Pirelli does not rule out the tactics of two pit stops

      The first of three American Grands Prix this weekend will be held in Miami – the Florida track will host the Formula 1 race for the fourth time.

      Pirelli tire manufacturers have prepared for this weekend the same three compounds that were used in Saudi Arabia: C3 as hard rubber, C4 as Medium and C5 as soft. As in the case of the Jeddah stage, this choice is one step milder than it was last year.

      The ring laid around the Hard Rock Stadium complex has a very smooth asphalt surface, and the tires on this track experience moderate loads, both longitudinal and transverse. The most significant factor in Miami will be the temperature degradation of rubber, as the forecast promises hot weather – last year the asphalt was also heated to 55 degrees and above.

      As is the case with all tracks that are almost unused throughout the year, the condition of the pavement will change significantly over the course of the weekend, and the level of adhesion will increase as the asphalt becomes covered with a layer of used rubber. Thanks to the support races, i.e. the stages of the women's F1 Academy series and the North American Porsche Cup, this process will only accelerate.

      In previous years, the Miami Grand Prix was held with a single pit stop. Last year, 15 out of 20 racers started on Medium, after which most of them switched to hard tires, and only a few preferred Soft tires, since the degradation level was relatively low.

      The difference in speed between the tires of the three different trains was quite insignificant, and the choice of time for the pit stop was then influenced by the introduction of a virtual safety car mode, after which a real safety car drove onto the track. Tire manufacturers do not rule out that this year, due to the use of softer compounds, there may be an opportunity for two pit stops, but so far this is just a guess.

      Since Miami will host the second of the six Saturday sprints scheduled for the season, the teams will have the opportunity to analyze the performance of the tires during the short race, and this will help determine tactics for Sunday's Grand Prix.