Haas F1 Team is preparing to return to home ground in the United States for the inaugural Miami Grand Prix, Round 5 of the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
Plans to add a second grand prix in the United States have been several years in the making, with Miami, Florida, eventually pinpointed as the desirable location. After further discussions the area around the Hard Rock Stadium, in Miami Gardens, was selected.
Hard Rock Stadium is the home of NFL's Miami Dolphins, Miami Hurricanes soccer team and tennis' Miami Open, and has hosted the prestigious Super Bowl on six occasions, most recently in 2020.
The Miami International Autodrome can now be added to the Hard Rock Stadium's impressive sporting portfolio, with Formula 1's Miami Grand Prix contracted through the next decade. Miami's round comes in addition to the annual United States Grand Prix, at Austin's Circuit of the Americas, which will take place in October, marking the first time since 1984 that two rounds have been held in the country.
Miami International Autodrome will also become the 11th different venue to host Formula 1 in the United States, more than any other country in the world.
The 5.41km 19-turn wall-lined circuit, named the Miami International Autodrome, utilizes the land on the Hard Rock Stadium campus. The circuit has been designed in conjunction with Formula 1 officials in order to create the best fast and flowing layout, as well as offering maximum opportunities for racing, with three DRS zones located around the track.
The start/finish line and pit lane will be located adjacent to the Hard Rock Stadium, where the likes of Taylor Swift, The Rolling Stones and U2 once played, and which will now reverberate to the sound of Formula 1 machinery. Formula 1 is ready to thrive in 'The 305'.
Another points scoring race weekend for the team last time out, with Kevin finishing inside the top-eight in the Sprint and collecting two points for ninth in the grand prix. Having now seen the car perform in all weather conditions, where would you rank its strengths and weaknesses?
Guenther Steiner: "I don't think there any particular strengths or weaknesses, I think the car is pretty good all round. Obviously, in the main race in Imola, we were not performing as we would've wished so we need to look into the data and see how maybe we can get the tires to work better and go again. I think the car in general is pretty good, we just have to keep on working hard and getting more points."
Formula 1 heads to the Magic City for the newest addition to the calendar - the Miami Grand Prix. Have you visited the city before, what do you know about Miami and what are you looking forward to this week?
GS: "Unfortunately, I've never visited Miami itself, but I've been to Homestead-Miami Speedway before. I know it's a pretty cool city, and I would like to have time to visit but I think we will be very busy over the whole weekend with a lot of things going on - having an exciting race and an exciting show. So, I must postpone getting to know the city until a later date, maybe when I stop working in racing."
Races in America are becoming as much about the show as they are about the main event. As a Team Principal of the only American team in Formula 1, does it feel different when Haas F1 Team races in its homeland?
GS: "It's always exciting to race at home and now having a second race in Miami, it's even more exciting and it's closer to our base in North Carolina. Having a show around the racing is a great addition and the combination of both makes it more valuable to the sport, but the main event is always the racing."
The anticipation for this race is at an all-time high - from a business standpoint, how important is it for Formula 1 to race in locations like Miami and have you seen the impact from a partnership perspective?
GS: "Yes, I've seen the impact. We've got a lot more interest for partnerships, for sponsorship and it has risen quite a lot. Now, we can take a little bit of time to go through and see how it develops but for sure, having the race in Miami and adding a race in Las Vegas next year, a third race in the States, will help all of this. We're in no hurry but the sport is in a good place at the moment."
Formula 1 heads to the Magic City for the newest addition to the calendar - the Miami Grand Prix. Have you visited the city before, what do you know about Miami and what are you looking forward to this week?
Kevin Magnussen: "I have visited Miami quite a few times. Last year I competed in the IMSA championship in America and got to spend a bit of time there. I was also on holiday in Miami when this job came about again! I'm looking forward to going back there, I think there's a real buzz around the race, so it's going to be great."
The circuit is a 5.41km street track, with the Hard Rock Stadium at its center and numerous elevation changes between Turns 13 and 16. Can you take us through the highlights and overtaking opportunities through the course of a lap?
KM: "There's two big overtaking opportunities with these two very long straights. The track then has a good mix of high-speed and very low-speed sections, from T4 to T11 is high-speed and from T11 to T16 is super low-speed so there's a good mix and with two long straights to overtake, hopefully it will make for a good race."
We're a few races into the season now - do you feel fully acclimatized back to being a Formula 1 driver, and what do you make of this new era of racing so far?
KM: "I think there's been a positive change with these new cars in terms of racing each other and I'm certainly enjoying it, it feels like there's a lot more room to push and attack. I feel acclimatized, I'm still working as hard as I can on getting back to full fitness, but I've made some very good progress and am getting there."
The first five races of the season will see Haas F1 Team race across four different continents - how are you keeping fresh and focused and are you looking forward to getting into a rhythm when we head back to Europe?
KM: "I've been looking forward to going back to these tracks. I feel like every race so far has been a real joy and I look forward to every race, whether it's in Europe or outside. It's good though to come back to some of these tracks that I've got more experience with - a lot of good memories. In Europe, some of the tracks are where I used to race at in junior categories as well, so there's always good memories and a good atmosphere. Silverstone and Monza, those types of tracks are iconic and I'm really looking forward to going back to Spa with fans there as well."
Formula 1 heads to the Magic City for the newest addition to the calendar - the Miami Grand Prix. Have you visited the city before, what do you know about Miami and what are you looking forward to this week?
Mick Schumacher: "I haven't visited Miami yet actually, I've just driven past it when I was younger. I'm very excited to go there, it's a place I've always wanted to go and see and experience. The beach is quite known there, and my hotel is quite close, so I'll probably get to go there and obviously I'm most excited about the race."
The circuit is a 5.41km street track, with the Hard Rock Stadium at its center and numerous elevation changes between Turns 13 and 16. Can you take us through the highlights and overtaking opportunities through the course of a lap?
MS: "I haven't driven the track so it's difficult to say what the highlights are going to be and what it's going to be like, but an American race is always fun. There's always a lot of show, there are always celebrities that come who you wouldn't get the opportunity to meet otherwise and it's good to have the whole show broadcast. I think it's great that we're becoming more and more American in some ways because I think the fans are great and I enjoy myself every time I go. I'm excited about racing there more and more in the future."
We know you're a big fan of America, and next season Formula 1 will have three races in the US - what is it that attracts you?
MS: "It's mainly because it's different. I wouldn't say I'm a one-sided person - I'm very versatile in the stuff that I like. For example, Australia is a place I love, it could be the mountains in the north of Norway or even Switzerland but in America… My sister says that the sky seems bigger in the States, and it's true in a way! Out there, it's flat and where we are in Texas is very flat. The people are always very nice - I got stopped by a police officer last year and he was super kind and let me have a look at his car and there's just a nice feeling to it."
The first five races of the season will see Haas F1 Team race across four different continents - how are you keeping fresh and focused and are you looking forward to getting into a rhythm when we head back to Europe?
MS: "I spend a lot of time in the places that we go to, beforehand. In Australia, I went a full week early and it's similar in the States so I try to get there as early as I can and try to get into the rhythm. I tend not to stick around for too long after to then get back into the time zone of Europe, just because we have the European races coming up. Most of the places that I go to, I will look out for a gym. If it's a hotel, I'll look for one with a gym and if I'm at the ranch I've built my own gym so I can train when I'm there. When I go to places like Texas I'm always on my feet all day anyway, so it's just a bonus if I have a gym."
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