Formula 1 drivers may have to contend with wet starts to Saturday’s sprint race and Sunday’s grand prix over the Miami Grand Prix weekend.
The Miami International Autodrome has hosted two grands prix over the last two years but has not experienced wet session in that time.The second consecutive sprint round on the 2024 calendar, Miami will again see a sprint race held in the early afternoon before Sunday’s grand prix. However, forecasts indicate a risk that the track could be wet before the start of both of those sessions.
Friday is expected to have the lowest risk of rain of the weekend, meaning drivers will have the benefit of a dry hour of practice in warm temperatures of just under 30C before that evening’s sprint qualifying session.
However, heading into Saturday, there is a significant risk of rain falling in the morning prior to the sprint race starting at midday. While forecasts do not expect rain during the sprint race or the following grand prix qualifying session, there is a chance that the track could still be drying from earlier rain when the lights go out. However, with temperatures again expected to be in the high 20s, any moisture should dry out relatively quickly.
The same is also the case for the grand prix on Sunday. The relatively late start time of 4pm (half an hour later than last year) could well mean that the track is dry once again after earlier expected rain passes in the early afternoon. But should the rain come later than current forecast expect, the risk that the grand prix could be affected will increase.
Should the race remain dry, then conditions are likely to be virtually identical to those drivers experienced over the first two Miami races in 2022 and 2023. Last year’s race all 20 drivers running a one-stop strategy in the dry conditions, without a single retirement in the field.
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2024 Miami Grand Prix
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Nulla Pax (@nullapax)
2nd May 2024, 15:35
Good.
Tristan
2nd May 2024, 17:03
Bernie’s sprinklers’ are a meme, but comments like this make me think F1 really needs them.
us-brian (@us-brian)
2nd May 2024, 15:45
As long as its not one of the downpours that one gets in the summer in Florida where it builds up all day and then lets go. Those are monsoon downpours and we won’t see anything happening on track. Plus it liks to lightning too and any sporting event comes to a immediate stop.
I want so see rain. But maybe dry start, then quick rain to go to inters or wets and then a quick drying out to make one switch again.
Anything but a rolling start.
F1 needs to try out double file race starts if it’s too wet for standing start. Single file is the most boring thing ever in motor sports.
Tristan
2nd May 2024, 17:01
If it’s safe enough for double-file it’d be safe enough for a standing start. It’s all about the wall of spray limiting visibility. One small accident could turn into a tragedy with 20 cars in close quarters at speed in poor conditions.
Mr A
2nd May 2024, 17:47
They’re in carbon fibre cocoons which can literally punch through barriers, snap in half and burst into flames without really harming the driver.
What sort of tragedy do you envisage?
BamBoomBots
2nd May 2024, 18:46
Getting T-boned, or fire, is still a big hazard, no matter how safe the current cars are.
Mr A
3rd May 2024, 17:38
Have we ever had a serious t-bone in a wet race in F1 since 1980? And why would rain increase the risk of a fire?
It’s safe enough- let them race.
us-brian (@us-brian)
2nd May 2024, 22:45
Spray is spray. Single file, double file, standing start. The only person that can see is the one in front.
If the worry is so great if it’s wet, that something could happen, then why even bother racing anywhere where there is risk of rain or do what NASCAR does and postpone until its dry and race on Monday morning. I just hate single file restarts or starts in general as it never leads to any real excitement.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
2nd May 2024, 15:46
I wouldn’t use the word risk for this stuff, I’d use the word hope.
osnola
2nd May 2024, 16:26
nice, real water in the fake marina..
For a sprintrace with only one free practice always a gamble for the teams.
sam
2nd May 2024, 16:52
The fake marina is the best part of the track.
PacificPR (@streydt)
2nd May 2024, 17:23
Tide coming in? Rising sea-level?
Jon
2nd May 2024, 17:44
Can these car work in the rain?
Jere (@jerejj)
2nd May 2024, 18:04
For me, preferably a wholly dry race (either with a wholly dry track surface from the get-go or still drying from earlier rain) at least, even more so than qualifying, which I usually hope to be dry at the very least.
dot_com (@dot_com)
2nd May 2024, 18:32
Might make those yachts look a little more natural.
sato113 (@sato113)
2nd May 2024, 18:40
So both races will be 100% bone dry then.