A section of the Miami route "at the limit" of the regulation
F1. The brand new layout of Miami, built around the Hard Rock Stadium, features a series of corners that may have been a headache for its architects. The cause of this puzzle: the highway crossing over the circuit.
As the first Formula 1 Grand Prix in Miami is set to take place this weekend, its track continues to debate for some. What is certain is that its creators surely had to think for a while before giving birth to the sequence of turns 11 to 16. Winding and slow, this part of the circuit faced regulatory questions before being able to come to life.
"This whole sequence has been a real engineering challenge," admits Andrew Wallis, the project's chief engineer. "And the problem encountered is quite simple to explain but uncommon: the highway. A portion of the Florida's Turnpike, the longest highway in the state, passes directly above the circuit. So close that a part of the track had to be dug to comply with FIA regulations."
A regulatory obligation that could finally bring its fair share of spectacle according to Wallis. « I believe that the sequence of turns 11 to 16 includes some very good corners, and I hope that the drivers will find it thrilling with these new cars. They will have to prepare themselves as they approach the previous right turn, so they will not be able to see the apex and they will also experience lateral force on the car during braking, all while looking late at the apex to take the turn. I think that in qualifying, this will be a decisive corner for lap time. »
