Miami GP: F1 Has Arrived in the Sunshine State!

The Miami Grand Prix is the newest addition to Formula 1, and F1 Fever has taken over the city.

The Miami Grand Prix at the Miami International Autodrome continues Formula 1’s development into the United States market, marking the second US-based race after the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas. The new circuit is centred around Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, home to the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.

Street Circuit

The track was finalised after 36 potential designs were simulated and will function as a temporary street circuit, comparable to the Albert Park Circuit in Australia. The layout would be like a permanent track, with slight undulations included in the design.

The circuit was created with “spectacular racing in mind”, according to F1.

The new 5.41km track in the Miami Gardens will feature 19 corners, and two critical overtaking spots have been identified. The first will occur at Turn 11, at the end of one of three possible DRS zones. The second spot is Turn 17, located at the end of the long straight.

The venue claimed the long drag down to Turn 17 as the second-fastest straight on the calendar. The circuit has a tight and technical section between turns 11 and 16 with plenty of walls adjacent to the kerbs throughout the lap.

One of the venue’s most notable features is the construction of 14 pedestrian bridges, the most of any F1 track, to facilitate access across the Miami Campus.

The Miami Grand Prix will be the first Formula 1 event in Florida since 1959. F1 signed a 10-year deal with the event organisers, indicating that it would be a regular fixture for a while.

Craig Slater tested the ‘water’ in the Marina on Sky Sports

The initial concept for a Miami race had a track that crossed a bridge over the city’s bay. Still, local officials and citizens objected, and it was not approved. As a result, it won’t be as stunning as it would have been along the turquoise bay, with camera views of cruise ships, the cityscape, and spectators on yachts and sailboats. However, organisers are trying to recreate a maritime atmosphere at the landlocked location. A 24,000 square-foot beach club zone around turns 11, 12 and 13 will feature a resort-style pool, luxurious cabanas, bars, and DJs playing music in the centre of the track.

F1 is presently growing in America, thanks to a surge in interest fuelled by Netflix’s Drive to Survive series, which has just been renewed for a 5th and 6th series.

F1 announced earlier this year that it will race down the Las Vegas strip in 2023, marking the first time since 1981 that three US races would be held in a single season. Miami is the first of two Grands Prix to be hosted in the United States in 2022. After attracting 400,000 fans in 2021, F1 will return to the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, later this year.