Miami Grand Prix: America’s Monaco in the Making

Miami Grand Prix: America’s Monaco in the Making

MIAMI — Welcome to the Miami Grand Prix, America’s Monaco. Now, before you start throwing your racing gloves at the screen, hear me out. I know that comparing Miami to the legendary Monaco might sound like a stretch, but there’s a case to be made here. So, grab a mojito, put on your pastel shirt, and let me take you on a journey through the Miami Grand Prix, a race that’s carving out its own niche in the world of Formula 1.

First things first, let’s address the elephant in the room. No, the Miami Grand Prix doesn’t have Formula 1 cars zooming through the waterfront streets of South Beach like they do in Monte Carlo. And no, there aren’t multimillion-dollar yachts floating nearby, filled with beautiful people sipping champagne. But what Miami does have is a unique charm and a party atmosphere that’s hard to beat.

The Miami Grand Prix takes place at Hard Rock Stadium, a venue that carries the name of a casino. And while the yachts here aren’t actually floating, they’re still packed with fancy people enjoying fancy drinks. These yachts are famously anchored on trailers and surrounded by fake blue waters, but they offer some of the best seats on the Miami GP circuit. Plus, they’re air-conditioned, which is a blessing in the steamy Miami heat.

Now, let’s talk about the food. Back in 2022, I had the pleasure of trying the $180 carne asada nachos and the $280 lobster rolls. They were amazing, and I didn’t even have to pay for them. But don’t just take my word for it. Even will.i.am, the leader of the Black Eyed Peas, couldn’t resist the empanadas. “I’m not going to act like I am some sort of auto racing expert, because I’m not,” he said. “But what I do know is when something is a party. A real party. This race is a real party.”

And that’s the thing about the Miami Grand Prix. It’s not just about the racing; it’s about the event itself. The feeling, the vibes, the atmosphere. It’s a place where celebrities like Tom Cruise, Serena and Venus Williams, and LL Cool J come to see and be seen. “I know this race is still very new and I know there are other amazing F1 venues in the United States now, but I think this place has become the must-attend Stateside event,” said Cruise.

Miami sits perfectly between Austin and Las Vegas when it comes to an American F1 identity. The course, while far from perfect, has come into its own. The spectacle, while not quite at the level of racing beneath the gaze of the Sphere emoji or the roller coaster atop the Stratosphere, also features more local personality than a remote, purpose-built racetrack like COTA. For proof of that statement, one needs only look up at the aqua-blue-and-coral coliseum that sits at the center of it all.

Because what three letters could possibly scream racing in the U-S-A more than roaring around a stadium made famous by the N-F-L?

Even Lewis Hamilton, who isn’t the biggest fan of the Miami Autodrome circuit itself, appreciates the venue. “When they moved a lot of our hospitality and events inside the stadium the second year, walking onto that field was pretty amazing to think about all of the great moments that have happened there, especially in the NFL,” he said.

This precious pigskin plot of land, once powered by the downfield-heavy aerobatics of Dan Marino, is now home to 1,000-horsepower downforce-heavy aerodynamic wonders. The building where Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow once figured out how to defeat Bob Stoops and Sam Bradford to win the 2009 BCS Championship Game is now where F1 teams hunker down to devise their race strategies. A race that runs through parking lots that are packed with tailgaters in the fall and rattles the building where Cam Ward worked his way to top pick of last week’s NFL draft will spend this weekend with McLarens, Red Bulls and Ferraris actually drafting and most definitely tailgating, as they gobble up nearly 3½ miles and 19 turns in 90 seconds.

Is it the south of France? No. It’s the south of Florida. And that’s OK. Because if it’s good enough for Brad Pitt, Shakira and Max Verstappen, then America’s Monaco should be plenty cool for the rest of us mere Miami Mortals.

“The idea behind the creation of this race was to showcase what we love about racing, but also what we love about Miami,” says Emerson Fittipaldi, two-time Formula 1 world champion and longtime Miami resident. He never won in Monaco, but he did earn a pole and three podium finishes there. Emmo also added a top-10 finish in the Champ Car version of the Miami GP in 1987. “This grand prix is a wonderful time at the racetrack. I think that anyone who comes to the event or has come to the event, they will tell you that. And who doesn’t want to have a wonderful time?”