Miami Grand Prix: Preview

MoneyGram Haas F1 Team collected points in Saudi Arabia and Australia, but was left outside of the top 10 after a challenging weekend in Azerbaijan, though preserved seventh position in the Constructors’ Championship. Returning to those points-paying positions is therefore the ambition for MoneyGram Haas F1 Team racers Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg at the sophomore Miami Grand Prix. Magnussen contested Miami’s inaugural round in 2022 while for Hulkenberg it will be his first experience of the Miami International Autodrome. 

After several years of anticipation Miami debuted on Formula 1’s schedule in 2022, with a street-style facility constructed around the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. The layout of the 19-corner 5.4km wall-lined track remains unchanged from its 2022 debut, with fast and flowing sections combining with tricky complexes and lengthy full-throttle sectors to test the all-round ability of a package. 

Race organizers have nonetheless taken feedback onboard and have repaved the entirety of the Miami International Autodrome in a bid to enhance the levels of grip available off-line. That has been undertaken with the intention of facilitating closer racing for 2023 after drivers struggled to battle side-by-side in 2022. Off-track there have also been alterations, with Formula 1’s hospitality units moved inside the Hard Rock Stadium, which will be viewable to spectators from the 300 Level of the 65,000-seater arena. 

The Miami Grand Prix at the Miami International Autodrome will be the first of three grands prix to be held in the United States in 2023. Austin’s Circuit of the Americas will host the United States Grand Prix, Round 19, on October 22, before the Las Vegas Strip Circuit makes its much-anticipated debut in the championship for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Round 22, on November 18. 

Guenther Steiner – Team Principal:

Following the first F1 Sprint of the year, with a revised format, what’s your overall assessment of the weekend and how did it go for MoneyGram Haas F1 Team?

“As an event, it went well. It was the first one and there was a lot going on during the race weekend and we still need to get our heads around it. For example, if we do Qualifying for the Grand Prix on Friday, do we disconnect between the race on Sunday and what happens in-between on Saturday? I don’t know the verdict yet, and FOM will speak to the fans to see what they have got to say and see if you need to switch it around, but overall I’m very happy with what happened. It’s quite intense for the teams and drivers but that’s what it should be like, in my opinion. I questioned Free Practice on Saturday, but it’s not boring anymore with Qualifying – it’s the complete opposite – and that’s what we want. All in all, we should go ahead and we should look into the details to see if we need to make small changes or not.” 

Formula 1 heads to the coastal metropolis of Florida for the Miami Grand Prix. In only its second running, how has Miami established itself on the calendar and what has this event brought to Formula 1?

“It feels strange as Miami’s only had one year but it feels like it’s been there a long time. Everybody’s looking forward to it because everyone did a good job last year. When you look at these events, there’s always room for improvement but I’m very positive as it’s one of those events where it’s great for the teams to come back. It was a great event last year and it will be a great event this year. There’s a positive buzz to it because the fans are really waiting for these events to come around.”

 

It’s the first home race of the season for MoneyGram Haas F1 Team. With multiple American sponsors – including title partner MoneyGram – how do these races differ and how is the team ‘showing up’ during race week?

“This event is busy for everybody, the whole team, there is so much going on because it’s a great event. We’ve got a lot of partners, MoneyGram, Haas Automation, Chipotle, TravisMathew – who are American – and then you’ve got OAKBERRY, and Palm Angels – who have a lot of ties to Miami and it’s an important market for them, almost a home race for them. We’ve got a lot of activation going on, which is great because we get exposure and the fans love it when we show them what we’re doing. It’s busy but the weekend will fly by, it’s going to be an event that you never stop.”