During the Miami Grand Prix, top-flight drivers were particularly critical of various aspects of the Florida street layout. The revived area, the asphalt and the lack of security in some specific points were the main focuses of attention.
While it is true that qualifying and the race were free of major accidents (with the exception of Lando Norris’s impact with the wall caused by the safety car), in free practice the drivers tested the walls of the Miami track several times.
The hottest point of the weekend in that sense was the area between the exit of Turn 13 and the entry of Turn 14, where Carlos Sainz and Esteban Ocon were involved in the two most shocking accidents of the event. In both cases the car was badly damaged and the drivers were forced to visit the FIA medical centre.
Despite the fact that they both shouted to the heavens about how dangerous that sequence of corners was, Race Direction decided not to take action on the matter and that angered some drivers.
Criticism focused on the fact that between turns 13 and 14 there were no TecPro barriers , and therefore any loss of the car in that area was potentially dangerous, as the incident of the French Alpine driver, which came to register 51G .
After the race, in which he finished eighth despite starting from behind, as he was unable to participate in qualifying due to said accident during FP3 which left the car completely unusable, Ocon revealed the extensive damage to the A522.
“I have to thank the guys, because on Saturday everything broke in the car. I could see it the next morning and the seat was in pieces. The pedal box was completely broken, the accelerator, the brakes, everything was broken. broken. And the chassis, obviously.”
“It was a great impact, and I felt 50% in the race. But we have achieved it, and that also shows that we are doing a good job physically,” he added.
Partly due to these events, the organizers of the Miami Grand Prix recognized the existence of deficiencies in its layout, also logical considering that it was their first, admitting that they will make changes for the 2023 season to ensure greater preparation, both at the entertainment and security level.
