A significant Miami Grand Prix leadership change has taken place within the organisation behind the Florida Formula 1 event. Tom Garfinkel is stepping down from his roles as vice-chairman, president and chief executive officer of the Miami Dolphins after 13 years, although he will remain vice-chairman of the franchise and managing partner of the Miami Grand Prix.
Daniel Sillman will replace him at the head of Ross Sports & Entertainment, a newly created structure bringing the Miami Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium, the Miami Grand Prix, the Miami Open tennis tournament and the Precision Drive Club together under one organisation. The move therefore changes the wider management structure surrounding the Formula 1 race without removing Tom Garfinkel from his direct position with the event.
Daniel Sillman takes control of the Miami Grand Prix’s wider organisation
Daniel Sillman, the son-in-law of Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and the former chief executive officer and co-founder of Relevent, is assuming full operational responsibility for Ross Sports & Entertainment.
The decision comes seven months after Stephen Ross publicly outlined his succession plan. Under those arrangements, ownership of the Miami Dolphins is expected to pass to his daughters, Jennifer and Kimberly, while Daniel Sillman will be entrusted with managing the wider portfolio of sports and entertainment properties.
Internal sources indicated that Tom Garfinkel initiated the first discussions with Stephen Ross a couple of months ago. Once the terms of the transition had been established, staff were informed of the change during a meeting held in the morning.
The restructuring matters to Formula 1 because the Miami Grand Prix forms part of a much broader sports and entertainment operation centred on Hard Rock Stadium. The event joined the championship in 2022 after years of planning, with the race becoming one of the most prominent additions to Formula 1’s expansion in the United States. The development of the Miami Grand Prix has been closely linked to the transformation of the stadium complex under Tom Garfinkel’s leadership.
Tom Garfinkel’s record with the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium
During Tom Garfinkel’s 13 years in Miami, the Dolphins established themselves as one of the NFL’s most commercially aggressive organisations. According to informed sources, the franchise ranked third in the league for revenue unrelated to American football in 2025.
Tom Garfinkel did not previously hold responsibility for sporting operations, which reported directly to Stephen Ross. Under the new organisational structure, however, the Dolphins’ football department will also report to Daniel Sillman, giving the new chief executive officer authority across both sporting and commercial operations.
Among the most visible achievements of Tom Garfinkel’s tenure was the complete renovation of Hard Rock Stadium. The project cost $500 million and was completed in 2015. The venue subsequently hosted Super Bowl LIV in 2020 and the College Football Playoff National Championship in January of the following year.
Hard Rock Stadium was also transformed into an important hub for tennis and motorsport. In 2019, IMG moved the ATP and WTA Miami Open to the stadium complex, where the Dolphins constructed new facilities as part of a profit-sharing agreement. The organisation later acquired a 45% interest in the tournament.
Formula 1 arrived at the venue in 2022 with the inaugural Miami Grand Prix. The race is owned and operated by the same organisation, using a circuit and facilities constructed and controlled by the franchise around Hard Rock Stadium. Since then, the event has developed into a major Sprint weekend on the calendar, with the 2026 Miami Grand Prix weekend once again combining Formula 1 competition with the venue’s wider entertainment programme.
Miami Dolphins valuation reaches a record $12.5 billion
In 2025, Xiaomi co-founder and vice-chairman Lin Bin acquired a 1% stake in the Miami Dolphins and the associated businesses at a valuation of $12.5 billion. The transaction represented a record valuation for a professional sports team. Stephen Ross had purchased the franchise in 2009 for $1 billion.
Tom Garfinkel also developed a strong reputation for identifying and nurturing executive talent. More than 40 people who joined the Dolphins below vice-presidential level now hold senior leadership positions either within the same organisation or elsewhere in the sports industry.
Before moving to Miami in 2013, Tom Garfinkel served as president and chief executive officer of Major League Baseball’s San Diego Padres. He had previously been chief operating officer of the Arizona Diamondbacks and executive vice-president of Chip Ganassi Racing’s NASCAR, IndyCar and Grand-Am teams.
That background gave Tom Garfinkel experience across several major American sports before he became one of the central figures behind Formula 1’s arrival in Miami Gardens. Should he decide to pursue another position in the sports industry, he would be regarded as one of the most sought-after executives in the sector.
What the leadership change means for the Miami Grand Prix
Although Tom Garfinkel is leaving his daily executive responsibilities with the Miami Dolphins, his continued position as managing partner of the Miami Grand Prix provides continuity for the Formula 1 event. Daniel Sillman will oversee the broader organisation, while the executive closely associated with bringing the race to Miami Gardens will remain directly involved.
The race has become an established part of the Formula 1 calendar, and the latest management change does not amount to Tom Garfinkel leaving the Grand Prix. Instead, it places the event within a consolidated organisational structure alongside the Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium, the Miami Open and the Precision Drive Club.
The importance of the Grand Prix to the wider portfolio was demonstrated again during the 2026 event, which brought Formula 1 back to the Miami International Autodrome for another Sprint weekend. The 2026 Miami Grand Prix race classification completed the latest chapter in an event that has rapidly become one of the central sporting properties controlled from the Hard Rock Stadium complex.
Tom Garfinkel and Stephen Ross address the transition
“I love the Dolphins and the people who work here, but after 13 years it was simply the right time to make this decision. The business has never been in a better position, and the team of people we have is second to none in sport,” Tom Garfinkel said.
Stephen Ross praised the departing chief executive officer’s influence on the organisation and the wider American sports industry.
“Tom has had one of the most influential executive tenures in the history of professional sport. When he joined our organisation, we imagined creating a world-class sports and entertainment company capable of redefining what was possible for a franchise, a stadium and a community. Together, we turned that vision into reality,” Stephen Ross said.
Leave a Reply