upgrades in Miami. However, it is not expected to be enough to catch Red Bull. One would expect, in such a scenario, that Verstappen will continue to battle Perez for the victory, just as he has done almost the entire year. It’s possible that a safety car or mechanical failure could cause the race to be rescheduled. Rain is also a possibility!
F1 Miami GP Weather Forecast 2023
Miami is famous for its humid, hot weather. This weekend, it’s likely to be hot, humid, and rainy. It is possible and even probable that it will rain either before, after or during Sunday’s race. During the race, it may rain. There is also a possibility of rain during qualifying. While Max Verstappen does well in the rain, it opens up opportunities for teams who are behind. According to AccuWeather a more detailed forecast is:
Friday
Around the time the first practice session begins, the weather will be mostly cloudy, but dry. Around this time, the cloud cover is expected to reach 49 percent. By the end, it will drop to 26 percent. Temperatures will be in the 30degC range (86degF). The wind is ENE at 15 km/h and will increase to 17 km/h towards the end of session. Wind gusts are expected to be between 28 and 32 km/h. Relative humidity is 47 percent.
The second practice session will be dry. The cloud cover is expected to remain stable at about 26 percent for the duration of the session. Temperatures will range between 28degC (82.4degF), and 29degC (84degF), over the course of the day. Winds will increase, and now flow at ENE 20km/h. Wind gusts will also increase, and will be around 35 to 39 km/h. Relative humidity ranges from 47 to 55%.
Saturday
The third practice session will be dry. It will be cloudy, but not as bad as it could get later in the weekend. Cloud cover is expected to be around 46 percent. Temperatures will vary between 29degC (84.2degF), and 31degC 87.8degF over the course the session. Winds will be blowing NE at 19-20 km/h. Wind gusts range between 26 and 30 km/h. Relative humidity ranges between 51 and 47 percent.
Rain will start to form by the end of qualifying. It’s predicted to rain in qualifying, but not too hard. Overall, the rain will be estimated at 0.5mm. Temperatures will range between 30degF (86degF), and 29degC (84degF). Winds will continue to blow NE at 22km/h and then shift to ENE at the end of session. Average humidity is expected to be between 52 and 55 percent. Overall, the chance of rain is between 51 and 47 percent.
Sunday
A thunderstorm is expected to occur in the hours leading up to the race. It is predicted that it will be cloudy ‘intermittently” for most of the race. There is still a possibility of rain, particularly towards the end, depending on whether there are any stops. The temperatures at the start of race will be around 29degC (84.22degF). Relative humidity is expected to be around 59 per cent.
It will be windy. The wind will blow at 26 km/h E for the majority of the race. The wind gusts are expected to range from 52 to 48 km/h in the later stages of the session. Cloud cover will range from 61 to 46%. Rain is possible at all stages of the race. The chances range from 34 to 51 per cent towards the finish. The race and team strategies will be spiced up by the rain.
F1 Miami GP 2023 Expected Strategy
The F1 Miami GP’s success will depend on the strategy of Hannah Schmitz. With a chance of rain in Miami, 2023, it is important to have a good strategy.
Last season, most teams and drivers chose a single-stop strategy. The track temperatures may reach 60degC. However, the track has been completely resurfaced so asphalt abrasion won’t be an issue. This also means the grip will be reduced. Track evolution will be very high, but traction will only be average.
Tire stress, braking forces, and lateral force will all be of medium intensity. The required downforce will be slightly lower than the average. Pirelli has chosen tire compounds C2 (Hard),C3 (Medium),and C4 (Soft) for the race. Last year the race was not affected by rain, but this year it is a possibility. It will be important to consider this when planning the race strategy. Some teams may decide to delay pit stops so that they can change for wet or intermediate tires in the event of rain.
F1 Miami GP 2023 DRS Zones
For the F1 Miami GP 2023, two DRS zones have been shortened at the Miami International Autodrome
The FIA has made a number of changes recently to DRS zones. In Jeddah they changed the detection point for the main straight DRS zones. In Australia, they added a DRS zone. In Azerbaijan they moved the detection of the final DRS zones 100m further. This was done to reduce the effectiveness of DRS. Miami has also seen changes: two DRS zones were shortened.
The DRS zone in the run-up to turn 11 was shortened by 75 metres. The detection point has moved from 30 meters to 105 metres after the turn 9 due to the change in distance. This change was also made to the length of the second DRS zone along the back straight. The new start position is 525 meters from the turn 16. It was 450 meters before.
It is open to debate whether or not this idea is good. Last year there was very little overtaking, especially at the front. Charles Leclerc, although he was quickly overtaken, was unable to move up on Max Verstappen afterward. It will be interesting to see what happens with the new DRS zones. Maybe there will be fewer overtakes than usual!
