After five exciting races to kickstart the 2024 season, F1 heads to Miami for the first American race of the year. Ahead of the third edition of the race in Florida, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner labels the Miami Grand Prix as a “great event“. At the same time, Horner doesn’t believe that the Miami International Autodrome is one of the best race tracks on the calendar.
After their initial success in 2022, the Miami GP saw a dip in viewership last season as Max Verstappen coasted home to grab a comfortable victory. Horner said,
“I think Miami is a great event.”
“It’s not the best racetrack in the world, but it’s a fantastic event,” he added. “Miami is such a special place to be racing. I thought the second year at Miami was better than the first, and I’ve got no doubt the third year will be even better again.”
Horner believes that the 2024 Miami GP will be more exciting than last year’s outing because this time around it will be a sprint race weekend. Miami hosts the second Sprint of the season, just days after China hosted the first.
When it comes to racing action, the Miami International Autodrome isn’t particularly well received, but the circuit knows how to put up a spectacle. Like the other two American races on the calendar (Austin and Las Vegas), showmanship has become an integral part of its Grand Prix weekend.
Teams, however, remain focused on what happens on the track once the lights go out, as McLaren is set to bring an upgrade package to Miami.
Christian Horner reveals how Miami GP can become even more “special“
For any sporting event that takes place in the United States, it is not just the event that brings excitement for the fans but the show that comes with it. Christian Horner, in his recent interview, revealed one such thing that the organizers of the Miami GP can introduce to make the event more “special“.
When asked how F1 can improve the Miami GP circuit, Horner replied,
“It’d be great to go inside the stadium as well. That would be pretty special“.
Horner is referring to the Hard Rock Stadium, which is central to the track around it which cars drive on. Last season, the stadium got converted into the F1 paddock but Horner feels it would be great for the teams and fans if the circuit went through it.
He then added how it is “great” for him to see the attention F1 is receiving in the US, a country full of sports enthusiasts. F1’s popularity has increased tremendously in the US ever since Liberty Media took over the sport a few seasons ago. Also, because of the release of Netflix’s Drive to Survive.
