Here's What To Look Out For At The First Miami Grand Prix

The first American race of the 2022 Formula 1 season takes place this weekend, but it won't be at the Circuit of the Americas. That race is still coming. Instead, you'll be able to watch the inaugural Miami Grand Prix, which is set to be the nouveau riche version of the Monaco Grand Prix.

With the introduction of the Miami Grand Prix, the US officially becomes the country that hosts the most Grand Prix per year, and next year it will formally host three. If you missed the announcement, Las Vegas will also host a Grand Prix from 2023.

Despite outcry from a host of Super Karens, the Miami Grand Prix will go ahead as scheduled. We'll also be on the ground for the first time, so keep an eye on our social media channels for some live reports.

Here's everything you need to know about the race this weekend.

Last year F1 sent its unofficial American spokesperson on tour to drum up some support. Daniel Ricciardo has been quite vocal about his love for the USA, so he's the perfect person to send to chat shows. As the breakout star of Drive To Survive, he is also the most recognizable face.

Last year he ended up on the Ellen show, which was a poor fit. Ellen had to explain what F1 was to the audience, who were left wondering who the smiling Australian was.

This year Ricciardo made it all the way to The Daily Show. He needed no introduction, and it was pretty clear the crowd knew who has was. Trevor Noah is also a big F1 fan and lover of fast cars, so he asked more pertinent questions. It's definitely worth a watch.

The 2022 Miami Grand Prix will take place at the Miami International Autodrome, which is a temporary circuit meant to have a permanent feel. A big part of that feel is the Hard Rock Stadium, which is the epicenter of the race.

The team behind the track went through 36 possible layouts before settling on the current 19-turn layout. It boasts three straights, elevation changes, and the potential for three DRS zones. The top speed is said to be around 200 mph.

Obviously, there is no current lap record holder, but the frontrunners will be battling to set it. It's worth one point, after all.

A single lap is 3.375 miles long and the race will run for 57 laps. The total distance is on the short side, as the cars only have to last 192.5 miles.

The various F1 teams have historical data for every other track they'll race this season. It makes it much easier to set up the car, but they'll be going into Miami blind. The track layout makes it evident that a high-speed setup is required, but the technical turns between 11 and 16 might throw a spanner in the works.

What we love most about this track are the many overtaking opportunities. Apart from the long straights where you can use either DRS or a nice tow, there are decent overtaking opportunities at turn 11 and turn one. It will be the battle of the late brakers coming from the straight between turns 19 and one.

Who will get the setup right? The teams can only run simulations, but we'll only know once they get bums in seats on Friday.

We were 100 percent convinced that Ferrari would take the one-two at the previous Italian Grand Prix. The team was in top form going into the race, and they had the home-ground advantage. If ever there was a race that could have led to Charles Leclerc getting a limited edition Ferrari 296 named after him, that was it.

Unfortunately, it was not to be. Carlos Sainz got tagged early in the race, and Leclerc made a critical mistake that cost him the race. It was a one-two for Red Bull, which placed Verstappen and Red Bull firmly in second place in the driver's and constructor's championships.

Ferrari will not take that lying down, so you can bet the team will be bringing its A-Game this weekend. Once again, we have a two-horse race for the championship.

Only a fool would discount Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton. Sir Lewis faced the ultimate embarrassment at the Italian Grand Prix, being lapped by Max Verstappen. Mercedes can't get its car to work correctly, making George Russell's fourth-place even more impressive.

Still, Mercedes does have a lot of money, and it's only a matter of time before they get the car up to speed. Mercedes has hinted that we'll see some upgrades this upcoming weekend, which might mean the reemergence of Lewis Hamilton as a serious competitor. Even after four extremely poor Grand Prix, we still believe Lewis Hamilton can get back near the top.

Evidently so does Christian Horner, stating earlier this week that it's only a matter of time before Mercedes figures it out, and then Lewis Hamilton will once again become a factor.

We can't wait for three serious drivers to compete for the ultimate prize. These two-way battles need to stop.

The battle for supremacy is cool, but the midfield battle is better than ever. Unlike last year, all teams now at least have some points on the board. Only Schumacher and Latifi still need to score some points, but it's still early days.

The top five spots are currently occupied by Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez, George Russel, and Carlos Sainz.

In sixth place we have Lando Norris, leading Lewis Hamilton by seven points. Hamilton's former teammate, Valtteri Bottas is just four points behind. In an Alfa Romeo of all things. Who could have possibly predicated that last year?

George Russell is not the only upstart outshining his seemingly more talented teammate. Esteban Ocon is in ninth place, while Fernando Alonso and his Alpine Renault are sitting on 15.

In tenth place, we have the Haas of Kevin Magnussen. He's already accumulated 15 points, which is 15 more than both Haas drivers collected last year.

If only the race directors could give us more coverage of the fight going on at the rear. Here's a tip, guys. Once the frontrunners are more than 15 seconds ahead, focus a bit more on the midfield.