Miami Speed Trap: Who is the fastest of them all?

As a street-track spectacular, the Miami International Autodrome features three long straights and an equal number of DRS zones that offer a good opportunity to showcase a car's top speed.

Theoretically, teams will settle for a lower a medium-low downforce range consistent with Miami’s 5.412km layout, assuming an outfit favours a race spec over a qualifying spec.

Positioned at the end of the circuit’s long straight that links Turns 16 and 17, the speed trap registered a maximum speed in qualifying of 343.5 kph attributed to the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc, who was immediately followed by the sister car of Lewis Hamilton in the pecking order.

Poleman Max Verstappen was close behind but McLaren’s Oscar Piastri – who qualified fourth –closed out the field with a top speed of 336.6 kph, a result perhaps impacted by the lack of a tow for the Aussie rather than an excess of downforce dialed into the MCL39.

High aero efficiency and good traction are – unsurprisingly – key around Miami’s circuits. And Red Bull’s floor evolution on its RB21 may well way have slightly improved the former, although McLaren still appears to hold an edge in both departments, while tyre management is also a Team Papaya strength.

Lando Norris – and possibly Oscar Piastri – might therefore be snapping at Verstappen’s heel from the outset of Sunday’s race. But if the weather throws another wrench into the works, like in Saturday’s Sprint, all bets are off and anything goes.

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“If the race is run in the dry, the small amount of data gathered yesterday and today, with just one free practice session and the Sprint run almost entirely in the wet, only serves to consolidate the strategy forecasts from before the weekend,” commented Pirelli’s Mario Isola, reflecting on the strategy game.

“Despite the move to a trio of compounds one step softer than in 2024, the one stop is on paper, the quickest, with Medium and Hard as the obvious choices.

“Nine of the ten teams – Racing Bulls being the exception – have kept two sets of C3 per driver, not necessarily with the intention of using both in the race, but to have a backup in case of safety cars or red flags, something which is far from unlikely at this track.”

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