Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has given feedback on the inaugural Miami Grand Prix, revealing that he nearly knocked himself out during practice.
F1’s reigning world champion took the chequered flag in Florida for his third win of 2022. The Dutchman held off a post-safety car assault from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in a race that had limited wheel-to-wheel action. With the victory, Verstappen maintains his record of winning every race that he has finished this season.
Miami’s race strategy was an open book as a brand-new Grand Prix. Surprisingly, the tyre compounds proved much more durable than anticipated. As a result, George Russell and Esteban Ocon recovered from lowly grid positions to take points via mammoth hard tyre stints. The pair finished fifth and eighth, respectively.
Many praised the weekend in Miami as a fantastic spectacle. Featuring support races and numerous off-track events, there was plenty to entertain the hordes of visitors. However, in the paddock, some of the feedback was less positive.
Drivers take issue with Miami circuit
The first problem that drivers identified was the scorching Florida sun. For instance, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton revealed that he lost two kilograms in body weight from Friday practice sessions alone. He compared it to previous races held in south-east Asia.
“The heat reminds me a little bit of driving in Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur is still number one in terms of the heat, then Singapore, and now here in Miami,” said Hamilton (quotes via Daily Mirror).
Meanwhile, surface issues plagued the new Miami course. Track temperatures were among the highest ever seen in F1, which caused problems with grip. The unique surface make-up – which included lime rock – meant that the top layer broke into tiny gravel-like pieces, dirtying the lesser-used parts of the track too.
Unsurprisingly, drivers were not keen on the diminished grip off the racing line, claiming this made overtaking tricky.
Finally, a specific section of the track design received criticism. The turn 14-15 chicane, which was underneath a turnpike in a cool feature, drew a negative reaction. Max Verstappen was unimpressed.
Max Verstappen reveals near knock-out
The Red Bull ace certainly felt that elements of the Miami circuit needed change.
“I think track-wise, we can improve a few areas,” said Verstappen per Autosport. “The 14-15 chicane is a bit of a tricky combination. I think if I would have been in a go-kart, it would be a nice chicane to take. But not in an F1 car like we have at the moment.
“I remember in the four laps I did on Friday, I almost knocked myself out because I hit the first kerb and your head just bounced from left to right at least five or six times – but really bad.
“If you take it a tiny bit too much, just because it’s so long, so wide, so stiff, and super heavy that little kerb what it is, it’s just not made for it, to be honest. So, maybe we have to change the kerb layout already, that’s it’s a bit more of a progressive ramp, and it looks a bit nicer to go over.”
Read: Max Verstappen aims dig at Lewis Hamilton with George Russell comparison
Carlos Sainz seconded Verstappen’s thoughts, saying that drivers needed “a bit of luck” to get past the section.
However, Sainz’s Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc actually liked the chicane.
“I enjoyed it,” said the Monegasque driver. “But on the other hand, I agree that for racing action, we can do something better because following wasn’t easy on that part.”
With Miami a fixture on the calendar for the next nine seasons, it will be interesting to see if organisers listen to the drivers and make modifications.
Featured Image Credit: Getty
