Superyachts, Supercars And Superstars Shine At The Inaugural Miami Grand Prix

Current F1 World Champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing may have held off a late race charge from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to win in the first-ever Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix this weekend.

But I’m just going to come out and say it. All of the members of the capacity crowd that filled F1’s newest track complex all weekend long, and the millions of new American fans that have fallen in love with F1 after binge watching Netflix’s smash hit Drive to Survive, were probably the biggest winners.

Not only were any concerns about track design, construction and overall event management put to rest when fans started to stream into the large venue built around the Hard Rock stadium last week. The top three drivers were full of praise for the track and organization too: “It’s not easy to put on an event like this and they did an amazing job.” said race winner Verstappen.

And while the racers praised the track, the dry-dock Marina at the Miami International Autodrome that was specificly built to bring a unique Miami-vibe fan experience to the race got lots of attention too .

Located on the inside of Turns 6, 7 & 8 the MSC Cruises Yacht Club at the MIA Marina featured 10 yachts that were transported to the track on trailers to provide a killer trackside expierence as well as be a comfortable and spacious area to watch the race for a highly select group of guests.

The yachts, measuring from 67-to-44-feet long really looked like they were floating in “water” that was made from a special vinyl floor. Since the marina was designed to be able to accommodate only 185 guests per day, a ticket to watch the race aboard any of the yachts from the Barton And Gray Mariners Club, Sunseeker, Azimut, Midnight Express or Denison Yachting that were there was one of the hottest tickets of the weekend.

And plenty of superyachts where in Miami for the race too. One party I attended was organized by My Yacht Group aboard Dr. Jonathan Rothberg’s 185-foot-long Damen Support Vessel Gene Chaser.

Other’s featured yachts managed by My Ocean Company and others.

But, when it comes to serious celebrity starpower, nothing topped the paddock and grid area shortly before the race started on Sunday afternoon. Superstars that were milling around the cars and drivers on the grid before race included: Michael Jordan, Venus and Serena Williams, LeBron James, David Beckham, Michael Douglas, Pharrell, Michael Bay and even Paris Hilton, numerous Miami Dolphins players and Head Coach Mike McDaniel.

I’m totally hooked after experiencing the inaugural Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix for myself this weekend.

And now that the world-famous neon lights of the Las Vegas strip will be providing the backdrop to Formula 1’s newest race—a night event in November 2023—I know a lot of other Americans are hooked too.