This weekend, and for the first time in history, Formula 1 is packing its bags in Miami, Florida. However, the pilots will not have the chance to go along the beach on Ocean Drive or to go around the Little Havana district at the wheel of their racing car since it is in the Hard Rock Stadium parking lot, about twenty kilometers from the center. -city, that they will meet to fight it out.
The setting is certainly less flattering than expected but that did not prevent the organizers of the Miami Grand Prix from building a circuit that does not go unnoticed. Unsurprisingly, the reception from fans was mixed: some praised the uniqueness of the setting, others were more scathing.
In particular, one area of the circuit received the most negative reactions. When it became clear that the yachts moored in the marina at turns 6, 7 and 8 were in fact resting on a solid surface painted blue, criticism, mockery and hijacking flooded social media. For example, a montage showing a man hurting himself while « diving » in the Miami marina has been viewed more than three million times on Twitter.
But beware, the creators of the marina welcome this mockery with a smile. For Tom Garfinkel, associate director of the GP of Miami, it is not worrying to see that the fans ridicule it since it means that the circuit is on everyone’s lips. He also assures that the organizers are taking things lightly in coming up with something so unique.
« I think we don’t take ourselves too seriously »he explains to Motorsport.com. « We’re having a little fun, right? I think people are enjoying it and those in the back of their yachts watching the race will have a good time. I find it funny that people are making fun of that a little bit, is good. »
Miami Circuit Marina
But how did we arrive at a fake marina placed in the parking lot of an American football team’s stadium? In fact, the seed was planted in Garfinkel’s brain very early on, when the Miami GP was still looking for its circuit.
« Initially, when we were interested in the city center, F1 had some ideas on plans for yachts »he says. « When we came here [au Hard Rock Stadium] for a bunch of reasons, mostly because we thought we couldn’t have a good circuit downtown, I told F1 they were going to have their yacht plans. They looked at me like I was crazy. And then I went back [au bureau], I drew on a board and said, ‘I want a marina with yachts here, and we’re going to make it happen.’ That’s what we did and it’s a lot of fun. »
What Garfinkel is trying to convey is that yachts aren’t there to make television pictures prettier. Rather, they are the focal point of an entertainment area designed for fans. In addition to the fake marina, this part of the circuit has a yacht club with bars and restaurants, and a fake beach with real deckchairs.
The construction of the marina was no small feat. Transporting the yachts and bringing them to the site took ten months, as the permits issued only allowed the yachts to be transported at night and the tarmac had to be covered with special flooring to prevent damage. In particular, it took five hours for the largest yacht to leave the real Miami marina and take place on the circuit.
An advertisement on a boat
Great efforts were therefore made to ensure that the fans present on site were entertained. But the marina, the boats, the beach, the deckchairs, all of this was secondary to another challenge taken up by the organizers, namely the design of a spectacular circuit. And with a track hailed by drivers and a ticket office packed with fans despite high prices, it looks like the organizers have met their objectives.
« Above all, the first priority was to create a good circuit for the race »continues Garfinkel. « We really think that if the drivers and the teams want to race on this circuit, then it will be great for the fans. So that was the first priority. After that, why not make it ‘Miami’? Why not bring a touch of the culture of Miami to create great experiences for the fans? If it’s primarily a good track for racing, we can go ahead and do other things to make it great. So that’s really what we tried to do. »
Did the manager expect the marina to get so much attention on social media? The interested party responds tit for tat: « I didn’t know if it was okay [faire parler]or if it was going to be the beach club with real sand or the podium. But as long as people say first that we have created a great circuit for a great race and that those who came [sur place] had a great time, so we can laugh about the rest. »
The circuit marina