Formula 1 is about to make history on Sunday. For the first time since 1959, the racing league will compete in Florida as the drivers will be in Miami for the Miami Grand Prix. The race will take place and the Miami International Autodrome and will start at 3 p.m. ET on ABC. The preshow will also be on ABC at 2 p.m. ET.
This race has been in the works for a few years as it was originally planned for 2019. But several setbacks have pushed the race back to Sunday and, the Miami Grand Prix is now part of a 10-year contract. The track is located next to Hard Rock Stadium where the NFL’s Miami Dolphins play.
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“It’s such a huge country; having just one race here isn’t enough to really be able to tap into the sporting culture and really encapsulate the fans,” Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes said in October, per the New York Times. “To get them on the journey with us I think definitely we need to have at least two. Miami is going to be incredible.” The addition of the Miami race marks the first time since 1984 that there will be two races in the United States. At that time, Formula 1 visited Dallas and Detroit. This year Formula 1 will be in Miami on Sunday and Austin, Texas on Oct. 23.
Back in 2019, Formula 1’s Managing Director Commercial Operations Sean Bratches and Tom Garfinkel, Vice Chairman and CEO of the Miami Dolphins and the Hard Rock Stadium said in a statement: “We are thrilled to announce that Formula One and Hard Rock Stadium have reached an agreement in principle to host the first-ever Formula One Miami Grand Prix at Hard Rock Stadium. With an estimated annual impact of more than $400 million and 35,000 room nights, the Formula One Miami Grand Prix will be an economic juggernaut for South Florida each and every year.
“We are deeply grateful to our fans, elected officials and the local tourism industry for their patience and support throughout this process. We look forward to bringing the greatest racing spectacle on the planet for the first time to one of the world’s most iconic and glamorous regions.”
