F1 Miami Grand Prix 2025 – Full Weekend Breakdown (Upgrades, Strategy, Liveries & More)

Nicole Nolte
May 1
6 min read

The Miami Grand Prix is one of Formula 1’s newer races, and this year (2025) is only its 4th time on the calendar.

But in that short time, it's already earned a reputation.

Not just for its over-the-top extra-ness (like, they literally built a FAKE marina and filled it with boats that don’t float lol) orrrr the fact that drivers arrive via boat for dramatic effect…

… but also for giving us racing on a tricky, unpredictable track (I never liked it when they first introduced it, but it's growing on me)

The circuit is built around the Hard Rock Stadium (home of the Miami Dolphins) and the layout is slick, technical, and faster than you’d expect tbh.

Also: it’s HOT.

Soooo, combine that with a temporary track that doesn’t have the same grip as a purpose-built circuit, and you’ve got a recipe for overheated tyres, overcooked brakes, and overtakes that either make your heart stop or your jaw drop.

It’s a Sprint Weekend!

Miami isn’t just any weekend, it’s a Sprint Weekend, which means…

Friday: One practice session (just one!) and then straight into qualifying for Sunday’s race.
Saturday: A mini qualifying session (called the Sprint Shootout), followed by the Sprint Race (a 100km flat-out dash with points on the line)
Sunday: The full-length Grand Prix (57 laps)

Soooo

It’s compressed. It’s chaotic. And it means if a team gets their setup wrong in that one hour of practice, they’re stuck with it for the whooooole weekend.

No pressure, but – there’s pressure

Last year’s Sprint here was weirdly processional, but with softer tyres, a hotter track, and teams more experienced with the format, this one could be coo coo CRAZY.

Let’s chat about the track

This track is wild.

It’s part street circuit, part purpose-built, and it’s got a layout that keeps engineers sweating and drivers constantly on edge.

Fast Facts

Length: 5.412 km (3.36 miles)
Corners: 19
Top speed: Over 350 km/h (thanks to one of the longest straights on the calendar)
DRS Zones: 3

Designed by Apex Circuit Design, the layout loops around parking lots, under highway ramps, and through a custom-built chicane section.

… and it has a lil bit of everything:

High-speed corners.
Technical slow-speed sequences.
Brutal braking zones.
Elevation changes (rare for a temporary circuit!)
Awkward off-camber exits that mess with traction.

The surface was fully resurfaced in 2023, so it’s a bit grippier than the first few editions, but still slippery off the racing line.

We can defs expect lap times to drop FAST as rubber builds up through the weekend.

It’s a circuit that demands adaptability –

– there’s no one setup that nails every section, soooo teams have to compromise.

Go too low on downforce and you’re fast on the straights but sliding in the corners.

Go too high and you’re stuck in traffic with no top speed.

Sooo it’s a tricky one…

Where to look out for action on-track

Turn 1

Here we can expect heavy braking after the start/finish straight…

It’s pretty likely we’ll see ye ol’ classic Lap 1 carnage (and maybe a couple of divebombs)

It’s gonna be elbows out in this bit, ESPECIALLY if the front runners are tight on pace (which is v likely)

Turns 4 to 8

Here we’ve got a flowing S-section.

It’s easy to get wrong, but hard to get right.

If your car setup is off? You’ll DEFINITELY feel it here. This is also where time gets lost without you even realizing it.

Turn 11

This is gonna be a key overtaking spot, so keep your eyes peeled

It comes after a DRS zone and requires nerves of steel, and drivers often go side-by-side into this one (and not everyone makes it out clean)

Turns 14 to 15

The chicane under the flyover is SO tight it almost feels like a street corner.

Get it wrong and the whole lap’s a waste, essentially. Some drivers even describe it as one of the least “F1-feeling” corners on the calendar, it’s THAT awkward.

Turn 17

This is the hairpin after the longest straight.

It should be perfect for overtakes, but because of how twisty the lead-up is (especially that chicane), it’s sooo hard to follow close enough.

BUT if a move’s going to happen late in the lap, this is where it’ll probably go down.

Turn 19

Then we’ve got the final kink at Turn 19.

She’s flat out, but if you get greedy with track limits, it’s an INSTANT lap time delete in qualifying, and it’s caught out plenty of drivers before.

Tyres & Strategy

Pirelli has gone soft for this one – literally hehe

Tyre Compounds

Hard: C3
Medium: C4
Soft: C5

That’s the softest trio of compounds they offer, which means…

Great for qualifying.
Fast degradation.
LOTS of pit stop drama.

