Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon share their first impressions ahead of the opening round of three Formula 1 races in the United States, as the championship heads to Miami for another key Sprint weekend.
Start your engines!
After more than a month of break due to the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, Formula 1 finally returns to action this weekend for the first of three races scheduled in the United States.
The venue is the Miami street circuit, which will also host the second Sprint race of the season, following the one held in Shanghai. It will be a weekend full of new elements, beyond the usual updates brought by each team.
All the new developments
In Florida, fans will also see the debut of new technical regulations approved on April 20 following a meeting between the FIA, team principals, engine manufacturers’ CEOs, and FOM.
Another key change is the extension of the only free practice session from 60 to 90 minutes on Friday, ahead of Sprint Qualifying and Formula 2 qualifying. It also marks the first time Formula 2 will race in North America.
Speaking of the United States, the event carries a special meaning for Haas, as the American team will be racing at its home Grand Prix.
More lessons on track
Currently fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, just two points ahead of Red Bull and Alpine, Haas will be aiming to bounce back in front of its home crowd after the events of Suzuka one month ago.
At that race, controversy arose following the incident involving Oliver Bearman, who crashed heavily into the barriers after narrowly avoiding Franco Colapinto’s car at the last moment.
“I’m really excited to be back racing, it’s been a long break and Miami is a fun track,” said the British driver.
“We have a Sprint weekend ahead, which is still a big challenge for us with these new regulations. We are learning new things every session, so I’m looking forward to exploring the nuances and challenges of Miami. I hope we can continue this strong start to the season and that everyone will be refreshed and ready to give their maximum.”
His teammate Esteban Ocon is also motivated after finishing 10th in Japan, fully aware that weather and track conditions could bring surprises.
“Miami is probably the first race this year that will take place in high heat and humidity conditions, so it’s something we still don’t fully understand with the new cars,” said the French driver.
“Obviously, being a Sprint weekend, we need to learn quickly. We’ve worked a lot in the simulator to try to optimise the setup, but there are things you can only discover in FP1 if you get a clean session, so that will be our goal.”
“The car has performed quite well in the first two events, so we’re aiming for a solid weekend and hopefully to bring home some points for the team.”
Leave a Reply