A day of racing when the thunderstorm announced has never come to the Miami Grand Prix
This Sunday in Miami, everything was in place for an anthology race. A revised grid, a threatening sky, the promise of rain … and suffocating warmth. However, despite threatening clouds and saturated humidity sensors, the too hoped – or feared – drops have never fallen. It was a day as dry as it is disappointing for Bwt Alpine F1 Team, one more in this definitely complicated start to the season.
Departure from the stands for Gasly, fatal puncture for Doohan
The first alert signs were visible even before departure. Pierre Gasly, car #10, was removed from the closed park to make adjustment adjustments to its A525. Direct consequence: a departure from the lane of the stands, in the last position. A strategic choice dictated by the inability to fully exploit the single in this specific route. “Car #10 has been removed from Park Farmlowing Set-Up Changes and Will Start from the Pit Lane,” confirmed the fia.
As for Jack Doohan, who had signed a solid performance in qualifying (P14), his Grand Prix turned short. At the first turn, contact with Liam Lawson’s car causes an immediate puncture of the left rear tire. The flank was lacerated by the aggressive edges of the flat bottom of the opposing single -seater. The incident, quickly classified as a race, did not give rise to a sanction. Limited damage to the car, but inevitable abandonment. It is already the fourth in six races for Alpine. An unfortunate statistic.
Alpine strategy: bet on hard, but without a miracle at the Miami Grand Prix
In a grid mainly launched in medium gums, the two Alpine had made the daring choice to go in hard tires. A strategy against the tide, thought to last and leave the field free to a potential SAFETY because or a climate change. With a track temperature flirting with the 50 ° C, the training lap was carried out drums beating by several leaders, in order to avoid overheating of gums.
For Gasly, the objective was clear: putting up the peloton without using the tires too much. Its rhythm was first very back, then more consistent as the track settled. A great action is to be reported in the 27th round when he exceeds the Haas of Ollie Bearman to take the P12. An attacker’s gesture in a dreary context.
But without rain, without prolonged neutralization and without natural rhythm, it was impossible to dream better. Gasly will make her only stop in the 33rd round, swapping her hard for mediums. Nothing will do it. He finished P13, without ever being able to approach the top 10.
Pierre Gasly: “Overall, it was a difficult weekend for us. At least we leave Miami with a little unexpected point yesterday in sprint. We knew that today’s race would be complicated after a few problems on the car that we tried to settle. It was a little better, but we finally lacked pace. I would have liked it to rain to give us a chance to beat us, but the rain has never arrived. We have to analyze our performances since we were faster on previous races than here, where it was complicated. We have work by the next race in Imola. »»
Jack Doohan : “The weekend ended hard on my side of the garage. We left at the heart of the peloton, which is always a challenge when approaching the first turns. We were trapped at the entrance to the first turn and we touched ourselves with [Liam] Lawson in the absence of space. The damage was too large to go to the stand safely and we finally had to abandon. However, we had shown promising signs during the sprint, especially by managing weather conditions, and I felt comfortable in the car throughout the weekend. We are now focusing on the next races. We have a week to recharge the batteries and prepare for the next triple meeting that will launch the European season. »»
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Miami Grand Prix, theater of tensions … and rumors
On the sidelines of the track, the paddock was agitated for other reasons. An insistent rumor has surfaced in the corridors of the hard rock Stadium: Franco Colapinto, alpine reserve pilot and asserted Talent in F2, could replace Jack Doohan from the next round in Imola. A murmur that hurts, especially since the Australian is in no way responsible for his abandonment this Sunday. Will he have the opportunity to defend himself? Nothing is less certain.
And while some are worried about the future of the V6 F1 produced in Viry-Châtillon, an ironic wink is launched to them: Nissan, which uses Viry technologies in Formula E, shone in Monaco this weekend. Oliver Rowland signed the pole position there after a victory the day before. What remember that the French know-how, although discreet in F1 at the moment, continues to illuminate other paddocks.
Oliver Oakes, Team Principal : “We are disappointed when leaving Miami, because we were not efficient enough to fight for the points. However, we do not leave empty -handed with the point registered during the sprint. Pierre was not satisfied with the behavior of the car in qualifying. Given its starting position, we have made the decision to make changes on your car and leave from the lane of the stands. The announced rain ultimately did not come across the circuit, so we tried to go up by bringing it back during the second virtual safety car in this classic race on the dry. Even if we won a few places, it was only worth the thirteenth row on arrival. Jack’s race unfortunately ended in the first round after contact with Lawson at the first turn. We now have a little time to determine our axes of progression and return with more performance for the European triplet which will start to Imola. »»
Between VIP and disappointments
The day was also marked by the massive presence of celebrities in the paddocks: the British chef Gordon Ramsay, Terry Crews of the comic series Brooklyn 99, American actors and influencers … Miami remains Miami. But, behind this American show varnish, the figures are there: Alpine leaves Florida without any point on Sunday, despite stone efforts.
Only consolation: the point acquired in sprint on Saturday, proof that the car can savor something in the right conditions. And then there was this little touch of humor from fans during the pilot parade: Alpine “won” the Grand Prix … Lego de Miami.
A suite under tension in Imola
You will have to quickly turn the page. In Imola, the narrow and technical layout of the Emilie-Romagne will require a balanced and agile car. At Alpine, expectations will be large. If Colapinto is tenured, it will mark a turning point in the season. And, if Doohan keeps its wheel, he will have to give everything to prove that he deserves to stay.
Because after six races, the figures are clear: an abandonment on two starts, a point grappled in sprint, and a car set back on the majority of the timed sectors. The site remains immense.
GP Miami
