Miami GP ramps up attempts to bombard local officials amid F1 opposition

Miami GP

Miami GP ramps up attempts to bombard local officials amid F1 opposition

The email templates are back.

Matthew Scott

Saturday 2 November 2019 09:30

The official website for the Miami Grand Prix has lashed out against perceived "misinformation" and "nonsense" in an attempt to drum up opposition to local officials taking exception to Formula 1's attempts to stage a race in the city.

Liberty Media has doggedly pursued a street race in the Florida city since taking control of the sport and has already seen one proposed route in downtown Miami blocked by residents.

Focus has now switched to the Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins. Both the stadium and NFL franchise are owned by Stephen Ross, who is the chief promoter for a potential Miami GP.

Article continues under video

A race-specific website, set up by F1, has tried to build support from locals by offering numerous email templates to be sent to local officials stating support for the race.

Potential roadblocks in the attest plans were laid down by the Miami-Dade County Commission this week, with necessary road blocks potentially becoming difficult to attain and local residents set to be given more of a say on the plans.

In its latest template, titled 'Do What's Right', f1miamigp.com names the six county commissioners that have opposed the race and includes a series of pre-loaded and strongly worded messages.

One reads: "I write to express my disappointment that you caved into the misinformation and nonsense by those opposing Formula 1 and did not stand up for what is right for all of Miami-Dade residents, which is to bring Formula 1 to Miami. You are a member of the County Commission, not the Miami Gardens City Council. You should do what is right for Miami-Dade County as whole."

Another accuses the commissioners of turning away "the economic equivalent of a Super Bowl each and every year" and "killing" 4,000 new jobs, saying the decision is lacking in common sense.

Locals in both downtown Miami and Miami Gardens have voiced opposition to the added noise and air pollution that a grand prix would bring, but that concern is brushed off in another template.

"Nobody is dying or going deaf from a few hours of auto racing once per year," it reads. Just look at the Homestead Motor Speedway, or the other two tracks near the Stadium, all of which are year-round. Nobody is dropping dead there. Nobody is going deaf."

A fourth labels the Commission's vote "a complete embarrassment", adding: "We are turning because somebody said that 'poisonous fumes' from 16 cars – during one weekend of racing – will cause people to drop dead or fall ill? This not only defies science, but common sense. Look around the world. Somehow, people in Monaco, Singapore, Barcelona and Rio (among others) have not dropped dead or fallen ill by the masses. Please step up and do what's right for the County as a whole, and not just a select few, most of whom chose to live near a Stadium."