Lando Norris and Sergio Perez raise concerns ahead of Miami Grand Prix

F1 preview: A lap of the Miami Grand Prix

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Lando Norris and Sergio Perez have criticised the ‘bumpy’ and ‘gravelly’ Miami circuit ahead of the inaugural Grand Prix. The drivers’ comments came after several stars, including Perez, spun during the free practice sessions when they moved away from the racing line. F1 aces fear that it will reduce overtaking opportunities on Sunday as there is insufficient grip on the outer edges of the track.

“I am really disappointed there is no grip off-line,” Red Bull driver Perez said. “It’s a shame because I think the racing will be bad due to that. As soon as you try to go off-line, there is no grip. It’s wet on that side. It feels very gravelly. Racing will be hard. I think it’s going to be an interesting race. We are all in the same boat. We don’t know exactly where we are.”

Checo’s sentiments were echoed by Norris. The McLaren driver was also left unhappy with the quality of the surface.

“I think everyone was expecting it to be very smooth and beautiful but it’s not,” the young Brit said. “It is extremely tricky. It is very bumpy in some areas which is not quite what we were expecting, you go off-line anywhere and it is pretty much game over. That is why you have seen quite a few people ending up in the barriers.

“I feel like it isn’t going to be great for racing now,” he added. “That is the negatives, but the positives are it is still a good track.”

With their concerns surrounding the viability of overtaking at the new track both drivers will be hoping for strong qualifying performances later this evening to give themselves a better chance of claiming a big points haul.

Meanwhile, Hamilton also expressed his concerns over the track.

The Brit said: “It’s kind of crazy. In this day and age, they should be able to make a flat road relatively easy but there are fricking big. big bumps in so many places where the track joins up somewhere else.

“I don’t know if they’ll be able to grind that overnight and improve it but otherwise it’s quite nice to drive except for the chicane, that might be…I don’t want to put that quote out there. I’ll hold onto that. But it’s so tight. It reminds of being in a B&Q car park when I was six, seven years old in a go-kart going in between cars.

“It’s a corner that maybe in the future they can remove and it will improve the track. McLaren driver Lando Norris doesn’t feel like the current track layout will be ‘great for racing’.”

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