F1 Academy Preview: Round 2 Miami
F1 Academy Preview: Round 2 Miami, source: https://twitter.com/f1academy
The second round of the 2024 F1 Academy season is upon us as we head to sunny Florida for the inaugural Miami GP. Our 15 drivers are in for a treat around this 19-corner track as there are plenty of overtaking spots that are sure to get these young speedsters itching to go.
This weekend is not only the first weekend in Miami, but it is also the first weekend in which brand-new-sponsor American Express will be in attendance - no better start than a home race. British driver Jessica Edgar will represent the brand within her Rodin Motorsport car in an exciting movement towards large sponsors investing in female motorsport.
Championship Battle
The opening round of the season left many fans with a bitter taste in their mouth following the controversial penalty bestowed on Mercedes junior Doriane Pin. Pin sent shockwaves with her Prema as she dominated qualifying, putting herself on pole for both races and ultimately winning both. However, due to miscommunication within the team, Pin continued driving for a lap extra after winning the second race and was penalised for her mistake. The Mercedes junior fell down to ninth in the race and third in the standings - 12 points behind Alpine’s Abbi Pulling and one point behind teammate Maya Weung who inherited the win.
Despite it only being the first round, it will be no surprise Pin is looking to rectify her mistakes, hoping to repeat her star-quality performance that has rightly earned her a seat with Formula Regional European Championship along with 2023 F1 Academy champion Marta Garcia. The two will be driving for the brand-new Iron Dames who will be entering their first single-seater championship.
Tyre temperature
If it’s one thing Florida is known for it is its hot and humid weather. As seen in Formula 1 last season, even the most experienced drivers struggled with cooling down their tyres and ensuring their ready for optimal use to give them the best performance. Despite the F1 Academy drivers now having access to all the material that the F1 drivers have, they are still far less experienced in single-seaters with many of them still in F4. It will be interesting to see how they fare in the Miami heat.
What are you most excited for this weekend? Will Pulling extend her championship lead or will Pin return with a vengeance?
