LONDON: Formula One has confirmed plans to stage a street race Grand Prix race in downtown Miami in 2019 with a vote scheduled next week by the City of Miami Commission on a proposal to formalize plans for a 10-year deal.
A Miami race would be the second in the US, joining the US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas and the the fourth in North America, joining races in Canada and Mexico City.
The exact timing of a Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix would be a matter for further discussion between F1, the FIA and the Miami authorities, but if approved the inaugural race would take place in October 2019.
“With over half a billion fans worldwide, Formula 1 is the greatest racing spectacle on the planet, and Miami’s status as one of the world’s most iconic and glamourous cities, combined with its robust tourism infrastructure, makes Miami the perfect destination for Formula 1 and its fans,” said Sean Bratches, F1’s managing director for commercial operations.
Stephen Ross, US entrepreneur and supporter of the proposed race added: “Miami is a first-class global city and Formula 1 is a first-class global brand. In cooperation with the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County, I am confident we can deliver yet another global event that will be a destination for people from around the world and drive economic value to South Florida. From football and soccer to tennis and motorsports, Miami deserves only the best in music, food, art, fashion, and sports and entertainment, and that is exactly what we plan on delivering with a Formula 1 race.”
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez called next week’s vote “the first step” to working out details, with a final vote more possible over the summer. The city has held good talks with F1 officials about the need to map a downtown race course that wouldn’t be too disruptive to neighbourhoods, PTI quotes Suarez as having said.
“This is an annual Super Bowl of sorts. They (F1) are very bullish on the prospects of Miami,” Suarez said.
The Texas race gets about $25 million annually in state and local tax money to pay F1’s rights fees and other expenses. The Florida race is supported by Suarez and Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross.
Suarez said he expects “99%” of financing for a Miami race to come from private sources with any city funds coming in at $500,000 or less.
“From football and soccer to tennis and motorsports, Miami deserves only the best in music, food, art, fashion, and sports and entertainment, and that is exactly what we plan on delivering with a Formula 1 race,” Reuters quotes Ross as having said.
Ross helped lead the plan to relocate the Miami Open tennis tournament from Key Biscayne to the Dolphins’ stadium complex in Miami Gardens, a move that will be enacted in time for next year’s tournament. He’s also brought several international soccer events to Hard Rock Stadium, which is seeking to host World Cup matches in 2026.
The Miami race would be the latest move by Liberty Media, which took over F1 in 2017, to expand F1’s reach, including the possibility of adding new races in Asia, and a soon-to-launch live streaming service.
The F1 plan also comes while a group led by soccer icon David Beckham tries to bring an MLS franchise back to the Miami area. Beckham and MLS formally announced earlier this year that a team is coming, but it’s still unclear where the stadium for that club will be built and when it will be able to start play.
Later this year, as part of a fan experience that has already seen Formula One deliver F1 Live London last season, and a fan festival in Shanghai, further fan festivals will be hosted in Marseilles ahead of the Grand Prix De France and in Miami itself ahead of the United States GP in Austin, Texas.
