Miami Grand Prix

Miami's history of hosting racing events dates back as far as the early 1980s. Ralph Sanchez, a local Miami promoter and racing car driver proposed a race on a hybrid street/permanent circuit in Bayfront Park in the center of Miami to Formula One rights holder Bernie Ecclestone, but for various reasons was not able to make it work. So Sanchez instead ran IMSA sportscar racing on the circuit starting in 1983 for 3 years before switching to another location in Bicentennial Park in 1986. The American CART IndyCar series ran in various locations in and around Miami from the mid-1980s and mid-1990s to 2010, including Tamiami Park further inland, Bicentennial Park and the Homestead-Miami oval speedway further south of the famous Florida city.

In 2018, a proposal for the Miami Grand Prix as a round of the Formula One World Championship was submitted to the city of Miami, with 2019 proposed as the first date for the race and its location around PortMiami.^[1] After complications arose due to PortMiami's construction and development plans, a proposal was submitted for a 2021 race at Hard Rock Stadium.^[2] The track then moved locations from the downtown area to the area near Hard Rock Stadium and its nearby parking lots. The race did not make it to the 2021 calendar, which saw the debut of a street circuit in Jeddah for the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and was announced in April 2021 for the 2022 calendar.^[3] The event was a part of the 2022 Formula One World Championship, with the race taking place at the Miami International Autodrome on a ten-year contract.^[4][5][6] The inaugural Miami Grand Prix took place on May 8, 2022.^[7] A sprint event was added to Miami in 2024 and 2025.^[8] On May 2, 2025, it was announced that the contract would be extended until 2041.^[9]

The circuit, designed and delivered by Formula One track designers Apex Circuit Design, was purpose-built for the event, with several potential track designs proposed and tested.^[10] Stephen M. Ross, owner of the stadium, had been trying to bring about the Miami Grand Prix for several years before being successful. The circuit layout is designed in a way that local residents would not be disrupted by the races. The track is a permanent style circuit with temporary infrastructure, such as barriers and fences, which will be removed when there is no racing.^[11] It is also one of the newest racetracks in the United States. The racetrack opened on May 7, 2022; the first session was held a day later, on May 8, 2022.