The proposed circuit layout for Formula 1’s planned race in Miami next year has undergone further changes.
The original layout was criticised by several F1 drivers including Lewis Hamilton.
The latest draft of the Miami Grand Prix track layout (above), revealed by the Miami Herald, shows a new loop at its eastern end where it passes through PortMiami.The anti-clockwise track previously crossed onto the island, doubled-back through a tight hairpin (below), and returned across the bridge. The new loop has now added several extra corners at this point on the track.
A further change includes the addition of a double chicane, similar to the old ‘bus stop’ chicane at Spa, at the northern end of the circuit. This will likely be to slow the cars down at a fast point on the circuit while providing adequate run-off space.
The City of Miami is in negotiations with the sport to join the 2019 F1 calendar in a 10-year deal with an option to extend for a further 10 years.
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Original Miami Grand Prix track proposal
This is the original proposal for the Miami Grand Prix track layout. The section to the north, which ran around the AmericanAirlines Arena, was removed as the race promoters were refused permission by the city to use an area of land known as ‘Parcel B’.
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Vettel fan 17 (@)
19th July 2018, 11:12
I still stand by my original opinion that there shouldn’t be two races at a country. Maybe alternate by not two at a time, it takes up too much space on a calendar when there are other great tracks around the world.
If they are insisting on another circuit in America, there’s loads of circuits that would be great why are they sticking with a street circuit that’s going to be too narrow for good racing? And if they want a street circuit can’t they take St. Petersburg, as it showed in IndyCar it produces good racing.
Prab
19th July 2018, 11:20
+1
F1 should really have better options than going 2 races a country..
Being an F1 fan with no race in my country is hard enough with you all running to major markets to give them more entertainment.
I know F1 is a business model but hell its also a sport. Its a global sport.
Jere (@jerejj)
19th July 2018, 13:32
@vettelfan17 Agreed.
Lancer033 (@lancer033)
19th July 2018, 14:02
Keep in mind that if you just use the state of Texas alone, Europe has 4 GPs in less area. The UK is closer to Italy than I am to Texas and the cultures are just as different too.
Mario
19th July 2018, 14:08
Russia, Canada, Brazil – all huge countries…. no good argument for a second race in the US.
ppzzus (@ppzzus)
19th July 2018, 14:11
It makes sense to me, but im American. People don’t realize how big America is. The distance between Austin and Miami is almost as wide as all of Europe. Comparing Austin to Miami is the same as comparing Italy to France.
Seann (@canuckfan)
19th July 2018, 15:06
Canada is larger than the USA. We have one race in the east. The province of British Columbia is larger than the state of Texas, we have no race.
mfreire
19th July 2018, 21:56
Canada’s land size is the 2nd largest in the world buts it’s population is more than 10 times less than that of America’s. So population really factors in, I think.
Phylyp (@phylyp)
19th July 2018, 14:48
I’m quite neutral on a country hosting two F1 GPs. All I care about is that they are good and “racy” circuits. Baku has redeemed itself, and has shown that a street circuit can still offer entertaining races, so I’m not turned off on the idea of a good street circuit either.
I can understand Liberty’s desire to grow towards the US – it’s a huge market, and a petrol-dominated one at that, and sport is big money there. Every time they talk about a US race, they probably see it as U$ in their mind’s eye!
Not to mention with FE seemingly making inroads into cities that F1 couldn’t dip a toe in, they’d be keen to re-establish supremacy as the big daddies of motorsport.
Krommenaas (@krommenaas)
19th July 2018, 15:16
So if the EU would become one country, you’d want all but one of the EU’s races canceled then? Or would that arbitrary rule not count then?
It’s no more than logical that a huge market gets more than 1 GP, if the demand is there. The latter can be questioned in this case, but not because it’s the 2nd GP in the same country.
mfreire
19th July 2018, 21:54
St. Pete is 1.8 miles long and produces laps under a minute. Last I checked laps under a minute for a GP don’t count. It’s a great place for a race- I went to the IndyCar race there in March; the track would have to be extended.
Sush meerkat
19th July 2018, 11:15
Looks a lot better
My inner child got excited thinking of a loop de loop, then the coffee kicked in and I realised how immature I am
Land dispute? Refusal to use ‘Parcel B’? Sounds very cloak and dagger.
ColdFly (@)
19th July 2018, 13:54
PortMiami.
Is that were Sonny Crockett lives?
Christopher Rehn (@chrischrill)
19th July 2018, 11:40
Definitely an improvement, but I still don’t see why. If we desperately need a new race in the US, make it iconic. The Las Vegas Strip, Hollywood Boulevard, Central Park or Times Square. Not a bridge back and forth in Miami.
