Formula 1 has put its plan to race in Miami on ice during the coronavirus pandemic, but as reported earlier today by RaceFans, Liberty Media’s long-held dreams of bringing Formula 1 to Miami finally appear close to becoming reality.
Years of wrangling over plans to add a second American round of the world championship look set to reach a conclusion as Miami Gardens mayor Rodney Harris, who previously opposed the scheme, is now supporting it. The Miami Herald reported Harris has given his backing to a joint resolution with the event promoters aimed at addressing residents’ concerns over noise, pollution and other disruption the race may cause.
The promoter’s plans have been repeatedly frustrated by local opposition. It forced the relocation of the event from the streets of downtown Miami, where IndyCar and Formula E previously raced, to a circuit based in the car park of the Hard Rock Stadium.
The venue is home to the Miami Dolphins NFL team which is owned by Stephen Ross, the key mover behind the race. The latest route, revealed in January last year, bypasses North-West 199th street, addressing another concern of the project’s critics.
Nonetheless in November a group of resident brought a lawsuit against Miami-Dade County seeking to block the race and accusing the county of racial discrimination.
Among the concessions offered to locals in the joint resolution between Harris and the Hard Rock Stadium are a $5 million economic package, internships for city residents and a science, technology, engineering and mathematics programme. The council will vote on the deal on Wednesday, and the support of Harris means it is likely to win approval.
The race could therefore join the 2022 F1 calendar, three years after the sport originally intended to schedule its first Miami Grand Prix.
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