Formula E handed 'constructive criticism' over questionable Miami layout

Antonio Félix da Costa has questioned the shortness of the layout at the Miami International Autodrome for this weekend’s Miami E-Prix, noting that he will "constructively criticise" it.

Formula E has moved from Homestead–Miami Speedway to the Miami International Autodrome for its race in the city, but is using the national configuration.

It is a near-identical layout to what was used for last year’s celebrity-based EVO Sessions event; however, modifications to the final sector have made this weekend’s track shorter.

As a result, this weekend could see lap times of around 55 seconds, something da Costa joked he had not experienced since “I was in go-karts”.

Only a select number of drivers were present at the EVO Sessions event at Hard Rock Stadium last year, and while da Costa was not one of them, he remains surprised by the circuit’s length.

Asked if the track is too short, da Costa told RacingNews365: "I mean, I wasn’t here for the EVO sessions, but the short answer to your question is that it should be longer.

"I’m not the FIA, I’m not Formula E, and I’m not involved in those governing bodies when it comes to deciding track layouts. But I hope there must be a reason for the track to be that short, even though I don’t know it, and I would like to see it a little longer."

With it not being a double-header, Pit Boost will not be in operation this weekend; however, if it were, lapped cars would likely have become a major talking point.

Whether the layout is the right one for Formula E will only be discovered after the race, with da Costa aware that if it does go wrong, the championship is quick to own up to its mistakes.

"Yeah, with Pit Boost, you would have gone a lap down," he added. "I actually didn’t even think about that. I think everybody here – in terms of the FIA, Formula E teams and drivers – is very humble about whether we could have done better.

"I’m sure that by Monday we’ll know, and we’ll change it for next year. We’re not here to criticise; we’re here to maybe constructively criticise, yes, and just help everybody – the series, the teams, the drivers – to create a better product for the fans. We’ll see how this weekend goes, and we’ll make it better for next year."