With the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix being cancelled, there’s been a long gap from Japan to this weekend. During that downtime, the FIA tweaked some rules in the hopes of addressing some of the safety concerns:
- Qualifying sessions:
- the total amount of recharge permitted on a lap has been reduced from 8MJ to 7MJ, which means less recovery and so less time at the slower harvesting speed
- maximum amount of power recovered while on full throttle (aka “super-clipping”) has been increased from 250kW to 350kW
- the number of tracks where a lower energy limit below 7MJ may be applied was increased from eight to twelve
- Races:
- maximum power of “boost” mode is now capped at 150kW
- drivers will be allowed to deploy the full 350kW in acceleration zones out of corners, but limited to 250kW elsewhere
- Race starts:
- proposed changes to the race-start procedure will be trialled in Miami, including a “low-power start detection system” which would permit automatic deployment of the MGU-K, and a visual warning system featuring flashing rear and lateral lights
- Wet conditions:
- tyre blanket temperatures are increased “to improve initial grip and tyre performance in wet conditions”
- the maximum level of electrical deployments will be reduced (details are to be confirmed)
- there will be a “simplification” of the rear light systems for “clearer and more consistent visual cues to improve visibility and reaction time for following drivers in poor conditions”
Miami is the second of the six sprint format weekends. The forecast for Saturday and Sunday includes thunderstorms, which could cause major disruption as US law means they would have to suspend the session and clear the grandstands if lightning was detected in the area.
Free Practice
- FP1: LEC (1:29.310), VER, PIA, HAM, ANT
Teams have brought lots of upgrades, so this is the first time they can see how they perform
ANT cut the chicane at turns 14 & 15, as did OCO, GAS, ALB and VER
RUS described his turbo as sounding like a steam train, complete with an impression
STR was weaving in front of ANT, causing the Mercedes driver to abandon his lap
STR also squeezed PER, the Aston Martin driver presumably oblivious rather than intentional
RUS locked up, flat-spotting his front tyre
HAM also had a lock up in Turn 1 and flat-spotted his front-right too, as did NOR and a few others
Penalties
Ferrari fined €200 for LEC speeding in the pit lane
Sprint Qualifying
Sprint Qualifying session 1 (Q1)
STR locks up, runs wide but then sits in the run-off area while resetting something; he pits and retires without setting a time
NOR 1:28.723
Chequered flag; bottom 6 are OCO, PER, ALB, BOT, ALO, STR
ALO deep in Turn 11, runs wide; finishes P21
ALB P16, relegating LAW to P17
Back of the grid: LAW, OCO, PER, BOT, ALO, STR
Sprint Qualifying session 2
LEC 1:28.333
Chequered flag; bottom 6 are BOR, HUL, ALB, SAI, LIN, BEA
BEA P13
SAI P15
HUL P12
BOR P11
Middle of the grid: BOR, HUL, BEA, ALB, SAI, LIN
Sprint Qualifying session 3
RUS 1:28.493
HAM P2
NOR 1:27.869
LEC P2
GAS P5
COL P5
HAD P6
Chequered flag
VER P3
PIA P2
ANT P2
Front of the grid: NOR, ANT, PIA, LEC, VER, RUS, HAM, COL, HAD, GAS
Provisional Sprint grid: NOR, ANT, PIA, LEC, VER, RUS, HAM, COL, HAD, GAS, BOR, HUL, BEA, ALB, SAI, LIN, LAW, OCO, PER, BOT, ALO, STR
Penalties
ALB had exceeded track limits in SQ1 but it wasn’t reported to the Stewards until he was running in SQ2, so all his SQ2 times were deleted as well as that SQ1 lap, dropping him to P19
ALO and STR were given permission to race despite not meeting the 107% time requirement
Mechanics were still working on LIN’s car beyond “covers-on” time, so he’ll have to start from the pit lane
Sprint Race
Grid: NOR, ANT, PIA, LEC, VER, RUS, HAM, COL, HAD, GAS, BOR, HUL, BEA, SAI, LAW, OCO, PER, ALB, BOT, ALO, STR; LIN will start from the pit lane
Pit lane is open; drivers can make their way to the grid
HUL has stopped on track – there was smoke from the Audi’s engine
HUL’s car has been removed, and there’s be a gap in P12 on the grid
01/19: ANT has a poor start; he’s down to P4
VER and HAM bang wheels in Turn 1
07: RUS up the inside of ANT for P4
08: ANT takes P4 back from RUS
VER forces HAM wide – they’re both off the track so VER should give back P6
09: VER is finally told to give HAM the position
10/19: NOR, PIA, LEC, ANT, RUS, HAM, VER, GAS, COL, HAD
VER makes a clean pass on HAM
Bodywork flying off OCO’s Haas
11: BEA drives over his teammate’s debris
17: HAD blasts past COL for P9
18: LEC runs wide, dropping back from PIA
