2022 Miami GP: expected pit stop strategies and tyres available for race. What’s the quickest strategy?.

A brand new track represents a fresh challenge for all of the teams and also many unknowns regarding the ideal strategy options so let’s take a look at the possible race strategies and several options available for the teams when it comes to stints and pit stops for the next round of the 2022 Formula One season, the Miami Grand Prix, which takes place later today at the Miami International Autodrome.

What is the quickest tyre strategy option for the 2022 Miami Grand Prix?
Realistically speaking, nobody knows. Of course, each team already has a preferred strategy for their specific car, but given the lack of data there is not one clear option which is on the table for the entire grid. This is also because of the track evolution which has been seen during the weekend in the free practice session and the qualifying sessionr, leading to uncertainty regarding the use of the hard tyre.

For some teams, the hard tyre may prove to be a solid option for the Miami Grand Prix, but for others it may not be the best strategy solution. This is caused by how the teams  ran the hard during the practice sessions, as the track has been improving with more running through the weekend, impacting on its performance.

Taking into consideration the abrasive nature of the track surface, a two-stop strategy looks like the frontrunner at this moment, starting on the medium tyre to get good performance in the first stint. With a first pit window between laps 13 and 18, the second stint would be on the hard compound, and if a driver has enough sets then a final stop for more hards is possible between laps 30 and 40.

However, this is not an option for Red Bull, McLaren, AlphaTauri or Haas,  which means that those teams could look to extend the middle stint beyond lap 35 before returning to the mediums, or even get closer to lap 45 to try the soft tyre as the fuel burns off.

Scuderia Ferrari and Mercedes may attempt to do two stints on the hard or one on each compound, but McLaren and AlphaTauri are tied into using all three, or a one-stopper, but with a pit lane loss time of under 22 seconds the two-stop tentatively remains the better option.