Organizers had to ensure that iguanas would not fall out of trees and make their way onto the racetrack.
The Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix is Sunday on the campus of the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
If you’re wondering what the fuss is all about, here’s the facts, courtesy of organizers for the Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix:
Hard Rock Stadium oversees the F1 Miami Grand Prix circuit.
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Hard Rock Stadium
• Racetrack is built around Hard Rock Stadium, the home of the Miami Dolphins NFL franchise.
• This is the first year of a 10-year agreement for the Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix to be held at Hard Rock Stadium at Miami Gardens, Florida.
• Hard Rock Stadium has recently hosted the Miami Open tennis, the 2020 Super Bowl and 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship, El Clasico Miami Soccer: Real Madrid vs. Barcelona (July 2017), Concerts for Jay Z, Beyonce, Coldplay, U2 and the Rolling Loud Hip-Hop festival.
The Track
• Planning began in the summer of 2019, while the ground-breaking process started in April 2021. Over the past 12 months, 24,000 tons of asphalt have been laid, with the final top lift completed in February 2022.
• Apex Circuit Design designed the track. In total 45 different iterations were drawn until this 3.4-mile version was decided.
• There are 14 pedestrian bridge spans—the most of any F1 circuit—to enable ease of access around the Miami Campus.
F1 Miami Grand Prix organizers want to make sure iguanas aren’t falling out of the trees and finding their way to the circuit.
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• The track has a number of royal palms, plus a 100-year-old oak tree, near to Snake Creek. Organizers had to ensure there were no loose boughs and that iguanas would not fall out of trees overhanging and onto the racetrack. Some of them can be quite large, 20 inches across and weighing 20 lbs.
• The 19-turn track features three straights—the longest being .8-mile in length—three DRS zones and simulations predict drivers will be on full throttle for 58 per cent of the lap, with an estimated top speed of 198 mph.
• The top layer of the bitumen has been stripped off to expose the aggregate. This gives it a rough feel like sandpaper. This will also give the track a lot of grip but could also impact tire wear. It will also mean it has good grip if it rains.
Highlights on the track
• Turn 4 is likely to be one of the most challenging sections for the circuit in terms of the way the cars behave. Drivers will be turning in top gear at about 185 mph but as they go through the corner, they’ll be shifting down two gears to take Turn 5 and 6. Cars will be pulling 5-G laterally through this sequence.
• Key overtakes will be Turn 11, Turn 17 and opportunist overtakes could happen at Turn 1 if a driver is on fresher tires. There might also be overtaking in areas where there are what track designers are calling “mistake generators” in the tricky section for challenge for the driver from Turns 13 to 16.
F1 Miami Grand Prix organizers have focused on fan initiatives.
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Fan Experience
• The goal is for people to leave feeling positively blown away reflecting on a first-class experience.
• Over 300,000 people registered online with an intent to purchase tickets, but the team deliberately set capacity for year one at approximately 80,000 per day to focus on ensuring everyone had the best experience.
• The Miami International Autodrome will have a campus-type environment where, on Friday, Saturday and even race day, people can get around different parts of the track to experience different things.
• The Campus aims to brings the heart of Miami to MIA.
• There will be a stage with some live programming in the center of Hard Rock Stadium.
Key Areas of Campus
• Some key areas include; the MSC Cruises Yacht Club and Marina, Luxury Row, the Crypto.com Terrace, Casa Tua Trackside Club, Paddock Club and Hard Rock Beach Club that will feature DJs across the weekend. Plus, there are cable-car glass floored gondolas, the Heineken Highlight that crosses the track.
• Marina: The construction of a dry-dock Marina at the Miami International Autodrome has been one of the most ambitious projects in the creation of this new facility to bring a new level of fan experience to the race. Located on the inside of Turns 6, 7 & 8 the Marina will be a VIP hospitality area featuring 10 yachts that have been transported to the track. The Marina space encompasses an inner and outer Marina, the MSC Cruises Yacht Club structure, fan experience spaces and grandstands.
The water is not real, but the parties on the yachts will be at the F1 circuit.
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• The boats will sit on 25,000 sq feet of ‘water ’made from a special vinyl material to make it look and feel as if they are floating, with a waves and ripple design that will go around each vessel. This was a 10-month process to source the boats and find the companies that could transport yachts that measure between 67 feet yacht (largest) and 44 feet (smallest) as well as install and position them.
• MSC Cruises Yacht Club: For 300-400 guests. Positioned alongside the track next to a fleet of yachts, this area will serve as a social hub for race goers.
• Hard Rock Beach Club: This is where South Beach meets Formula 1. This exclusive location combines the excitement of world class racing with the hottest beach club in Miami, including two resort-style pools, famous DJs, multiple bar locations, and a full range of a la carte chef inspired plates. The Beach House Cabanas, located inside the Hard Rock Beach Club offers fully shaded cabana style seating.
• This area of the track was inspired by the Foro Sol stadium section at the Mexico City circuit.
• The Hard Rock Beach Club areas includes imported sand, three-feet deep functioning swimming pools, the 20 Cabanas (12 upper level, eight lower) and the whole area can hold 1,000 guests with an amazing view of the track with three 35-foot screens.
F1 Crypto.com Miami GP App
• Hard Rock Stadium has been a paperless, electronic-ticketing venue for some time and that will continue for this race.
• The App was designed with all visitors to the Grand Prix in mind and as well as tickets, includes information on parking, the schedule, latest news, an interactive 3D campus map and FAQs about the event as a whole.
• This will be the first race in the world where you can go to your phone and through the F1 Crypto.com Miami GP app you can watch the race from wherever you are.
• The app will feature a Verizon 5G multi-cam which will showcase 7 unique ultra-low latency camera angles from around the circuit as well as commentary.
• Verizon will be providing the entire Miami Campus with 5G.
Mario Andretti, Juan Pablo Montoya and Emerson Fittipaldi will serve as racing ambassadors for the Grand Prix.
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Racing Ambassadors
• Mario Andretti: Only driver to ever win Daytona 500, Indy 500 and F1 World Championship.
• Emerson Fittipaldi: Double winner of both the Indianapolis 500 and F1 world title.
• Juan Pablo Montoya: NASCAR, Indy 500 and multiple F1 Grand Prix winner; IndyCar champion.
Keyword: Beware of Iguanas: Everything You Need to Know about the F1 Miami Grand Prix