One week on: Miami Grand Prix – A Celebration of Glamour & Glitz
Last weekend, the Formula 1 circus descended upon Florida for the inaugural Formula One Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix. The new circuit surrounds the Hard Rock Stadium with 19 corners and 5.4 kilometres of track, a fake marina and beach area, and a podium where the winner was taken to under a police escort.
While the Miami Grand Prix was won by Verstappen and Red Bull, it was also a significant triumph for Formula 1 and its numerous teams and sponsors. Many of them are global publicly traded companies eager to be associated with the rising F1 viewership in the United States.
Netflix GP
For the majority of the twenty-first century, Formula 1 has only planned one event in the United States, which has been held in Austin, Texas, since 2012. Now, three races are scheduled for 2023, and Miami will remain for the next ten years. Netflix’s series Formula 1: Drive to Survive is one of the main pillars driving this forward and opening the door for a new generation of fans.
Following the Drive to Survive release, the much-discussed Netflix impact has undoubtedly boosted the sport in the United States. With so much coverage of Formula 1 and Miami leading up to the event, Netflix announced that Drive to Survive had been extended for two more seasons.
The 85,000-strong Miami GP crowd was as enthralled and enthused as any we’ve ever witnessed at a motor race. In 2021, ESPN reported an average of 963,000 viewers per event. More than a million Americans tuned in for the season opener in Bahrain this year, peaking at 1.5 million.
The Miami Grand Prix even surpassed it. On Sunday, the live coverage on ESPN had an average of 2.6 million American viewers, the largest audience for a live F1 race aired on American television.
Celebrity spotting
The Miami Grand Prix was a showcase of celebrities. The paddock has rarely been filled with so many famous guests as Miami attempted to compete on an equal footing with Monaco. Numerous celebrities posted about the race, generating even greater interest in the maiden Grand Prix on social media. And the venue mirrored the sport’s wealth. The city was buzzing with several fan experiences surrounding the track, such as the marina with actual yachts but fake water.
The considerable number of celebrities that came to the circuit on Sunday showed a phenomenal reach on US territory. Fans of sports and pop culture were wowed by a long list of celebrities, including Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Dwayne Wade, Gabrielle Union, Serena and Venus Williams, Paris Hilton, David Beckham, Michelle Obama, Tommy Hilfiger, George Lucas, and many others.
The Race
The 57-lap race began with Leclerc on pole, teammate Carlos Sainz in second and Verstappen in third. Verstappen went through Sainz on Turn 1, and it appeared like that would be the case for the rest of the race. However, Verstappen instead pursued the leading Ferrari, passing Leclerc on lap 9. There were a few more overtakes and some banging in the midfield, but overall quite dull.
All of that changed on lap 40, when Gasly collided with Norris and brought out the safety car. Then, with 10 laps remaining, the race began, with Verstappen leading Leclerc, Sainz, and Perez.
For a few more laps, Leclerc stayed inside DRS range of Verstappen, raising the spectre of a possible attack and heightening the tension in the final laps. He eventually slipped behind, giving Verstappen his third win of the season and second in a row with 18 races remaining. However, if not for the safety-car interval, the race seemed to have little drama for most of its duration.
The Miami Grand Prix was not your typical Formula 1 race; it was a flashy event packed with celebrities and VIPs. Additionally, compared to a typical racing weekend, the event attracted a small crowd onsite.
Due to a lack of on-track fights, the race was shaping up to be a snooze-fest for F1 fans. However, one slight misstep by Pierre Gasly turned everything around, and the fans were treated to an exciting race finish.
So in the end Miami delivered in terms of on-track performance. But off the track? Well, that’s debatable. The glamour and elegance of Miami wowed numerous F1 viewers who had previously only seen somewhat routine race weekends. But did the celebrations go too far?
