Things are about to heat up in Miami...

There may be a 50% chance of rain this weekend, but these drivers are warmed up to race. 

Miami, a city known for its pristine weather, world-class beaches and trendy nightlife, is the center of F1 this weekend as the best racers in the world head to the 305 for the 5th round of the 2023 season. 

While it feels like Red Bull has dominated the early part of the season, each team is prepped and ready for the Miami Grand Prix… and anything can still happen. 

This will be the second time in F1 history that this race will take place in Miami, so veterans and young drivers are still familiarizing themselves with the circuit. 

Current points leader Max Verstappen is hoping that his early success this season continues as he looks to defend his winning title from the Miami GP in 2022. Verstappen won the inaugural event in 2022 with a time of 1:34:24.258 and gained an extra point with the fastest lap 1:31.361. And as for the grid this weekend, he's starting P9.

“I think the current car is very quick but I expect it to be a tough weekend here,” Verstappen said. 

While last week’s race in Baku seemed like a lackluster event, we could see a big change and some more drama with the layout of the track. 

The temporary circuit known as the Miami International Autodrome is 5.412 km with 19 corners that can anticipate average speeds of 230 km/h. If you’ve watched your fair-share of F1 races, you’ll know that the DRS (drag reduction system) zones are some of the most exciting parts of every race but unlike in 2022, Miami’s DRS zones this year are shorter, and that has some drivers speaking up. 

According to Motorsport.com, the first two of three DRS activation zones located at turns eight and 16 (third is at turn 17) are further up the track, limiting the chances for drivers to make crucial takeovers. 

The FIA announced at the beginning of the year it would review and change some configurations of the zones used at the first five rounds on the 2023 F1 calendar: Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Azerbaijan and Miami. 

“They shortened the DRS this year down the straight,” Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton said following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. “I don’t quite know why they did that, we’ve always had great racing with where the DRS was. But by the time you switch the DRS, it was too late.”

Even though Hamilton may not be a fan of the changes, it hasn’t affected his overall success this season as he sits in 4th place (48 points) before the Miami Grand Prix.

An exciting corner to watch in Miami could be turn seven, which saw a dramatic crash at last year’s race involving McLaren’s Lando Norris and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.

Leading up to the crash on lap 41, Gasly took turn seven too wide and while trying to regain momentum as he got back on the track, Norris made contact with Gasly, resulting in Norris spinning out and losing a wheel. 

Norris claimed responsibility for the crash, but it’s something both drivers would like to avoid this upcoming race. 

With this being the first of three stops in the U.S., drivers and fans are taking full advantage of what F1 in Miami has to offer. 

And just like last year in the beach city, we’re seeing some incredible custom helmets, if not better. You can read more about that in Randi’s article. 

Did I forget to mention that the track is around the Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins? Leading up to race day, diehard fans and some notable celebrities including actor Vin Diesel and rapper ASAP Rocky got an incredible experience getting up-close and personal with drivers at the football themed fan-zone on the Miami Dolphins field. 

Keep in mind the weather could play a factor this weekend. Even though it’s projected to be 80 degrees on race day, there is a 50% chance of rain that could be a game-changer for tyre choice. 

Overall this race is sure to bring the heat, so expect to enjoy whether you're watching from the stands or at home.

written by: Ryan McCoy