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.

This is the teams' pecking order when, instead, only each team's quicker driver is considered:

1) McL (NOR)
2) RBR (VER) +0.07s/lap
3) Ferrari (LEC) +0.11s/lap
4) Merc (HAM) + 0.61s/lap
5) RacingBulls (TSU) +0.93s/lap

TOP SPEEDS - Miami GP Sprint + Race

Albon reached 361km/h!😳
Williams' low-load wing gave him and Sargeant excellent drag, but little downforce as well.⚠️

💡Verstappen NEVER used the DRS on the main straight in both the Sprint and the Race: 'just' 322km/h at most.

👀TRACK DOMINANCE - WEEKEND's FASTEST LAPS

The ‘ideal lap’ (laptime obtained by combining the three purple sectors) was 1:27.075, or 0.166s quicker than Verstappen’s pole!⏱
Still, 0.234s slower than last year's pole📉

Video-collab with @formulaneonf1: feedbacks are welcomed!🤩