Miami Grand Prix ‘agreed in principle’ for 2021: Formula One organizers

Miami could be hosting a Formula One race in 2021 after organizers announced a deal “in principle” had been reached.

The proposed race would take place in the vicinity of the Miami Dolphins‘ Hard Rock stadium after plans for a street circuit in the downtown area of the city were postponed in 2018 because of local protests and concerns over the provisional track route.

In a joint statement Wednesday, Sean Bratches, F1’s commercial managing director, and Tom Garfinkel, the vice-chairman and CEO of the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock stadium, said an initial agreement to race around the NFL stadium had been reached.

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“We are thrilled to announce that Formula One and Hard Rock Stadium have reached an agreement in principle to host the first-ever Formula One Miami Grand Prix at Hard Rock Stadium,” the statement, released on the new Miami Grand Prix Twitter account, said.

“With an estimated annual impact of more than $400m and 35,000 room nights, the Formula One Miami Grand Prix will be an economic juggernaut for South Florida each and every year.

“We are deeply grateful to our fans, elected officials and the local tourism industry for their patience and support throughout this process. We look forward to bringing the greatest racing spectacle on the planet for the first time to one of the world’s most iconic and glamorous regions.”

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Liberty Media — Formula One’s owner — said its intention was to add more “destination cities” to the race calendar, with a new race in Hanoi, Vietnam added as a result.

And with a race in Austin, Texas also contracted until the end of 2021, it will mean two USA races for the first time since 1984.

Fans were given a hint of what the track could look like as Garfinkel released computer-generated images of Miami’s circuit on his Twitter account.