Why Miami Grand Prix President Wants A Pause To U.S. F1 Expansion
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MAY 05: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing ... More RB20 leads the field off the line at the start during the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on May 05, 2024 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
Formula 1 is making its first trip to the United States this weekend, as it kicks off the sixth round of the 2025 season with the Miami Grand Prix from May 2-4.
This marks the fourth edition of the Miami GP since it debuted back in 2022 and joined Austin as the second American venue on the F1 calendar. Las Vegas followed suit a year later in 2023, bringing the total number of American races to three.
In recent years, F1 saw a surge in its fanbase in the United States thanks in no small part to the Netflix hit series Drive to Survive, which released its latest season on March 7.
The sport experienced a 10.5% growth in its U.S. fanbase in 2024, and popularity is expected to only keep climbing particularly with Cadillac finally joining the scene next year as the 11th team on the grid and the second American outfit alongside Haas.
This has made the idea of F1 further expanding its footprint in the U.S. just too tempting to ignore, and there was a time when it felt like a fourth American race - soon or in the distant future - is already on the table.
Last year, F1 filed trademark rights for the name 'Chicago Grand Prix' among others. And while this could just be a protective move to secure naming rights for potential future use rather than immediate plans to bring F1 to Chicago, it has certainly spurred speculation about what might come next, with New York also being a contender for a race.
While it's easy to see why the Colorado-based owners, Liberty Media, might want to cash in on F1's boom in the States, the Miami Grand Prix president believes it might be wise for the sport to hit pause on expansion and allow both Miami and fellow newcomer Las Vegas to solidify their positions first.
Speaking to PA news agency, Tyler Epp said, 'We would certainly not be in favour of a fourth race (in the United States).
'I am not worried about the detraction from our event. But we need to stabilise some of these new races.
'We are very respectful of the history of Formula One before the Miami Grand Prix existed, and we have tried to be very humble with that. And now we have got two of the three races in the States both being what I would consider to be very new races.
'Hopefully we have established ourselves here in Miami as one that is here to stay. And we will continue to invest with F1, the FIA, and the sport.'
The Miami Grand Prix is locked into a 10-year contract that runs until 2031. Since both venues are newcomers, they have some work ahead to maintain their spots on the calendar. That goes to everything from racing quality to profitability, revenue, fan experience, turnout and more.
Since Miami's debut, attendance has been on the rise, jumping from 243,000 in 2022 to 270,500 in 2023. The growth has slowed down a bit in 2024 however, as the event managed to pull in about 275,000 over the three days. In Las Vegas, the newly introduced grand prix attracted 306,000 attendees over the weekend last year, while Austin, a staple on the calendar since 2012, reportedly pulled in a whopping 432,000.
This year, though, the Miami GP is expected to break attendance records and have a huge economic impact of around $505 million for South Florida.
But when looking at the racing itself, Miami International Autodrome doesn't quite have the drivers singing its praises and has some problematic areas in its layout. Lewis Hamilton once said that 'It's probably at the bottom of my list of preferred circuits.'
Drivers have also flagged issues on tire performance in Miami's spring heat, and one possible fix is to switch to a night race like in Las Vegas, but Epp dismissed the likelihood of this change happening next year.
'It comes up every year,' Epp continued. 'I can tell you that we have an internal discussion about it, and there are folks that sit around our table who are very adamant that is the right thing to do.
'But we are not there today, and there are no plans for the race in 2026 to be a night event.'
Generally, it is more likely that F1 wants to explore new venues before looking to further expand its presence in the U.S. for the time being. Interest is at an all-time high from several locations, with serious bids coming from Thailand and South Korea, and there are also talks about bringing F1 back to Africa - the only continent without a race.
The Miami Grand Prix is set to take place on May 4 at 4 p.m. local time.
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