The Miami track heats up fast, and track temperatures can even go above 40°C.

That means tyre wear becomes a BIGGGG issue and grip disappears quickly if drivers push too hard, especially through the corners.

Strategy Preview

Here’s what I’m thinking we can expect in terms of strat this weekend…

In the Sprint Race, it’s short and snappy.

Sooooo the C5 Softs will be tempting, and I rate we can expect teams to risk it all for early gains.

Butttt the downside is those tyres will take MAJOR deg if drivers push too hard in these conditions.

For the race, I think it’s likely a two-stopper.

Maybe C4 Mediums to start, then a cheeky mix of C3 and C5 (depending on safety cars and track temps)

Teams will be watching tyre degradation like HAWKS. Some might gamble with a longer stint on the C3s if they can keep them alive, others might do a soft-soft-medium strategy if there’s a late safety car.

Also: keep an eye on rear tyre temperatures…

Miami’s layout is BRUTAL on rears. Those slow corner exits into the long straights cook them with NO MERCY.

… So if you see a car suddenly losing pace in the final sector, that’s proooooobably what’s happening.

It’s also a track where undercutting can work beautifully, especially in the final sector where fresh tyres mean faster exits and better traction.

Watching the Weather

It’s Miami.

Soooo expect heat. Expect humidity. And expect the weather to change its mind.

Air temp: 30–33°C
Track temp: Up to 50°C
Forecast: Thunderstorms possible, especially in the afternoons

If the rain hits during Quali or the Sprint? Things get chaotic…

The surface gets slippery. There’s standing water in weird places. And no one has real experience here in the wet.

So yeah — rain would make things veeeeery interesting.

And because it’s a Sprint weekend, that one practice session on Friday? If it gets washed out, teams will be heading into qualifying blind.

THAT’S when the grid gets shaken up and where the midfield often surprises us.

UPGRADES, PEOPLE – UPGRAAAAADES

Miami being a Sprint weekend makes it even more risky for teams to bring new parts –

– but a few are going BOLD anyway…

Here’s what teams are bringing to Miami:

McLaren

McLaren has brought the first major upgrade package of their season to Miami, and all eyes are on it.

The package is reportedly focused on the floor and aerodynamic surfaces, with a goal of increasing downforce without compromising top-end speed.

Oscar Piastri gets the upgrade first, and Lando Norris will get his at Imola.

If that sounds familiar, it’s because it IS.

That’s exactly what happened last year… and Lando won.

This time, Piastri’s the one with the edge.

If the upgrade works straight out the box (and that’s a big “if” with only one practice session to gather info), McLaren could very well end up dominating this weekend.

Red Bull

Red Bull has no major upgrades for Miami, they’re still trying to maximize the RB21’s current package.

Max Verstappen has made it clear: they need better consistency and improved drivability, especially through low-speed corners.

… and the back-to-back races ahead (Miami, Imola, Monaco) make this a tricky stretch to gamble on big changes. They’re taking a more conservative approach.

Ferrari

Ferrari is debuting a special edition Miami livery this weekend, but not much other than that tbh.

The team is holding off for Imola and Barcelona, where their next big package is expected.

Everyone else's lil upgrades

Mercedes are bringing small refinements (mostly data-driven setup tweaks) but no major new parts.

Aston Martin is continuing with the same spec as China and Japan, with their next update package coming in Europe.

Williams, Haas, Alpine, and Sauber have only made minor aerodynamic and cooling tweaks to handle the Florida heat.

Soooo McLaren is the team taking the biggest swing. If the upgrade hits, it could shift the entire momentum of the championship.

If it doesn’t?

We could see Red Bull or Ferrari capitalize on that.

Notable mention: epic liveries

There's also some honestly ICONIC liveries coming to Miami (not Ferrari, idk what they were going for but uhhhh)

My personal fav has to be Racing Bulls in PINK

I mean, just LOOK AT IT.

The Sauber livery is also pretty epic tbh...

It's giving me Kids Choice Awards flashbacks low key though.

I meannnnn...

GET EXCITEDDDD

We’ve got a red-hot championship battle, a McLaren team flying high, Red Bull trying to claw their way back, and Ferrari desperately looking for rhythm.

We’ve got upgrades, soft tyres, unpredictable weather, a Sprint format, and a track that punishes even the smallest mistakes.

Add in the heat, the humidity, and the sheer chaos of a one-practice-weekend and you’ve got the perfect recipe for drama – the good kind.

The kind that reminds you why you fell in love with this sport in the first place.