Alastair Staley/Getty Images
Formula E drivers find much to like at Homestead but would still prefer a street course
Formula E visited its fifth different venue in the United States with its first trip to Homestead-Miami Speedway. The race had the typical Formula E hallmarks – long straights and heavy braking combining to maximize the importance of efficiency, and an abrasive surface that left drivers scrambling for grip – and garnered praise from drivers.
“In terms of drivability and how fun it was to race here and do qualifying laps around here, it was good -- it was very fun,” said TAG Heuer Porsche driver Antonio Felix da Costa. “I think it even produced a good race product; there was a lot of movement going on in the race.”
Lola Yamaha Abt’s Lucas di Grassi also enjoyed it, highlighting the challenges it posed with its varying surfaces and grip levels.
“Although this is a very technical, very difficult track, the asphalt is very abrasive -- it destroys the tires or overheats them,” he said. “The track is tricky with all the modifications and the different grip levels. With the concrete just being at the apex of the corner, you never know if you need to run it [or] if you want to go a little bit wide.
“It's technically extremely difficult, so I enjoyed driving here.”
The infield circuit provided a varied technical challenge for the Formula E drivers. Simon Galloway/Getty Images
But while the south Florida roval course was well received, it obviously didn’t fit the city center mold that has become Formula E’s MO over the last decade.
“We asked Formula E, if we were able to race in city centers in our first season, we need to be able to do that in our 11th season,” insisted da Costa. “So hopefully we can migrate back to city centers -- that would be awesome.”
Agreed di Grassi, “My personal view is that Formula E should be racing on streets whenever it can. If this is the place for us to be in Miami, it's great. We love racing in Miami, but again, the first year that we raced here in downtown Miami. That track was also very, very cool. So if I could choose, I'll choose downtown.”
Formula E’s first Miami E-Prix took place in the series' inaugural season and ran on the streets of Biscayne Bay. It was followed by a race in Long Beach on an altered version of grand prix course, and when both da Costa and di Grassi were asked which would be the one American track they’d like to return to, there was more agreement: “Long Beach!”
Dominik Wilde
Dominik often jokes that he was born in the wrong country – a lover of NASCAR and IndyCar, he covered both in a past life as a junior at Autosport in the UK, but he’s spent most of his career to date covering the sliding and flying antics of the U.S.’ interpretation of rallycross. Rather fitting for a man that says he likes “seeing cars do what they’re not supposed to do”, previously worked for a car stunt show, and once even rolled a rally car with Travis Pastrana. He was also comprehensively beaten in a kart race by Sebastien Loeb once, but who hasn’t been?
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