The inaugural Miami Grand Prix was a tipping point moment for modern Formula One as it became the second F1 race to be held in the annually in the USA on a long term basis. Of course ‘cracking the US’ was a long term ambition of former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone yet in F1’s halcyon days there were occasions when one off events saw F1 visit the US three times a year.
Back in the 1970’s there was regularly two events held annually when the calendar consisted of just around fourteen rounds each year. The US Grand Prix west was held in Long Beach, Los Angeles while the US Grand Prix west featured at the much loved Watkins Glen circuit in the finger lakes region of New York State.
In 1982 there were in fact three F1 races held in the states, with races being held at Long Beach, Detroit and Las Vegas. The in 1984 F1 held a race in Dallas, Texas which delivered the iconic image of an exhausted Nigel Mansell pushing his lotus across the finishing line after suffering gearbox failure in the searing heat on the final lap of the race.
F1’s love/hate history with the USA
Yet in general, there was a lack of interesting Formula One in the US, with single seater open wheel racing only being birthed in the 1990’s with cars specified by the USAC’s Championship Division and nick named ‘Indycar’. From 1950-1960 the FIA sanctioned the Indianapolis 500 race as part of the Formula One championship calendar.
Yet the F1 championship was not set up as it is today. Not all races were compulsory for each team and not all F1 races were part of the championship. Further, there were championship races which did not feature F1 cars. All this stopped in 1960 all World Championship races have been F1 races and since 1984 that all F1 races have been World Championship races.
Racing at the iconic Indianapolis Speedway was in reality an excuse for the FIA to claim their F1 championship was in fact a world championship, because they held a race outside Europe. Yet ironically even after the Indy500 was removed from the F1 calendar, drivers from the championship would still compete in what was called the “greatest spectacle in motor racing.”
TJ13 reported last November there had been secret talks being held by FOM to negotiate a return to a once iconic F1 venue in Long Beach (1976-1983). The city of Long Beach has as part of its constitution a mandate to hold just one motor racing event each year in the port area which F1 made famous.
Miami promoters say no more than 3 US based races
The talks with F1 were unsuccessful, and a new contract was agreed with Indycar until 2029. The Long Beach Grand Prix celebrated its 50th anniversary just two weeks ago with Florida born Kyle Kirkwood winning the blue ribbon event for the second time in his short Indycar career.
Despite Liberty Media eying up future locations to hold F1 races in the US, the President of the Miami Grand Prix is urging the sport to keep the F1 events in America at just three per season. Speaking to the PA news agency ahead of the race which is held in the shadow of the4 Miami Dolphin’s Hard Rock Stadium, president Tyler Epp said: “We would certainly not be in favour of a fourth race (in the United States).
“I am not worried about the detraction from our event. But we need to stabilise some of these new races. We are very respectful of the history of Formula One before the Miami Grand Prix existed, and we have tried to be very humble with that. And now we have got two of the three races in the States both being what I would consider to be very new races.
“Hopefully we have established ourselves here in Miami as one that is here to stay. And we will continue to invest with F1, the FIA, and the sport.”
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Hamilton less than impressed by Miami GP
The inaugural running of the Miami GP was in 2022 having agreed a ten year deal, yet the race has been the subject t of a number of controversies, with the hospitality areas running out of food and drink in year one. Indeed the celebs were made to suffer hunger and thirst for their five figure ticket prices paid, yet Hot Dogs were available in the ‘cheaper’ seats for around just $30 each, add a large coke and the price was $45.
The drivers complained about the surface of the track in 2022 and in fact there were emergency repairs deemed necessary before the start of the Grand Prix on Sunday. The configuration of the track has also been criticised, although several options were considered possible to fit into what is in fact a giant car park.
Ahead of the 2025 event, Lewis Hamilton was asked for his opinion on the Miami F1 event. Surprisingly despite many of his bro’s choosing to hang out in the city, the seven times world champion appeared most unimpressed. “It’s probably at the bottom of my list of preferred circuits,” said the Ferrari driver. When pressed as to how he saw the event as a whole, he uttered a monosyllabic answer… “same.”
The event is really just an eye watering expensive party for the rich and famous, with regular fans shunning the event. Tickets are still available for all three days of the 2025 Miami Grand Prix through F1’s website with the cars hitting the track in just three days time.
Make Miami a night race
There have been many complaints from the drivers about the track layout, with the slow and awkward section between Turns 13 and 16 – including the chicane which Max Verstappen famously said would be better taken “in a go-kart”.
Yet all is not lost as the first sector which loops around the stadium is favoured by most of the drivers with its conclusion being the multi-apex corners in turns 6-7-8. Esteban icon describes this section of the circuit layout as “pretty mega” although the French driver experienced an ugly off at turn three during practice for the inaugural event.
There are seven years remaining on the contract to host the Miami Grand Prix, which was originally envisioned to be held down town passing iconic landmarks, Las Vegas style. Yet a host of protests forced the city authorities to reject the planned location and so F1 will likely remain in the Dolphin’s stadium car park until 2031 when in all likelihood the lack of interest will force the sport to look elsewhere for its third event held in the USA.
One solution to the often processional event is that it could be moved to a night race, where the temperatures would be some 20 degrees lower. This would some believe mean the tyres would suffer less and lead to race strategies which do not rely on just one pit stop.
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Formula One has for much of its existence battled with a never ending cycle of competing priorities. Clever car designers have for decades searched for the magic technological bullet that will propel them to the front of the field in the never ending hunt for championships and glory.
It is the role of the FIA to create the car design and sporting regulations for F1 but this is done with a view to bring about close racing amongst the competitors. The FIA’s position over the incoming 2026 power unit regulations row makes this clear, with the latest proposal being some form of “catch up” mechanism to prevent a repeat of the kind of Mercedes dominance seen from 2014-2021.
Yet Formula One is a complex set of interacting components all of which decide what kind of racing the fans get to see across a Grand Prix weekend. Since Michael Schumacher brought long overdue success to Ferrari in 1999, there have been just three teams which have dominated the sport…. READ MORE
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
