Ace drivers praise ‘amazing’ Miami Grand Prix

Article posted by Coliseum, May 11^th, 2022

Image: Formula 1

The Miami Grand Prix (US) held on May 8^th got a thumbs-up from the top three finishers, with Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch motorsports racing driver) and Charles Leclerc (Monacan motorsports racing driver) calling it an “amazing” event.

The ‘Racer’ stated that after a number of years in the planning stages, the first race took place around the Miami International Autodrome at the Hard Rock Stadium in front of a sellout crowd drawing in A-list celebrities such as Tom Brady (American football quarterback), Michael Jordan (former professional basketball player), Michelle Obama (former First Lady of the United States), Serena Williams (American tennis player), and LeBron James (American professional basketball player). While the track layout itself came in for constructive criticism, the podium finishers were impressed with the event as a whole.

The Miami Grand Prix is a Formula One Grand Prix which forms part of the 2022 Formula One World Championship, with the event taking place at the Miami International Autodrome on a 10-year contract.

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The 2022 Miami Grand Prix (officially known as the Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix 2022) was a Formula One motor race that was held on May 8^th, 2022, at the Miami International Autodrome in Miami Gardens, Florida, United States. It was the first edition of the Miami Grand Prix and the fifth round of the 2022 Formula One World Championship.

The 85,000-capacity Miami International Autodrome is a purpose-built temporary circuit around Hard Rock Stadium and its private facilities in the Miami suburb of Miami Gardens, Florida (US). The track is 3.363 mi long and features 19 corners with an anticipated average speed of around 139 mph.

The 65,326-capacity Hard Rock Stadium is a multipurpose stadium located in Miami Gardens, Florida (US), a City North of Miami. It is the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL) and the University of Miami’s college football team.

Said Verstappen, “I think it was an incredible atmosphere. I mean, it was really incredibly well organized. Really nice to see that. It’s not easy to put an event on like this. But yeah, they did an amazing job, and I had a lot of fun, driving around. I think trackwise, we can improve a few areas. But I have say in the race, I think Sector 1 was quite fun. I do think Sector 2… would have been nice if it could have been a bit faster and flowing for an F1 car like we have right now. You know: Super long, heavy, wide. The [Turn] 14-15 chicane is a bit of a tricky combination.”

Added Verstappen, “And if it means more, I mean it’s another 25 or 26 points, right? It’s a nice venue, that’s for sure, but still you know you have the same amount of points what you can gain.”

The ‘Racer’ further stated that Leclerc echoed Verstappen’s sentiments, after a race that saw huge amounts of activations throughout the weekend -“Yeah, the atmosphere was incredible. It’s great to see how much interest the sport has got in the last few years. And yeah, organization was great. Loads of people, good weather. So yeah, it was amazing to be here.”

After finishing third, Carlos Sainz Jr. (Spanish motorsports racing driver) said the event itself doesn’t need any improvements, but the track can be modified to provide an even more exciting race for fans – “I think it was a mega event, put together… not easy on the first event to put such a well-organized venue. So many people coming, so many people in the paddock… for me the paddock were incredibly full!”

Added Sainz, “It was crazy. So yeah, congrats. I look forward to coming back here in the future. And I think, between FIA and ourselves, we can do a better job with the tarmac, we can do a better job with some corner combinations, and we can put together an even better show in the future.”

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