Touchdown in South Florida

The destination last weekend was Hard Rock Stadium for one of our favourite races of the year. While we didn’t have the best of fortune on track, off it, Miami lived up to the hype. And with a new, extended deal - the longest in Formula 1 - we’re looking forward to returning to the Sunshine State for many years to come.

Although the venue is home to the Miami Dolphins, it was our investor Patrick Mahomes who stopped by our hospitality inside the stadium. He did a Kansas City Chiefs jersey swap with Pierre and Jack, while we presented him with a pair of Alpine overalls. Jack also sported a bespoke helmet - a collaboration with his friend Jason Oppenheim of Selling Sunset fame. Pierre, too, revealed a Miami-inspired Modo Casino lid soon after his touchdown in the 305.

A Sprint weekend always brings an extra touch of intensity, and with just one hour of practice before jumping straight into a competitive session, it was a busy Friday to kick off our fourth visit to the Miami International Autodrome. Unfortunately for Jack, he was not able to set a representative lap time in SQ1 and, in the end, it was P13 and P17 on the grid for the Sprint, which was delayed after an unexpected storm just before the start.

Storms in the Sunshine State

After a half-hour delay to clear standing water from the track, the Sprint proved to be an eventful and dramatic encounter - and we came away with a World Championship point. As the circuit dried rapidly, Pierre pitted for slicks and crossed the line in 13th. However, with post-race penalties applied, he was promoted to eighth and claimed the final point-scoring position.

On Sunday, the threat of more showers loomed - and one hit Miami Gardens just prior to the F1 ACADEMY race, leading to its cancellation. It means Nina Gademan will have to wait until Montreal for her next race. Although a few drops of rain fell during the main event, the heavier thunderstorms passed both to the north and south of the circuit, sparing fans the worst of the weather.

Sadly, Jack’s race didn’t even make it to the end of the opening lap. Starting in 14th, he was squeezed on the run to Turn 1. Heading towards the inside of the corner with nowhere to go, he made contact with Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls machine. The damage to his left front was too severe, and he was forced to retire.

After a disappointing qualifying for Pierre, we opted to make changes under Parc Fermé conditions and started from the pit lane. Pierre made a stop during a Virtual Safety Car period to try and gain some ground, but ultimately left Miami with a frustrating P13 result. With a short break ahead, we’ll regroup at Enstone and look forward to the start of the European leg of the season in a fortnight.