F1 Miami Grand Prix: New rules, new cars and a season reset
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DJ Khaled takes a photo with the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls Formula 1 team at a VCARB Miami livery launch on Wednesday. Photo: Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images
Formula 1 takes over Hard Rock Stadium on Thursday for the Miami Grand Prix weekend.
- Here's your cheat sheet for following the action on the track.
How it works: 22 drivers from 11 teams will race around the stadium, hitting speeds of nearly 200 mph.
- The main race is Sunday afternoon ( 📺 4pm on Apple TV), but the drivers will compete in a shorter Sprint race Saturday.
- You can also watch F1 practice and qualifying sessions on Friday and Saturday.
- The Grand Prix coincides with on-track action from Formula 2 and the all-female F1 Academy.
Team to beat: Mercedes has won the first three races of the new season, and their 19-year-old Italian driver, Kimi Antonelli, is the early leader in the driver standings with two wins.
- Drivers George Russell (Mercedes) and Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) are close behind in the points.
- Ferrari and McLaren round out the top three constructors (aka teams).
- Russell and Antonelli are the betting favorites to win on Sunday, per BetMGM.
The intrigue: F1 imposed new car regulations this season to enable tighter "wheel-to-wheel racing."
- The hybrid engines are now split 50-50 between electric and combustion power, so decisions about when to recharge and deploy the battery have added a new wrinkle to driver strategies.
- The new regulations have been polarizing. Max Verstappen, the four-time Red Bull champion whose currently ninth in the standings, has been the biggest critic.
- Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time champion who's currently fourth, says the regulations have produced better racing.
What we're watching: Teams have had about a month off after the last two races in the Middle East were canceled due to the war in Iran.
- Many teams are expected to make upgrades to their cars ahead of the Miami race, Sky Sports has reported.
- "It's like a relaunch of the season. Teams are going to turn up with dramatically changed and hopefully improved cars," Sky F1's Martin Brundle said this week.
Where to watch: There are a ton of F1 watch parties happening this weekend, from Wynwood to Coconut Grove and South Beach.
If you go: It's going to be expensive, especially this close to the race.
- Friday single-day grandstand tickets are usually the best value with the addition of the sprint race qualifying, but tickets were starting around $162 on Thursday, compared to the $84 I got them for in March.
- By comparison, the cheapest tickets for Saturday and Sunday were starting at $691 and $883, respectively.
Getting there: Pricey paid parking is available, but I always opt for ridesharing and/or the free shuttles.