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Miami GP Has a Fake Marina, Dry-Docked Yachts, Pretends It Does Not Matter

This weekend will host the first-ever Miami GP, which takes place on a newly built track. Now, as you might have seen already, this new track is around the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, and it has a fake marina. Yes, make no mistake, the Miami GP features real boats in a dry dock, but with fake water.
Drone view of Miami Grand Prix Formula 1 track, filmed by Joel Franco 7 photos
Photo: Screenshot from YouTube video by Joel Franco
Sergio Perez goes on an adventure from New York to MiamiSergio Perez goes on an adventure from New York to MiamiSergio Perez goes on an adventure from New York to MiamiSergio Perez goes on an adventure from New York to MiamiSergio Perez goes on an adventure from New York to MiamiSergio Perez goes on an adventure from New York to Miami
As you may be aware, Miami is no Las Vegas, and it has plenty of water nearby, and boats are not something uncommon. However, the organizers of the Formula 1 race did not get approval to build the track near a body of water, and a street circuit built in what is essentially a car park was deemed insufficient for the venue.

So, the result is a fake harbor with real boats, but with fake water. The latter is vinyl that is printed to look like water. Now, anyone who has seen a body of water in real life may be aware that there is something off with this one, but everyone just hopes for the best from this point of view.

Turns 11, 12, and 13 have a beach club zone near them, while turns 6, 7, and 8 have a “Yacht Club” built in dry dock form. The idea is to have the Miami GP mimic the idea of the Monaco GP or the Abu Dhabi GP in Yas Marina.

When viewed from a drone or a helicopter, this might not be the worst thing ever, but fans in the grandstands might see it as something a bit off.

It is considered fashionable to watch the Monte Carlo GP from a yacht, and the same can be done at the Miami GP, at the cost of $9,500 for a single spot on a boat, or $19,000 for two people, while the “Yacht Club” four-person package reportedly costs about $38,000.

With that price in mind, the “Yacht Club” makes sense from the organizers' perspective, as it does bring the ability to sell expensive tickets right next to the track in something different from a grandstand. Could this have been done any better? Probably, but we are not sure that real water would have been the only thing missing.

At the same time, the Miami GP track also goes under several highway overpasses, which will be closed to traffic on the race weekend to prevent any additional risk. It is unclear if anyone will be allowed on those overpasses, but we are inclined to say no if you asked us to guess.

Why do we think so? Because doing so would mean having people above the track. That is not ideal from a safety standpoint, and it is not clear how much you could charge for standing “seats” on a highway overpass in May in Florida, but we digress.



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Editor's note: For illustration purposes, the photo gallery shows images from Red Bull's promotional clip regarding the 2022 Miami GP.

About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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