Miami Grand Prix in danger?

The Miami Grand Prix is facing discontent from city residents, who have gone to court in a bid to cancel the race scheduled for a few weeks' time. Noise pollution is at the heart of the problem.

Published on 15/04/2022 à 10:21

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The Hard Rock Stadium, scene of the next Miami Grand Prix which it is preparing to host. @f1miami

Having barely arrived, the Miami Grand Prix is already in the eye of the storm! According to newspaper information the Miami Herald, the residents of Miami Gardens, the city where the Hard Rock Stadium – scene of the race – is located, have taken legal action to deal with the potential noise pollution that the Grand Prix could cause. A response from the judge is even expected this Monday.

The sling is organized

Residents of this small Florida town of more than 100 inhabitants (in the United States) estimate that the noise generated by the Formula 1 for three days would be “intolerable”. This action, led by former Miami-Dade County Commissioner Betty Ferguson, simply aims to block this unprecedented event, scheduled for May 6 to 8.

And for good reason, the noise pollution of the Grand Prix “will cause serious disruption and physical harm to residents of Miami Gardens”, to listen to the most dissenting. Supporting figures, and according to the estimate of an engineering company, the event would generate a noise equivalent to 97 decibels, in houses located within a radius of 4 kilometers around the stadium, similar to the din of 'a" chain saw ".

The defense lawyers - from Hard Rock Stadium and the city of Miami Gardens - considered for their part that such a decision could not be attributed to the responsibility of a judge, but rather to the municipality. A law even stipulates that noise must not “unreasonably disrupt the peace and comfort of adjacent residences”, without defining the noise levels that could reach the threshold.

As a reminder, lawyers for Miami Gardens residents had already brought the case to court on March 1, a complaint which was subsequently rejected for lack of sufficient evidence. Last April, the Miami Gardens city council gave its agreement to hold the Miami Grand Prix at Hard Rock Stadium for… the next ten years. A contract from which the city should also benefit, since nearly 5 million dollars would flow into the community subsequently. To be continued in the coming days, as the Miami Grand Prix approaches by leaps and bounds.