NOR takes the chequered flag
Provisional Sprint result: NOR, PIA, LEC, ANT, RUS, VER, HAM, GAS; HAD, COL, BOR, OCO, BEA, SAI, LAW, PER, STR, ALB, BOT; DNF: HUL, LIN
Penalties
ANT given 5-sec penalty for exceeding track limits, dropping him to P6, behind VER
BOR was disqualified because his Audi’s engine intake air pressure exceeded maximum permitted limit
Sprint result: NOR, PIA, LEC, RUS, VER, ANT, HAM, GAS; HAD, COL, OCO, BEA, SAI, LAW, PER, STR, ALB, BOT; DNF: HUL, LIN; DQ: BOR
Qualifying
Qualifying session 1 (Q1)
VER 1:29.099
ANT 1:28.653
Chequered flag; bottom 6 are LIN, ALO, STR, PER, BOT, BOR
BOR P22 – his rear-left brake was on fire
LIN P17
ALO P18
STR P19
BOT P20
Back of the grid: LIN, ALO, STR, BOT, PER, BOR
Qualifying session 2
ANT 1:28.289
VER 1:28.116
Chequered flag; bottom 6 are HUL, SAI, LAW, OCO, BEA, ALB
LAW P12
OCO P14
BEA P13
ALB P16
Middle of the grid: HUL, LAW, BEA, SAI, OCO, ALB
Qualifying session 3
PIA 1:28.687
NOR 1:28.183
HAD P3
VER 1:28.181
LEC 1:28.143
HAM P4
COL P6
ANT 1:27.798
RUS P5
Chequered flag; order is ANT, LEC, VER, NOR, RUS, HAM, PIA, COL, HAD, GAS
RUS P5
PIA P7
NOR P4
LEC P2
HAM P6
VER P2
Front of the grid: ANT, VER, LEC, NOR, RUS, HAM, PIA, COL, HAD, GAS
Provisional grid: ANT, VER, LEC, NOR, RUS, HAM, PIA, COL, HAD, GAS, HUL, LAW, BEA, SAI, OCO, ALB, LIN, ALO, STR, BOT, PER, BOR
Penalties
HAD has been disqualified because the floor boards were protruding out of the reference volume; he has, however, been given permission to race
Red Bull replaced some power unit components on HAD’s car, so he’ll start from the pit lane
“Following discussions between FIA, F1 and the Miami promoter, the decision has been taken to move the start of Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix to 13:00 local time in Miami due to the weather forecast that is expected to bring heavier rainstorms later in the afternoon, close to the original planned race start time” [F1]
(It’s actually because of the forecast thunderstorms and the law that means they’d have to evacuate all the metal grandstands.)
Race
Pit lane is open; drivers can make their way to the grid
Grid: ANT, VER, LEC, NOR, RUS, HAM, PIA, COL, GAS, HUL, LAW, BEA, SAI, OCO, ALB, LIN, ALO, STR, BOT, PER, BOR; HAD starts from the pit lane
01/57: LEC gets a good start; he, ANT and VER are three-abreast into Turn 1; ANT and VER both lock up, handing P1 to LEC
VER tries to boot it out of Turn 1 but spins
COL forces HAM wide, and taps him for good measure; COL takes P6; HAM has damage
HAM passes COL cleanly for P6
03: RUS takes P4 from PIA
04: ANT inside LEC, takes P1
05/57: ANT, LEC, NOR, RUS, PIA, HAM, COL, VER, LAW, ALB
LEC reclaims P1
HAD has clipped a wall, broken his front-left suspension, and gone fully into the wall in Turn 19
06: GAS’s Alpine is stuck with it’s rear-right wheel on the tyre wall
(What on earth is that photographer doing leaning out through the photo hole?)
Safety Car deployed
07: Replay of LAW hitting GAS, causing him to flip over; fortunately GAS is out and walking away
11: SC in at the end of this lap
12: PIA past RUS to steal P4
13: NOR gets past LEC to take P1
21: RUS pits
22: LEC pits; bit of a slow stop; rejoins behind RUS
27: ANT pits
28: NOR pits from P1, as does HAM
ANT takes P3 from NOR
29: ANT past VER for P1
NOR passes VER too
30/57: ANT, NOR, VER, COL, RUS, LEC, PIA, HAM, OCO, BOR
BOT given drive-through penalty for speeding in the pit lane
31: LEC takes P5 from RUS
36: PIA inside RUS for P5
47: LEC past VER for P3
49: PIA nicely past VER for P4
57/57: PIA takes P3 from LEC
LEC spins, tags the wall – looks like he’s broken the suspension
ANT takes the chequered flag
RUS squeaks past LEC for P4; a tap from LEC as he struggles to control the Ferrari
VER passes LEC out of the final turn
Provisional result: ANT, NOR, PIA, RUS, VER, LEC, HAM, COL, SAI, ALB; BEA, BOR, OCO, LIN, ALO, PER, STR, BOT; DNF: HUL, LAW, GAS, HAD
Penalties
OCO, ALB, ALO, VER – “Alleged failure to slow under yellow flags” – no further action
RUS and VER – “Causing a collision” – no further action
LEC “left the track on several occasions without a justifiable reason” – Drive through penalty imposed after the Race; converted to 20 seconds added to elapsed Race time (drops him to P8)
VER “Crossed the white line at pit exit” – 5 second time penalty imposed after the Race (but it has no impact)
LAW – Collision between LAW and GAS – no further action
Final classification: ANT, NOR, PIA, RUS, VER, HAM, COL, LEC, SAI, ALB; BEA, BOR, OCO, LIN, ALO, PER, STR, BOT; DNF: HUL, LAW, GAS, HAD