Fernando Alonso of the Aston Martin F1 Team AMR24 participated in the Formula 1 World Championship at the Miami Grand Prix on Friday, May 3, 2024. The event took place at the Miami International Autodrome in Miami, Florida, USA.
Pirelli’s Chief Engineer, Simone Berra, observed that the tire behavior during Friday’s Sprint Qualifying session at the Miami International Autodrome was unusual. As per the sporting regulations, drivers were required to use specific tire compounds in each segment of Sprint Qualifying. The medium rubber was used in SQ1 and SQ2, while the soft rubber was used in SQ3.
The track temperatures on Friday reached over 45 degrees, resulting in an anomaly during SQ2 and SQ3. Typically, lap times increase as the sessions progress, but this was not the case during the end of SQ2 and in SQ3. Surprisingly, the fastest lap time on the medium rubber in SQ2, set by McLaren’s Lando Norris, was faster than Max Verstappen’s Sprint Pole time on the soft rubber.
Berra described the Sprint Qualifying as unusual, noting that the track conditions did not lead to a significant improvement in lap times during SQ3. This is in contrast to the usual pattern where there is a noticeable improvement when transitioning from the medium to soft rubber. Further analysis of the data is required to understand this phenomenon.
The slower lap times on soft rubber compared to the medium rubber add more uncertainty to the already unpredictable nature of an F1 Sprint weekend. However, Berra believes that the medium tire is the most suitable choice for the short race on Saturday. He does not completely rule out the soft tire, as it could provide a grip advantage in the initial laps. Some drivers starting from further back in the grid might opt for the soft tire to gain positions at the start before managing the situation and potentially holding their position if a group of cars forms.
If the peculiar tire characteristics persist during Grand Prix Qualifying on Saturday afternoon, unexpected results could occur as drivers contend with the challenging conditions. Both Verstappen and Norris experienced grip issues during their SQ3 laps on Friday, resulting in Verstappen securing pole position and Norris dropping to ninth place, despite topping SQ2.