Miami Grand Prix plan hits trouble in City Hall meeting
The proposed Miami Grand Prix at the Hard Rock Stadium faced major local opposition during a public meeting of the board of county commissioners at Miami-Dade’s City Hall on Tuesday, and will now require a further public hearing in December if it is to happen as planned in 2021.

The new F1 track is proposed to be built using both public roads and the parking area for the stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins NFL team, which is located in the city of Miami Gardens about 15 miles north of Miami’s center.
During a motion entitled “Establishing county policy regarding motor vehicle racing” the opposition to the event at the stadium argued that a large-scale public hearing was required to discuss the full impacts of air and noise pollution, as well as disruption of road closures during the event.
Two votes were passed by commissioners, both aimed at derailing the process of bringing F1 to the stadium. The first was related to requirement of approval after a public hearing; the second was related to public road closures requiring county commissioner-level approval.

Proposed track layout for Miami Grand Prix track at Hard Rock Stadium
Photo by: Motorsport.com
The opposition group against the event was led by former county commissioner Betty T Ferguson. She argued that the county’s studies had shown “deadly effects” via air and noise pollution.
“It’s Formula 1 racing in a bedroom community,” said Ferguson. “The majority of residents in Miami Gardens do not want to see F1 racing at Hard Rock Stadium; the Miami Gardens city council voted to oppose Formula 1.
“We have seen too often deep pockets paint rosy pictures and have their way, only to the embarrassment of the county at a later date. Don’t allow F1 promoters to come in and roll over us over, like we’re not even humans.
“They can produce all kinds of phony statements about how they can mitigate the deadly effects, but we can never erase deadly health damage, and possibly permanent hearing loss, especially to children. Even the county’s own study verifies the deadly effects.
“No permission for road closure or special events should be given to the Dolphins without full public hearing.”
Read Also:
Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver Gilbert also spoke out against the race taking place: “We understand we’re in the business of tourism, but this has to be a good place to live and not just visit.
“F1 may bring people, but the people live here matter and sometimes we forget that. There’s people living around the corner, there are schools there. I’m not against events at the stadium, but not all events are the same. We’re not in support of Formula 1. It’s not a place to dump events that are toxic to people.”

Miami track rendering
Photo by: Hard Rock Stadium
Speaking on behalf of the stadium’s owners, Marcus Bach-Armas, senior director for legal and government affairs for the Miami Dolphins, lobbied that the commission had previously voted 13-0 in favor of bringing F1 to Miami, and they wanted the event to stay in the county after plans for the downtown street circuit fell through.
He also made it clear that the county had also authorized racing to take place at the venue: “We are zoned for motor vehicle racing because a couple of years ago we resolved a lawsuit with the county commission and the city council, there were public hearings and public votes and the resolution of those three years of discussions. And you voted to allow motor vehicle racing at the stadium district as a matter of right. Three years later, we’re rehashing that conversation.”
He said the event would be “an economic juggernaut for this area” and argued that the stadium was a “regional asset that’s balanced with residents, and we’ve worked together with them to sort through issues before. I don’t understand why the response now is simply ‘no’.
“The easy thing is to say ‘no’, but we should work through this so it benefits the community. We’ve always done that, and we’re looking to have the opportunity to do that. It would be embarrassing to give up this opportunity.”

Miami track rendering
Photo by: Hard Rock Stadium
The previous Miami Grand Prix plan – to run a street race around the Bayfront Park, Biscayne Boulevard and Port Miami areas – was hampered by vehement public opposition to the disruption that the event would cause to residents, coupled with the loss of the land around the American Airlines basketball arena. However, advocates of running the race at the Hard Rock Stadium stated that it was in fact the operation, construction, development and security issues at the port that ended the plan, rather than the residents’ challenge that killed it.
Read Also:
Formula 1’s commercial managing director Sean Bratches and two-time F1 world champion Emerson Fittipaldi also lobbied in favour of the event during the City Hall meeting. Fittipaldi mentioned the fact that he only came to Miami to race for Ralph Sanchez’s team in the Miami Grand Prix IMSA race, before making his home there.
Towards the close of the meeting, Miami-Dade’s Mayor Carlos Gimenez – who has been a supporter of the event – concluded: “This F1 race would be a terrific event. Hopefully we can work this out with the community it affects.”

Previous article
United States GP: All the winners since 1959
Next article
Vettel: Changing opinions of critics "a nightmare"

About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Author | Charles Bradley |
Miami Grand Prix plan hits trouble in City Hall meeting
Why Aston Martin’s arrival is more than just new green livery
In the most eagerly anticipated Formula 1 team launch of the season, the rebranded Aston Martin squad’s changes go much further than the striking paint job. But rather than a restart, the team hopes to build on top of solid foundations.
The car Aston Martin begins its new F1 journey with
The team formerly known as Racing Point gambled successfully on a Mercedes look-alike in 2020 as it mounted a strong challenge for third in the constructors' race and won the Sakhir GP. Now clothed in British racing green, Aston Martin's first Formula 1 challenger since 1960 provides the clearest indicator yet of what to expect from the new-for-2021 regulations
The tricky driver conundrums facing Mercedes in F1 2021
Ahead of the new Formula 1 season, reigning world champions Mercedes will take on challenges both old and new. This also can be said for its driver conundrum which could become key to sustaining its ongoing success...
How Alpine's cure to 2021 F1 rules starts at the front
A new name, new faces and new colours pulls the rebranded Alpine Formula 1 team into a new era while carrying over core elements of its 2020 car. But under the surface there's more than meets the eye with the A521 which hints at how the team will tackle 2021...
Can Mercedes' W12 retain the team's crown?
Replacing Formula 1's fastest car was never going to be an easy feat for Mercedes. Amid the technical rule tweaks to peg back the W12 and its 2021 rivals, the new Mercedes challenger will remain the target to beat
The pointed note that starts Ferrari's Leclerc vs Sainz era
Ferrari is starting its post-Sebastian Vettel age by welcoming Carlos Sainz in alongside Charles Leclerc. But while Sainz has a tough challenge to match his new teammate, Ferrari is also sending a message that previous intra-team spats must end
The mantra Ocon must follow to challenge Alonso at Alpine
OPINION: It's been an uneasy ride for Esteban Ocon since his F1 comeback - and fresh challenges lie in wait as he's joined by double world champion Fernando Alonso in the newly rebranded Alpine team. STUART CODLING sets out a roadmap to success…
Why Haas is willing to sacrifice its 2021 F1 season
Every Formula 1 team is facing the same difficult decision this season: how do you split precious aero development time between the current car and the all-new 2022 project?