Some incredibly exciting news has emerged as the Miami Grand Prix joins the 2022 F1 Calendar! For the first time since 1959, F1 will race in Florida. Florida is a state famous for its beaches, theme parks, and natural beauty. Miami is the most populous city in Florida and famous for its beaches and nightlife. Many rumours and speculations and possibilities have been circulating the F1 world about a possible race in Miami. And today, we finally got the confirmation that we would have a race in Miami.
In my opinion, holding this race is the perfect decision. As if the aero regulation changes don’t make 2022 exciting enough for F1, now we have a new race. And on top of that, the Miami GP circuit is at the iconic Hard Rock Stadium complex in Miami Gardens. The stadium will be used for spectators and facilities. Can you imagine being on the top deck of the stadium and seeing F1 cars zooming by at high speeds? Incredible!
Formula 1 has not set an exact date for the 2022 Miami Grand Prix. However, Formula 1 president Stefano Domenicali says that F1 expects it to be in the 2nd quarter of 2022. This means it will be in the months of April, May or June. The United States Grand Prix at Austin, Texas, usually takes place in Autumn. It makes sense to expect the same will happen in 2022. Logistics will be way easier if the American races were back-to-back or at least near each other. But keeping the GPs far away from each other will build much more hype. It will really maximise the impact of F1 in the individual races in America.
The US has a rich history in Formula 1, with F1 having raced in 11 locations in the US. Since 1950, F1 has raced at Indianapolis, Sebring, Riverside, Watkins Glen and Long Beach. F1 also went to Las Vegas, Detroit, Dallas, Phoenix and Circuit of The Americas in Austin. The Circuit of the Americas currently hosts the United States Grand Prix. Admittedly, most of these races weren’t successful and didn’t last long. However, they still made for good entertainment, and definitely made the history books. And we’re hopeful that the Miami Grand Prix will be fabulous and a great race for F1.
A big question is, will the Miami GP replace a race in 2022? F1 confirmed that 2022 will have 23 races, like the 2021 calendar. Currently, the races in Abu Dhabi, Imola, Japan, Monaco, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, and the US Grand Prix don’t have 2022 contracts. It’s certainly more likely that Portugal and/or Imola won’t feature in 2022, F1 is very unpredictable. Let’s move forward to see what the F1 President and the Hard Rock Stadium CEO think of this decision.
What The President of F1 and the CEO of the Hard Rock Stadium Think About This Decision
Stefano Domenicali, the President of Formula 1, spoke about and announced the Miami Grand Prix.
“We are thrilled to announce that Formula 1 will be racing in Miami beginning in 2022. 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’re 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 & CEO, Hard Rock Stadium, also spoke about the announcement.
“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. 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.”
The Miami Grand Prix Circuit
The circuit for the Miami GP will be 5.41km long, and feature 19 corners, with 3 possible DRS straights. As you can see, the circuit features quite long straights; estimates show blistering top speeds of 320 km/h. The track seems to be a pretty high-speed track, although it does have slow-speed sections. This track aims to encourage exciting overtaking and racing while making sure the racing is as safe as possible. The main overtaking spots are going to be Turns 17 and 11, which are both after long straights.
The Hard Rock Stadium sits right next to the main straight and the first few corners of the track. The stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, with many rock concerts, 2 Baseball World Series, and 6 Super Bowls having taken place there. Now you can add the Miami GP to the illustrious list the home of the Miami Dolphins holds. But that also made it very difficult to design the track. But that also made it difficult to design.
“It is actually quite a restricted site to work on, both in terms of existing infrastructure and operationally,” said Craig Wilson, F1’s Head of Vehicle Performance. He had a big role in designing the track. “There is a lot of underground drainage management that we had to mindful of given it is mainly flat land not far above the water level and the Dolphins were developing part of the site to house their new training complex.
“The southeast to south corner section is where the Miami Open tennis is held. It houses all of its courts and infrastructure, plus a gondola system running above it. On top of that, the eastern section has a combination of Florida Highway on and off-ramps from the Florida Turnpike and some historical trees, both of which that we had to navigate around, which placed a heavy restriction in this area.
“Then there is the matter that there is a big stadium and all its infrastructure right in the middle of the site that has to operate during the NFL season.”
Personally, given the fact that it took the designers 36 different track designs before they finally picked this one, I think this is a great circuit. It’s certainly got multiple overtaking opportunities while being a great track for qualifying as well. I think the atmosphere around the Miami Grand Prix will be admirable and vibrant, which is exactly what we need. And the circuit and the circuit location will play a big role in that.
F1 Is Trying To Benefit Miami In Many Different Ways
Obviously, the Miami Grand Prix will bring a lot more tourism and will be good for local businesses in the greater Miami region. On top of that, F1 are creating a program to support businesses and the local community in Miami Gardens. F1 is also helping local businesses take part in the race weekend. The F1 race coming to Miami is believed to have 4,000 new jobs created for the community. According to the promoters, the race will bring around 35,000 local hotel bookings and over $400m in a positive economic impact to the city each year.
Miami Gardens is actually a city in Miami County, and the residents of Miami Gardens will get discounted tickets to the race. The race promoter, F1 and the local community are working together to make sure that residents can enjoy the brilliant sport that we all love. Miami Gardens is also mainly an African-American community. People know it for its small businesses and impressive food scene, particularly its soul-food and Caribbean restaurants. This makes the Miami GP part of F1’s We Race As One Initiative.
And lastly, there will be a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) program put in place. And that will be the renowned and fabulous F1 in Schools program. F1 in schools allows school children to work in small groups to use CAD and CAM tools to design a miniature F1 car out of the official F1 Model Block. This will be brilliant for the children living in Miami and Miami Gardens.
So that’s it for this post. I hope you guys enjoyed reading this analysis and news about the Miami Grand Prix coming to the F1 calendar. I certainly can’t wait to see this race in action, and let me know in the comments below if you feel the same! Stay safe, and stay on the lookout for new posts!
