Valtteri Bottas is hopeful for a strong weekend at the Miami Grand Prix, using Stake F1's performance at previous visits to Florida - when the team was Alfa Romeo Sauber - as a benchmark for what might be achievable.
The trip to the Miami will be the first U.S. race of the season and the second consecutive sprint event.
The Miami Grand Prix places a premium on the event aspect of the weekend, with a long list of celebrities usually in attendance and F1 opting for a Super Bowl-like feel to the proceedings at a circuit that weaves around the outside of the Miami Dolphins stadium.
"Yeah, [the] track is good. It’s quite an interesting track, quite tricky. Technical," Bottas told media when asked by RacingNews365 what he has made of the first two Miami Grand Prix.
"I thought the event itself was a lot better last year than the first year, just everything was a bit smoother – and the tarmac as well, was better."
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Bottas: Miami 'pretty good for our car'
In China, Stake came close to capitalising on the sprint format with the Finnish driver and team-mate Zhou Guanyu qualifying in the top 10 for the sprint - the latter narrowly missing out on the team's first point of the season, finishing in ninth.
Whilst Bottas was able to replicate that result in grand prix qualifying, his retirement from the race put an end to any points aspirations. However, the 34-year-old is targeting making amends in Florida - something he has form for.
At the inaugural race in the Sunshine State in 2022, Bottas qualified his Alfa Romeo in fifth, managing to hold on to a strong points-scoring finish for the team, ending the race in seventh.
Whilst he was unable to replicate that performance a year later, he did signpost it as being a strong track layout for the Hinwil-based outfit's car - something he hopes will carry over to this season as Stake makes its first start in Miami.
"It should be even better this year; I think it’s a good grand prix," he said.
"Typically, it’s been actually good for us, in 2022 and ’23 it was pretty good for our car, so hopefully the same this year."
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