Formula 1 will transform southeast Florida this weekend in celebration of the first edition of Miami Grand Prix, which promises to go beyond the usual date of the most important motorsport championship in the world. “The idea is it’s something different, fun and exciting,” he said a few days ago. Tom Garfinkel, race director. And to fulfill that premise, a project was undertaken that transformed the fifth date of the season into a spectacular show and generated an expectation that has rarely been seen in recent years due to the arrival of a new venue on the calendar.

With the Hard Rock Stadiumhouse of Dolphins in Miami of the NFL and Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 tennis tournaments held there each year, as the epicenter of fan festthere will be parties with VIP guests and many celebrities, live music by well-known artists and DJs, an extensive gastronomic offer designed to celebrate the city’s cultural diversity, and exclusive events sponsored by different teams, from red bull Y Mercedes until Williams Y Alpha Taurus.

The range of possibilities also opens up when choosing a location to observe racing action. Crypto.comthe main sponsor, installed a terrace with a 360 ° view of the track, with the first level open to all spectators and an exclusive viewing platform on turn 4 reserved for the elite few.

There will also be a private viewpoint for 100 VIP guests at the Dolphins stadium, in addition to the traditional grandstands in the stadium sector, and even an artificial beach built on one of the curves, where yachts will be dumped, and some pool area, which will change the way Formula 1 GP is watched live.

That luxurious display, developed by Garfinkel’s team, who is also CEO of the Dolphins, will spin on the new circuit, made especially for the occasion around Hard Rock Stadium. And it will have a starting point on Wednesday, with an opening party in the podium area where drivers and bosses will tell of some of the teams present.

The offer is very tempting for the American public, which in recent years, after the premiere of the Netflix series Drive to Live, opened his arms to a category he had forgotten. Tickets for the adjacent grandstand track quickly sold out, but packages are still available for some of the special “experiences” that will take place.

In case such a demonstration does not attract public attention, to ensure the success of the event, the organizers have come up with a marketing move that started a few months ago and not only the world championship pilots were involved.

When the ATP and the WTA arrived in that city at the end of March to play one of the most important tournaments in the early tennis season — the Miami Open — several players, including Norwegian. Casper Ruud and the American sebastian kordaare encouraged to ride in a race simulator installed to test their skills behind the wheel.

Both players from Dolphins in Miami, one of the most traditional franchises in the NFL, took an exclusive tour of the new circuit, which surrounds their stadium, on Monday aboard a large truck. And in photos the team shared on its social networks, some of its top stars said they were “excited” about the arrival of Formula 1.

The pilots and the Great Circus team also helped “warm up” to previous races. British Lewis Hamilton – who a few years ago said he wanted to run a GP in Miami – was invited to the program good morning america ng ABC and said the date would be “a giant event”.

“Obviously we have a career in Texas, which has always been incredible. The first time I rode in the United States was in Indianapolis. But I think Miami is going to be huge,” said the seven-time world champion and driver of Mercedes.

His teammate George Russell – who was photographed this week on Florida beaches and attended Monday’s game between the Heat and the 76ers for the NBA playoffs – was visiting the circuit at the end of last year, when he was still under construction, together. with Williams drivers, Nicholas Latifi Y alexander albinto start creating enthusiasm in people for a career that stays on the calendar for at least ten seasons.

In February, the French also Pierre Gasley (Alpha Tauri) went to Miami on check keep track. “The Miami GP was going to be great. I was able to spy on the circuit and it was incredible. The race there was going to be exciting, without a doubt,” he wrote on his networks.

Although if we talk about promotion, there is nothing like what they did Sergio Perez and Red Bull. The video uploaded to the Austrian team’s Instagram account a few weeks ago, before the Imola race, shows the Mexican realizing that due to a “communication error” with his team, he had to travel urgently from New York to Miami and make the trip faster, he does it aboard his single-seater competition.

So, it looked at Czech driving first through the streets of the Big Apple and then toward the city of Florida and ending the trip on the same lawn of Dolphins stadium.

And as if to officially welcome the race, the teams put together special posters to promote the date on their social networks, using palm trees, the sun and the beaches representing the new venue and showing their drivers colorful shirts and sunglasses. . And Williams even shared a special video, where Latifi and Albon can be seen sitting in lounge chairs under an umbrella in miami-beach.

It’s rare to have a new Grand Prix arrival on the Formula 1 calendar that has generated as much as expected as Miami did. And it’s not for less, the fifth date of the season promises to be more than a typical appointment of the highest category. of fighting for points and sports boosts of a very special season,