Formula 1 has announced plans for a new Grand Prix to be held in the US city of Miami.
A potential F1 Miami Grand Prix will be discussed at a City of Miami Commission meeting, with a vote set to take place next Thursday, The Guardian reports. If given the green light, the inaugural race would take place in October 2019.
The Miami Herald adds that a downtown street race could be held as part of a ten-year deal. The Herald says a F1 GP would be the first downtown street race since the Miami ePrix in 2015.
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F1’s American owners Liberty Media are keen to add more US races to the calendar. Currently the only one is the Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.
In a statement, F1’s managing director of commercial operations Sean Bratches said: “Earlier today the City of Miami Commission took an important step by adding an item to their upcoming agenda, that if approved, will... bring Formula 1 to downtown Miami next season. We appreciate the community’s interest in hosting a Formula 1 race and look forward to working with local officials and stakeholders to bring this vision to life.”
Stephen Ross, an entrepreneur and supporter of the proposed race, added: “Miami is a first-class global city and Formula 1 is a first-class global brand. In cooperation with the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County, I am confident we can deliver yet another global event that will be a destination for people from around the world and drive economic value to South Florida.
“From [American] football and soccer to tennis and motorsports, Miami deserves only the best in music, food, art, fashion, and sports and entertainment, and that is exactly what we plan on delivering with a Formula 1 race.”
Speaking to UBS Formula 1 in a social media Q&A, the reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton joked that he was against the Miami race.
“My friends messaged me and told me about their plans to hold a Grand Prix in Miami,” he said. “I said ‘I’m not winning that one then because it’s a party town’. There will be lots of distractions – maybe it could be a non-championship race? Maybe I will have to stay out of town!”
