The future of the proposed Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix will be shaped by a city vote that takes place on 28 March.
The Miami City Commission will formally discuss plans for a street race in the American city, making it the first occasion that the matter will be discussed after a decision to defer the vote in late September 2018.
It was hoped that Miami would join the United States and Canadian races as the third North American Grand Prix on the F1 calendar for 2019, but the summer deadline was missed.
It is understood that senior F1 names have been working closely with city parties to accelerate plans in the hope that 2020 will mark the first American street race for 29 years.
The key organisations include the City of Miami, Bayfront Management Trust and South Florida Racing – the latter being the race promoters.
Bayfront owns power over the part of the track that runs along and in the vicinity of the harbour front, making the issue trickier than liked.
Miami hosted an F1 Fan Festival in October 2018 that entertained 80,000 fans after the United States GP, initially part of a contract that included a round of the 2019 World Championship.
The proposed resolution reads:
“The City Commission wishes to authorize the City Manager to execute the Host City Agreement and the Park Use Agreements for the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, between the City of Miami (“City”), the Bayfront Park Management Trust (“Park”), South Florida Racing, LLC. (“SFR”) and Formula 1 World Championship Limited (“Formula 1”), in a form acceptable to the City Attorney (collectively, “Agreements”).
“The City Commission wishes to allow SFR and Formula 1 to run the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix from 2019 through 2029 with a fan festival to be held in October of 2018 pursuant to the Agreements.”
Speaking at the Fan Festival, two-time F1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi said that a race in Miami had the potential to be the “Monaco of the Americas”.
