Plans to take a Formula One race to Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium have cleared their latest hurdle after a vote before the Miami-Dade County Commission.
A vote on a proposed ordinance by commissioners yesterday (Wednesday) ended in a 6-6 result. If approved, the ordinance would have stopped the race plans from progressing.
As a result, the plans will not require the approval of both the city of Miami Gardens and the Miami-Dade County going forward.
However, the Miami Herald newspaper reported that Commissioner Barbara Jordan has announced that she, along with fellow opponents of the race, had filed a lawsuit against Hard Rock Stadium and NFL team the Miami Dolphins, which plays at the stadium.
“This fight is not over,” Jordan said. “Formula One, I don’t think they want this kind of publicity. But they better get ready.”
A statement from F1 reported by CBSMiami read: “We welcome the outcome from the commissioners meeting in Miami today and look forward to the continued progress to bring Formula 1 to Miami-Dade County. We expect this to be an incredible race on the F1 calendar in one of the most exciting cities in the world to visit.”
Last month, F1 and the Dolphins revealed changes to the design of the circuit looking to bring the series to Hard Rock Stadium.
Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, which combines F1, the Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium, said the series of changes to the proposed track configuration and race schedule incorporates feedback received during months of dialogue with residents, elected officials, faith leaders, local businesses, and scientific experts.
Hard Rock Stadium has been lined up to host a second US race on the Formula One calendar after an agreement in principle was reached to take the motor-racing series to Miami, from May 2021, back in October. The project has since been met with multiple challenges, with several meetings having taken place over a period of months.
Image: F1 Miami
