🗒Notes on Miami GP

- Low grip➡️High track evolution: timing in quali will be crucial!
- Long straight➡️Excessive drag will be costly! Peculiar track, as it includes a very slow section, too.
- Rear-limited, due to the frequent traction zones.

Your prediction?🤔
📸 @pirellisport

REAR WINGS - Miami GP

⚫️Merc: Medium-high load🔼 (very deep spoon)➡️They'll struggle on the straights

🟠McL: Medium▶️
🔴Ferrari/🔵RBR: Medium-low🔽

🟣Alpine is testing two specs:
-GAS: Medium-low🔽
-OCO: Low load!⏬ (Engine deficit?)

Very diverse choices across the grid!
📸 @AlbertFabrega & @Graftechweb

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McLaren's upgrade is massive!💡

🟣RedBul-style extended upper lip
🔴Shorter, wider inlets
🟢New cooling louvres
🔵Redesigned sidepods➡️more 🟡undercut (that allows air to reach the back)

9 performance updates (0 to 2 for the other teams): can you spot a few more?🤔

Norris was already quicker than both Ferrari cars in China, which couldn't heat their Hards properly.

If this upgrade works as intended, I expect them to get closer to RBR and fight more easily with Ferrari in all conditions.

Ferrari will introduce their big update in Imola.

TOP SPEEDS - FP1

The figures relative to each car's fastest lap don't tell the whole story:
-PIA (Only 50% of the updates) 337km/h
-NOR (Updated car) 341km/h [+4km/h]

🟠Norris' updated McLaren had an excellent top speed despite running a relatively loaded rear wing

BEST SECTORS - Sprint Quali Miami GP

🟠Norris was quickest in Sector 2 and Sector 3, and just 0.07s behind VER in S1
Quicker than PIA in all sectors: the updated car looked competitive everywhere

Mercedes struggled massively in the fast Sector 3: lowest top-speed of the field

MINISECTOR ANALYSIS - Miami GP

McLaren's upgrades might have solved their high drag: 340km/h (+2km/h vs RBR and Ferrari)
⬇️
NOR quickest on the straights

VER quickest on most partial-load corners

Kudos to LEC for starting P2 despite the lack of running and the non-upgraded car

Miami GP - Sprint Qualifying | Top Speed:

Teams can change the setup again after the Sprint, but who will use that for a rear wing change?🤔

-Mercedes might decrease the load (they were very slow on the straights, for a small downforce gain)
-Williams might increase the load: they were 1s off in S1 alone!

💭THOUGHTS ON Miami GP SPRINT

🔵VER wins, yet his ex-teammate RIC stole the show: brilliant P4!🏆
🟠No laps for NOR➡️No data to improve the setup for quali/race❌
⚫️No pace nor top speed for Merc: they might reduce the wing load🛠
🔴LEC: P2 with no updates👌

YOUR take?🤔

RACE PACE - Miami GP SPRINT

4 groups:
1)Front Runners (0.22s/lap between VER and PER)
2)The 'RIC Train' (SAI was 0.65s/lap slower than LEC: he likely had more pace in his pocket)
3)HUL (chilling)
4)MAG Train

RUS 3rd slowest! Lowest top speed in SQ➡️Hard to overtake slower cars

TOP SPEEDS - Miami GP SPRINT

Albon reached 361km/h!🚀
Williams ran a very skinny rear wing: in fact, his teammate SAR was 2nd fastest (355km/h).

HUL/LEC/VER never used DRS: yet, HUL was 12km/h quicker than VER, explaining HAM's difficulty in overtaking the other Haas.

The ‘Top Speed heatmap’ analysis is one of the many I’ve used in my in-depth ‘Sprint Analysis’ article

Become a page supporter, and access it though this link!👇 (only real F1-nerds allowed!🤓)

https://buymeacoffee.com/f1dataanalysis/miamigp-sprint-analysis

McLaren gained 0.8s over last year's quali, while Aston lost over 1s!💡

Track conditions were better last year: only 3 teams improved their lap times. 📉
Mercedes was one of them.

Ferrari got no closer to RedBull, yet they qualified better due to others' downfall: P2/P3 Vs P3/P7.👌

🟡VER vs 🔴LEC LAPS

338km/h top speed for both, yet VER gained on all straights: full-throttle earlier out of most corners
LEC sacrificed his exits to brake later: opposite styles.

In the last corner, VER was going 68km/h in THIRD gear: that engine has a lot of torque! (4800rpm).

QUALIFYING TOP SPEEDS (and change vs SQ)

Teams could change setup after the Sprint:
-Sauber/Aston/Alpine reduced their drag significantly📈
-Merc trimmed their wing slightly: +3km/h➡️Will make attacking 'less impossible'!👌
-McL added load: from 3rd fastest to slowest🛠

Notes on Miami GP:

🟠Norris’ excellent drive (and some luck!) won him his first race!🏆
🔵VER understeered on Hards: constantly lost to NOR and couldn’t gap LEC on fresher tyres⚠️
⚫️HAM’s best ‘24 race👌
🟣First points for Alpine

Updated McL + Ferrari’s Imola package ➡️SPICY championship! 🔥

What made this race so good?💡
The top 3 teams had the SAME PACE!
🥇Ferrari: 1.32.28
🥈McL: 1.32.30 (+0.02s/lap)
🥉RBR: 1:32.31 (+0.03s/lap)

McL has cooked with the upgrades, and Ferrari will bring theirs in Imola!

Lando Norris was quickest despite being in Perez's traffic.