Krommenaas (@krommenaas)
19th July 2018, 15:17
I’m sure Liberty would jump at any of those locations. You convince the mayors :)
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
19th July 2018, 12:03
I didn’t mind the original one, this one strikes me as an improvement on the whole.
That double chicane is nasty, though. It smacks of mid-2000s Champ Car.
I’d’ve thought the left-hander it precedes could bring the cars onto the left-hand side of the road, allowing more room for run-off on the outside. That’s what they’ve done at a few corners in Singapore. But the run-up to the corner is so long maybe they need even more room there.
MacLeod (@macleod)
19th July 2018, 14:30
I think it would be better if they return to the clockwise circuit. The corners will be better to race with (more room for overtakes)
Mark Zastrow (@markzastrow)
19th July 2018, 16:30
For me, the revision is a shame. I was really looking forward to the back to back hairpins—would have been a unique calling card for the track and could have provided some thrilling slipstream battles. Now this looks like any other generic street circuit.
Matthijs (@matthijs)
19th July 2018, 12:06
So any layout is fine, as long as it contains the bridge. What’s up with this bridge, is it iconic?
Phylyp (@phylyp)
19th July 2018, 12:38
Makes for great TV visuals, I’d guess. @matthijs
ColdFly (@)
19th July 2018, 13:58
Let’s hope it’s not up :P
@phylyp
ColdFly (@)
19th July 2018, 13:59
Oops @matthijs.
Hugh (@hugh11)
19th July 2018, 12:14
That chicane… Jeez. Also, still not convinced. I’ve looked at a map and I don’t really see anywhere in the city of Miami where a track can be made. Either build it just outside the city (though not sure if that’ll be possible with national parks), on one of the grassy islands like Virginia Key (also not sure it’ll be allowed / possible), or don’t bother.
Cristian (@panzik)
19th July 2018, 12:51
It reminds me a track in Gran Turismo 4
Jere (@jerejj)
19th July 2018, 13:34
@panzik Which one specifically? I have that game, and, therefore, have played it a lot, but at the moment, I can’t figure to which one the most recent Miami layout option resembles the most.
Cristian (@panzik)
19th July 2018, 14:44
@jerejj A bit of Opera Paris for the chicane and a bit of New York for the hairpin.
PS. I have played It a lot too, good memories
V8Tom (@v8tom)
19th July 2018, 12:15
Needs to get rid of that silly bus stop it isn’t needed as it ruins a fantastic possible overtaking hotspot which are sometimes hard to find on street circuits. Need as many overtaking opportunities as possible
Krommenaas (@krommenaas)
19th July 2018, 15:20
There’s no run-off area at the end of the straight, that’s why they added the bus stop. The straight is still more than long enough.
Jere (@jerejj)
19th July 2018, 13:36
If the proposed Miami GP were to happen, then for how long it’d actually last? I wouldn’t be surprised if it didn’t even reach the halfway point of the 10-year period, not to mention the halfway period of the potential 20-year period before getting axed for whatever reason, LOL.
Phylyp (@phylyp)
19th July 2018, 14:07
@jerejj – good question/point. It could go away as soon as the local (city) administration changes in the next election.
It’s not a direct comparison, but this article illustrates how the mayor of Montreal cancelled the FE race at that city within 2 months of taking office, due to the cost involved, and petitions from citizens who didn’t appreciate the disruption it caused.
Strontium (@strontium)
20th July 2018, 0:39
Again, it’s impossible to judge a circuit from this. But I know from years of watching F1 that sequences of multiple very slow corners sometimes ruin the racing, therefore I’m not sure this is a good idea. Also, I don’t understand why there are two chicanes? Why not just one of them?
Zim
20th July 2018, 9:00
Just a thought, but what if you had a pit lane where you wouldn’t lose any time changing tyres, or maybe just lose a second or so. Teams could change tyres as often as they wanted, yet still within their allocation.
How would something like that play out? What would the differences be between using each tyre only once and being able to reuse tyres?
L
20th July 2018, 16:26
You wouldn’t lose time changing tyres but all the pit crew would probably lose their lives in the carnage…
Honestly, how do you see that working? You lose time because you are restricted to 80KMH for safety reasons whilst the cars on track are hitting 300. You could spend no time in the actual pit box and still lose 20 seconds.
Zim
22nd July 2018, 9:53
Plenty of times loads of teams have pitted at once so can’t see the carnage. You could easily place a pit lane where you wouldn’t lose time. Thanks for the reply though.
Andy Gonzales
22nd October 2018, 18:52
Clearly a purpose built track is the best for racing. Miami would be for glamour pandering. A west coast race at Laguna Seca is preferred as the second US venue.