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Miami seals 10-year F1 race deal

Formula 1 has reached a 10-year agreement to stage a grand prix in Miami from 2022, with the track to incorporate Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins NFL American football team.

It will mark the first time since 1959 that Florida will form part of the F1 calendar. The exact date of the inaugural Miami Grand Prix has yet to be confirmed but F1 president Stefano Domenicali expects the race to be held in the second quarter of 2022.

The 5.41km circuit will feature 19 corners, three straights and potential for three DRS zones, with an estimated top speed of 320km/h. The 64,000-seat Hard Rock Stadium will sit at the heart of the track.

Miami will become the second US city on the F1 calendar, alongside Austin. Miami will be the 11th US host of an F1 race since the series began in 1950, after Indianapolis, Sebring, Riverside, Watkins Glen, Long Beach, Las Vegas, Detroit, Dallas, Phoenix and Austin.

Efforts will be made to ensure that a number of discounted tickets are made available to Miami Gardens residents. A programme will also be set up to support local businesses and the community, with initiatives to include a STEM education programme through F1 in Schools.

Plans to take an F1 race to Miami have been in the works for a number of years. In October 2019, an agreement was reached in principle for Hard Rock Stadium to host a race, with reports suggesting at the time that the inaugural Miami Grand Prix could be held as early as this year.

Hard Rock Stadium was put forward as the potential new home of the grand prix after long-held plans to develop a street circuit in the downtown area of Miami were dropped. The street circuit proposal had received support from the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County’s Economic Development and Tourism Committee but these plans did not come to fruition.

Plans for the Hard Rock Stadium grand prix have now been finalised, with the venue to be used to house spectators and facilities on race weekend. The track is also set to be designed so the pits and paddock club complex can be relocated to directly adjacent to the north side of the stadium.

Domenicali said: “The USA is a key growth market for us, and we are greatly encouraged by our growing reach in the US which will be further supported by this exciting second race. We will be working closely with the team from Hard Rock Stadium and the FIA to ensure the circuit delivers exciting racing but also leaves a positive and lasting contribution to the people in the local community.

“We are grateful to our fans, the Miami Gardens elected officials and the local tourism industry for their patience and support throughout this process. We are looking forward to bringing the greatest racing spectacle on the planet to Miami for the first time in our sport’s history.”

Tom Garfinkel, vice-chairman, president and chief executive of Hard Rock Stadium, added: “The Hard Rock Stadium entertainment campus in Miami Gardens exists to host the biggest global events to benefit the entire greater Miami region and Formula 1 racing is as big as it gets.

“We have worked with specialist designers to create a racetrack that we, Formula 1 and the FIA believe will provide great racing and we hope to create best-in-class unique fan experiences that are reflective of the diverse and dynamic nature of Miami. I want to thank Formula 1 and the Miami Gardens and Miami-Dade County elected officials for working to bring this hugely impactful event here for years to come.”

As well as serving as the home of the Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium has hosted the Miami Open tennis event since 2019. Hard Rock Stadium hosted the NFL’s Super Bowl in 2020.

Image: A.J. Lipp/CC BY-SA 4.0/Edited for size