Fake marina with fake water steals show at Miami Grand Prix

MIAMI GARDENS FL.

Formula One imagined a Miami race and imagined sun, sand and beaches.

The promoter was not pleased that the inaugural Miami Grand Prix had landed at Hard Rock Stadium. It wasn’t even close to the South Beach backdrop F1 wanted. said don’t worry.

F1 is looking for boats in a suburban area?

Done. They constructed a fake marina. All with fake water.

It’s not water in The Mia Marina. It’s located between turns 4-6 at the stadium built for the Miami Dolphins. It is located at NW 27th Ave. and NW 199th St., Miami Gardens. This neighborhood is 15 miles from F1’s original desired downtown location.

The marina is not exactly Monaco. However, it’s a 25,000-square foot dry dock made to look like water. These 10 yachts look real. One is booked by Michael Mak (the local founder of Celebrity Sports Entertainment); another waved the British flag. Another is called “Wheels”. But the water is plywood that has been covered with a decal.

Tickets for the Yacht Club start at $9,500 and go up to $38,000 for four-person passes.

The Formula One Miami Grand Prix auto race is taking place at Miami International Autodrome on Wednesday, May 4, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Fla. Sunday is the race. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

It is part of a 5-star weekend experience that Tom Garfinkel created, vice chairman of Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium, and managing partner for the inaugural Miami Grand Prix. Stephen Ross is the owner of Hard Rock Stadium. He has helped to transform it into a venue for entertainment and sports that can be compared to the best in the world.

Hard Rock has hosted Super Bowls as well as college playoff games. They also host major tennis tournaments. Beyonce, Jay-Z, and Neymar are just a few of the big names who have visited Hard Rock.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama watched a F1 practice session on Saturday from the back seat of Lewis Hamilton, seven-time champion.

Garfinkel said that Steve Ross had a vision. For us to truly host the great events of the world, Formula One needs to be on that list. “I don’t know of any other stadium that can claim to have had Serena Williams (and Roger Federer), Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Patrick Mahomes, U2 and Jay-Z, and Messi and Neymar all in one venue.”

The event is the hottest in sports right now. George Lucas was there Saturday along with Greg Norman, Michael Strahan, Jeff Gordon, and Jeff Gordon. James Corden, an English entertainer, has been in the paddock for three consecutive days. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills quarterback was waiting outside McLaren hospitality to meet Daniel Ricciardo.

“The demands of sponsors and fans was unimaginable, unlike anything else I’ve ever seen in Formula One,” saidAmerican Zak Brown, McLaren chief. “I love where we are in North America, as far as Formula One popularity.”

Garfinkel had been pursuing a Miami race before F1 created a fast-paced, frenzied American audience behind “Drive To Survive.” The 2022 calendar didn’t add the race to it until last season. It gives the United States two races, for the first time since 1984. But the first meetings were held in early 2018.

Fans pose for photos at the fake beach club and marina during the Formula One Miami Grand Prix. Friday, May 6, 2022 at Miami International Autodrome in Miami Gardens. (AP Photo/Darron Clummings).

Liberty Media bought F1 and Garfinkel thought the U.S. might be open to expansion. Miami is the 11th venue that has hosted an F1 race in America, although the series was struggling to gain popularity in the United States. Before Circuit of America’s Austin, Texas in 2012 brought the European series back to America, the U.S. had gone four years without an F1 racing event.

COTA took many years to develop and last year’s Austin race attracted more than 300,000. This was despite the DTS mania. When the F1 calendar adds the Las Vegas Strip, the U.S. will now have three races.

The buzzword is “mega.” saidToto Wolff is Mercedes’s head.

“The city is hyped – is that how you describe it?” Wolff said. “Formula One is everywhere, and the number of guest requests that we receive is incredible. We’ve finally arrived in North America, I believe.

In an effort to provide a high-end experience, with no long waits or restrictions on the freedom to roam the vast grounds, attendance was limited to 85,000 per day. The marina can be reached by a gondola that takes you to The Beach Club. This is where Post Malone qualified for F1 racing.

However, there were some issues, including congested pedestrian bridges, lengthy walks under the Florida sun and traffic jams around the stadium. Friday’s upset team was over the Paddock Club experience, which cost $11,000 per three-day pass.

Brown advised that Miami’s first race be rated only after the checkered flag has passed.

Brown stated that it is difficult to put on a successful first-year event given its size, scale, and novelty. said. “But, if you take a look at Austin 10 years later, they had record attendance last. Silverstone is a popular event that has been going strong for over 50 years. I believe it is possible to host a great event and have it last for decades.

“Let’s just do it right. We need to put on a good show. I think there is a lot of runway here.