Miami GP: How we got here, will the race ever happen?

Miami GP

Miami GP: How we got here, will the race ever happen?

Everything you need to know about F1's latest race.

Matthew Scott

Wednesday 16 October 2019 13:00 Updated: 16:27

Liberty Media has revived plans to introduce a Miami Grand Prix to the Formula 1 calendar, with hopes that a new venue will finally see the race come to fruition.

Having originally claimed the event would take place on a street circuit in downtown Miami, a series of hurdles proved too much for F1 to overcome.

The race has been targeted for both the 2019 and 2020 seasons without coming to fruition, but it is back on the agenda for 2021.

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A new circuit, snaking around the home of the Miami Dolphins NFL franchise, has been revealed – but will the race ever go ahead?

Miami GP: The story so far

January 2018: F1 confirms Miami will host one of several 'live' events later in the year, following the success of a similar show in London in 2017. The event is slated to take place in the week before the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, but the city has already been rumoured to be a potential race venue. May 2018: F1 confirms plans to hold a street race in Miami in October 2019. Sean Bratches trumpets Miami as "one of the world's most iconic and glamourous cities" – fulfilling Liberty's desire to add more 'destination' venues to the F1 calendar. The circuit snakes through downtown Miami and over the Port Boulevard bridge to Dodge Island.

Problems arise almost immediately. The proposed circuit is panned by fans and drivers alike; Lewis Hamilton's reaction is decidedly frank: "Miami is a super cool place, and I was very, very excited to hear about it, and then I saw the layout." Miami's mayor, meanwhile, admits that a lawsuit being threatened by the Biscayne Neighborhoods Association (BNA) would likely be successful. City commissioner Joe Carollo adds: "They're probably going to win suits."

June 2018: The BNA confirm their opposition to the plans, and criticise both F1 and city officials for a lack of communication prior to the race being announced. Locals also raise concern that the extra burden on the city's infrastructure will end up hitting them in the pocket.

July 2018: F1 presses ahead with the plans. It is revealed that Miami's City Commission is set to vote on a deal that will see the race held for 10 years, with another decade included as an option – a completely unprecedented race contract in F1's history.

The Commission's decision is delayed amid the local protests, forcing F1 to abandon attempts to hold the race in 2019, with teams and fans expressing concerns over the wait to have the season's schedule published.