The Miami circuit will evolve further

The genesis of the next Miami Grand Prix (Florida) remains chaotic. After several projects, including one in the city center, quickly contested by residents, the future event which must arrive on the calendar F1 in 2021, had finally seen a sketch of the route revealed around Hard Rock Stadium.

Choice which quickly met… new local oppositions (see also here). It took long but ultimately constructive discussions to arrive at changes that seemed to suit the different parties involved.

Concretely, the enclosure which hosts the Miami Dolphins in the NFL and the next Superbowl, will still be at the heart of the circuit, but NorthWest 199th Street would no longer be used in the new configuration presented yesterday.

The cause for local residents is potential traffic problems in the event of closure of the said street. Another newly integrated parameter is the absence of any driving before 15 p.m. on Fridays, so as not to disrupt local schools. A group of experts also participated in neighborhood meetings to allay residents' fears. Science never hurts, especially in a country led by a proven climate skeptic. 

If Tom Garfinkel, CEO of Hard Rock Stadium, welcomed the announcement, the legal battle is far from over since a new vote must take place this Wednesday on a measure supported by Commissioner Barbara Jordan, who is campaigning openly against the arrival of F1 for months. The amendment seeks to revoke the complex's current zoning, which currently allows auto racing to take place. 

F1 supporters insist that the future Grand Prix will generate some 400 million dollars (361 million euros) in economic benefits. But when we see the efforts required to overcome local distrust and organize a race 40 km from Miami, we wonder if the game is really worth the effort.

The Florida event should be the second race on American soil next year. A desire to expand on Liberty Media's "national" market, to complement the United States Grand Prix, organized in Austin, Texas on the Circuit of the Americas.