Dedicated fans of Formula One have, for decades, been able to watch high-performance vehicles race in scenic locations around the world. With that in mind, the idea of a Miami Grand Prix has been an eminently understandable one — but the process of getting the race approved has been complicated. Now, a new decision by a municipal body has paved the way for a new race to take place next year.
Formula One president Stefano Domenicali announced that the Miami Grand Prix is now on the calendar for 2022, with a date likely in the second quarter of next year. That’s the good news. The bad news? The future of another American F1 race is looking a little more ambiguous.
The process leading to this moment involved a lot of things coming into alignment. At Jalopnik, Elizabeth Blackstock reports that the city council in Miami Gardens, Florida recently approved a plan for the race. “The city’s new mayor, Rodney Harris, managed to strike a balance between F1’s excess and the impact on locals by introducing a plan that will reduce noise, disruption, and the times when cars can actually use the track while also bringing local businesses into the fold,” Blackstock writes. The plan strikes a solid balance between the needs of the community and the requirements of Formula One.
Next year’s race will be the first F1 race in Florida since 1959. Less clear, however, is the fate of the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. Autoweek’s Joe Saward reports that the race’s contract is up for renewal this year. “While F1 enjoys the Circuit of the Americas facility and the city of Austin, the race has struggled financially and has not brought a huge amount to the sport,” Saward writes. “Texas in not proving to be F1 country, and the word is that at least two other venues may be bidding for the deal: Las Vegas and Indianapolis.”
The landscape of American F1 races might look very different next year — another mark of a sport that’s constantly evolving.
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