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- Pirelli will bring the middle selection of tyres in its 2023 portfolio to this weekend's Miami Grand Prix.
- With the track surface being repaved, it presents a new challenge to teams and drivers.
- There is a 60% chance of rain and thunderstorms for Sunday's race.
This weekend's Miami Grand Prix is the first time in 2023 that two Formula 1 races will be staged on successive weekends.
Along with the eight-hour time difference between it and last weekend's Azerbaijan GP, the circuit will also present a new challenge to teams and drivers.
For 2023, race organisers opted to resurface the track, moving away from the limestone and granite composition. Thus, for this year's edition, the circuit will be paved with asphalt which promotes overtaking.
"We could have just come back with the racetrack that we had last year," said Tom Garfinkel, Miami GP managing partner.
"The goal we set out was to have great racing and a lot of overtaking (and) side-by-side racing.
"The track we had last year, there were parts where there was one (racing) line where there should have been a possibility to overtake. We weren't happy with that."
A balanced selection
The new surface is one of the unknown factors of the race around the Hard Rock Stadium.
Pirelli opted to bring the middle tyres in its range to the Grand Prix. As such, the C2 (Hard), C3 (Medium), and C4 (Soft) will be available - the same allocation as in 2022, which took into account the high temperatures the surface could reach.
In 2022 asphalt temperatures reached almost 60 degrees Celsius.
Pirelli is confident of having made the right decision, with the track surface predicted to be friendlier on the rubber.
"In the first race held on the track around the Hard Rock Stadium last year, the tyres behaved as expected on asphalt, which had rather particular characteristics, above all due to a very high 'micro-roughness'," said Mario Isola, Pirelli's motorsport director.
"We know that the track has now been completely resurfaced, and we will have to check during the usual inspection that precedes the start of the weekend if there will be any significant changes in its characteristics."
Throwing a further spanner in the works is the possibility of rain over the weekend.
Though maximum temperatures are expected to be around 30 degrees Celsius, initial weather forecasts predict it could rain on all three days' running, with Sunday afternoon presenting a 60% chance of rain and thunderstorms.
If the rain makes its presence felt, it will significantly cool down the track temperatures.
