If you’ve ever met a Formula 1 skeptic, chances are you’ve heard him say something along the lines of, “I could do that.”
Over the years of dragging friends along to reluctantly watch F1 races at our local sports bar, someone inevitably always says, “I don’t understand what’s so special about driving a car in a circle.”
If only I could take them for a flying lap of the Miami International Autodrome – and that’s exactly what I did, in a 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, ahead of the Miami Grand Prix.
For an eye-watering $15,000, motorsport fans (and a few lucky journalists) can get as close as possible to understanding what makes drivers like Max Verstappen and Lando Norris so special.
Of course, one of the biggest differences between Formula 1 and almost every other sport is that the experience in the cockpit of an F1 car whole Inaccessible to people like you and me.
Mail Sport had a hot lap at the Miami International Autodrome this weekend
Getting strapped in before reaching speeds of up to 140 miles per hour
Chances are you’ve kicked a soccer ball around in the park, played beach volleyball in the summer, or spent time on the soccer field in a little league.
But very few of us have ever had to navigate an ultra-complex steering wheel behind the wheel of a car or battle against the force of 5G.
As I climbed into the passenger seat for my Pirelli Hot Lap, driven by Ford factory driver Chris Mies, I felt prepared.
The experience was almost like sitting in the cockpit of a Formula 1 car
We sped along the straights between turns 8 and 11, before hitting a sharp left-hander
Last year I drove around the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway in a two-seater IndyCar, reaching speeds of up to 190 miles per hour.
Mies assured me that the five-liter V8 with 500 hp was a… bit slower, and I felt at ease – if only for a moment.
The 19-turn circuit at Hard Rock Stadium, which hosted its first F1 race in 2022 thanks to a reported $60 million cash injection from billionaire Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, has a top speed of 210 miles per hour.
Drivers, like Lando Norris who took his first win, experience up to 5G of power
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen came into contact with pole in turn 15 during the race
As we rounded turn four and passed the entrance to the NFL stadium, it quickly became clear that this track was not for the faint of heart.
We hit traffic at turn seven – in the form of an Aston Martin DBX707, and Mies gave me a taste of what Norris probably felt on Sunday as he overtook the field to take the race lead (later taking his first win ).
We sped down the straights between turns eight and eleven, at 140 miles per hour before Mies blasted into a sharp left-hander on the breaks.
The highlight of the circuit, however, was the climb to the chicane at Turn 15, where I went flying as Mies expertly navigated the corners.
It was also the exact spot where Verstappen memorably took pole during Sunday’s race.
“I didn’t like it so I decided to take it out and test the durability of the front wing,” the Red Bull ace joked to Mail Sport. “That’s a crash test,” he added.
“I’m going to cry,” screamed Kendall Jenner after her hot lap with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton
Ed Sheeran also visited the Miami Grand Prix, where he drove a lap around the circuit
I wasn’t the only one who took a flying lap around the Miami International Autodrome this weekend.
Mercedes’ George Russell drove British hitmaker Ed Sheeran around the track. “That really sucked,” the “Castle on the Hill” singer joked to Russell after getting out of the car.
Meanwhile, Kendall Jenner begged Lewis Hamilton to slow down as she hopped into the passenger seat of a $136,000 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT.
‘Oh my God. Holy shit, I’m going to cry,” she screamed.
“I literally hate you,” the reality star told the seven-time world champion.
Whether you loved the experience or hated it (looking at you, Kendall), there’s no denying that the Pirelli Hot Lap really is as close to an F1 cockpit as you can get.