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Miami F1 names new Grand Prix track

Organisers of the new Formula One Miami Grand Prix have announced the host venue at the city’s Hard Rock Stadium site will be named Miami International Autodrome.

The race will be run from 2022 following a 10-year agreement signed between F1 Miami Grand Prix and Formula One chiefs earlier this year. It will be the first F1 race in Florida since the 1950s, and be staged at a new layout at the Hard Rock Stadium complex in Miami Gardens, home to the NFL’s Miami Dolphins franchise.

Organisers said more than 150,000 ticket enquiries have already been made despite the dates for the inaugural event not yet being confirmed. A third of those have come from corporate bookers, while 25% of all enquiries to date have come from overseas.

“I’m happy to reveal that the official name of our circuit is the Miami International Autodrome,” said Tom Garfinkel, managing partner of the F1 Miami Grand Prix.

“We’ve worked hard to create a circuit that has great racing and multiple passing opportunities. In addition, we are working to innovate fan experiences across the Hard Rock Stadium sports and entertainment campus in Miami Gardens; experiences that reflect how Miami has become an international curator of culture across food, art, fashion, music, and sports.”

As revealed earlier this year, the circuit itself will be 5.41km, and will feature 19 corners, three straights and potential for three DRS zones, with an estimated top speed of 320km/h.

Hard Rock Stadium – the multi-purpose sports and entertainment hub which has hosted six Super Bowls and numerous rock concerts – will sit at the heart of the track, which has been designed to encourage close racing.

Miami Grand Prix chief executive Richard Cregan said: “As we roll out more of the detailed planning work that is being invested into the experience, and the levels of personalisation on offer, we are sure that the Miami International Autodrome will be a focal point for fans from around the world.”

Although the exact date of the race has yet to be confirmed, F1 president Stefano Domenicali said he expects the first race in a 10-year deal to take place in the second quarter of 2022.

Miami will be the 11th location Formula 1 has raced at in the US since the championship began in 1950, following Indianapolis, Sebring, Riverside, Watkins Glen, Long Beach, Las Vegas, Detroit, Dallas, Phoenix and Circuit of The Americas in Austin.