NEW TIMES May 5-11, 2022 May 5-11, 2022 MIAMI RACE WEEK 2022 GUIDE MIAMI RACE WEEK 2022 GUIDE ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT NORTH BEACH 11 START/FINISH STRAIGHT On-track The start/finish straight is relatively short but also a DRS zone, so expect lots of attacking as drivers seek to sweep past thanks to an open-wing speed boost. Off-track This is where the real high rollers will congregate, in F1’s upscale Paddock Club. In this series of ultra luxe hospitality suites, celebs, business execs, opinion leaders—and that guy in the checkered-flag shorts who crushed his quarterly sales target—will rub shoulders with F1 drivers and team owners, totally ignoring the track action below. TURN 1 On-track A tight right-hander taken at 60-plus mph, it’s going to get pretty crowded at the start, so Turn 1 is potentially a good place to pick up a souvenir front wing or learn just how many curse words a driver can fit into a single sentence. Off-track Just before Turn 1 is the Casa Tua trackside club. Because, you know, nothing invokes soulful rustic gourmet refinement like a start/finish VIP zone. We’re just complaining because we’re not going to get any of the locally sourced osso buco. TURNS 2 & 3 On-track Not a lot to write home about here, aside from Turn 3 being a long right-hand sweep that’s likely to up the g-forces and put a lot of lateral loads through tires. This is technical- speak for “They’ll be flooring it through this section.” Off-track 16 15 GRA DTN NSA D BEACH CLUB 12 ENERGY STATION RED BULL S NO DUT TH B N A GR A E S A D C H 11 Miami’s all about the fans, and rather than employ the traditional European method of holding the podium celebrations in a secure facility accessible only to those with a solid- gold pass hanging from a lanyard of hand- woven unicorn mane, the organizers have put the podium outside the stadium on the run between Turns 3 and 4, across from the Fountains fan zone. This is a high-risk strategy, as drivers rarely venture out from their hospitality-suite safe space to where they might bump into, you know, regular people—ugh! So the odds of the top three being excited to come here are small. Fortunately, like truffle-hunting pigs, F1 drivers can smell a magnum of Champagne from three miles away. 14 13 TURNS 4–8 On-track The approach to T4 will be around 185 mph, which means that as drivers shift down to fifth gear, we’re into some fast, sweeping changes of direction that will accent good aerodynamic balance in a car. The section from Turn 5 to Turn 8 is really a long continuous arc and should put strain on both man and machine. Off-track It would be churlish of us not to mention the marina at Turn 8. While it does indeed house yachts, they are stuck in a tiny pond. We can only imagine that race organizers correctly thought that Drive to Survive will want the Miami GP to have luxe yachts, even if the ocean is nine miles away. And what Netflix wants… TURNS 9–11 On-track There’s a heck of a long, undulating run from T8 all the way down to the next braking point at T11—0.86 miles to be precise. Speeds here will top 180 mph, and drivers will decelerate to around a third of that in under two seconds for the sharp left-hander of Turn 11. Off-track Not that the drivers will have much time to admire it, but on this stretch the track passes under the circuit’s gondola (because every F1 track needs its own cable-car system, just like every Bond villain needs an active volcano lair) and past the tennis courts of the Miami Open. And now a word from our sponsors: Turn 11 is also home to the Red Bull Energy Station, which undoubtedly will be crawling with amazing athletes from all sorts of random sports. TURNS 12–15 On-track A series of low-speed bends as the track winds through the off-ramps for the Florida Turnpike. This is the track’s technical section, where fans can really see the drivers at work and where drivers will moan about the low speeds. Off-track This is the home of the Hard Rock Stadium’s Beach Club. Yeah, yeah, we know. But as the famous adage says, if the mountain won’t come to Muhammad, then the tiny fake beach should come to the racetrack. TURNS 16–19 On-track This is one for the speed freaks. Out of Turn 16 the track opens up into a 0.8-mile-long straightaway. Cars will reach speeds in excess of 200 mph in this second DRS zone and then brake hard for Turn 17, which should make it another prime place to pass before heading for the final two corners. Get a bad exit from 17 as you defend hard and you could end up being compromised on pace ahead of the final DRS zone. Off-track The final cluster of corners looks like it contains the merchandising zone to end all merchandising zones. Interestingly, the fly-through we’ve seen elects to ignore the track and goes into the cavernous hospitality warehouse instead. That’s fine, because who doesn’t want snacks and merch? However, we suggest watching the race before you buy that teal bucket hat. But we’re sure you’ll look awesome. 11 NEW TIMES — M A T T Y O U S O N , J U S T I N H Y N E S
