The Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix uses Hard Rock Stadium to support its race, but executives considered running the track across the Miami Dolphins’ home field.
“We definitely looked at it,” said Jeremy Walls, senior vice president and chief revenue officer of the Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium, and the Miami Grand Prix. “But what’s complicated is we have the Miami Open tennis tournament that finished up a month ago.”
With the F1 race scheduled to take place around the stadium through 2031, the Dolphins invested in some long-term infrastructure.
“We built a $100 million-plus paddock club,” Walls said on the Front Office Sports Today podcast. “We purchased 12 bridges. Nine of them are permanent on our campus.” The group also made substantial investments in the track itself in response to feedback from drivers, teams, F1, and its governing body, the FIA.
The Grand Prix, which takes place Sunday, will test whether the race can show enduring popularity as the novelty from the first year wears off.
Walls said his team was focused on making the race weekend an experience with much more than just a race. There will be more than 100 restaurants, 40 bars, and numerous shops and hospitality areas throughout the campus.
“We wanted to just create, for lack of a better example, a Disneyland for racing and for adults,” he said. “You can go to a different destination every day.”
