Features

2021 in review – April

Formula 1 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.

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.

Elsewhere in Miami, cryptocurrency exchange FTX agreed a long-term partnership for naming rights to the home arena of the NBA’s Miami Heat.

League approval was granted for the deal, which rebranded AmericanAirlines Arena as FTX Arena from the 2021-22 season onwards. The deal was worth a reported $135m (£101m/€119m) over 19 years, with $90m to be given to Miami-Dade County, which owns the venue.

In other news, the City of Hiroshima announced the winning consortium for its new football stadium project after four consortia presented their respective proposals.

The winning consortium was headed by the construction giant Taisei Corporation and consisted of seven companies including Tohata Architects & Engineers. The consortium’s proposed design included a restaurant on the fourth floor overlooking the cityscape, a VIP lounge with a modern Japanese take, and a multi-purpose concourse that can be used on non-match days.

Meanwhile, plans were outlined for a new 8,000-seat show court at Wimbledon as part of the expansion of the London tennis facility.

The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) wants to build the arena on land it purchased from Wimbledon Park Golf Club in 2018 for £65m. The arena will have a retractable roof and will be the third largest court at the complex after Centre Court and Court One, with hopes that it will be ready for play by 2030.

April also saw UK telco BT renew its naming rights to Murrayfield, the home of Scottish Rugby, as part of a deal that saw its association with the national governing body extend to 10 years.

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