George Russell Gets Sneak Peek of the New Miami Grand Prix Circuit, Offers Insight on How Good the Racing Should Be
Current Williams F1 driver George Russell recently got a chance to visit Miami and had a look at the new Grand Prix Circuit currently under development. Formula 1 is set to race in Miami during the 2022 season, with the proposed 19-turn circuit winding around the Hard Rock Stadium.
The future Miami Grand Prix has thus far proved popular, with ticket demand exceeding capacity. So far, 275,000 people have pre-registered to buy tickets for the event, which has a planned capacity of 80,000. Miami will host the sixth round of the 2022 Formula 1 season in May.
George Russell offers his take on the track
Visiting the Miami circuit in the period between the US Grand Prix in Austin and the Mexico City Grand Prix, Russell had the chance to see it in person. The Briton thinks the track layout has good places for overtaking and a variety of corners that could combine for some excellent racing.
Speaking during the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend, Russell said, “I went to Miami and saw the new circuit ready for next year, which was exciting. Miami is a really cool city. I think it’s going to be another amazing weekend, as it was in Austin, and this street-style circuit with some long straights will offer some good overtaking opportunities.
“I managed to do some laps on a simulator, which was nice. I didn’t realize it, but I was standing on one of the straights when I walked into the stadium.
“Obviously, it’s still in its early stages of development, but what they have planned is really exciting. I drove on the simulator, and that was a really pleasant experience. It was fast and flowing, had some really tight corners and some really long straights, which I think will offer some good overtaking opportunities. So for a circuit that’s quite defined by the limitations of its surroundings, I think they’ve done a really good job.”
The proposed circuit is the brainchild of Apex Circuit Design, which is also responsible for the Singapore Grand Prix track. At 3.36 miles in length, the track features two long stretches of flat-out running in the 19-turn layout. Apex has estimated the average speed of a lap to be around 140 mph.
Putting some time in on a simulator, George Russell gets his first taste of driving the circuit
Williams F1 released a video showing Russell at the wheel of a simulator, driving a 2022 Formula 1 car around the Miami track.
The Miami International Circuit is a modern urban circuit, which Formula 1 has gravitated toward in recent years. Valencia in Spain, Sochi in Russia, and the upcoming Jeddah Circuit in Saudi Arabia all follow the trend of Formula 1’s move to urban center racing.
It isn’t easy to judge how good a circuit might be from watching onboard footage from a simulator. Still, Apex has done a respectable job to ensure the track is quick and not defined by the 90-degree corners that have dominated other street circuits in the past.
