When the Miami Grand Prix was added to the Formulation 1 calendar on a 10-year contract, F1 purists have been skeptical. The race represented all the pieces that that they had resisted for years: glitz, extravagance, and an overtly American spectacle. However Miami rapidly cemented itself as a marquee occasion, not simply by delivering strong on-track motion – however by profitable over followers. On the middle of its success is Arduous Rock Stadium, a venue that has developed from a standard NFL stronghold to a year-round hub for main international occasions — and F1 is on the coronary heart of that transformation.
“Nobody wants this … however we’re within the enterprise of reminiscence making,” says Tyler Epp, President of the Miami Grand Prix, whereas chatting at a Dolphins dwelling recreation final December. We’re speaking concerning the pomp and circumstance surrounding sporting occasions on the stadium, together with the unique Members Lounge we’re standing during which transforms into the ultra-luxurious F1 Paddock Membership every Could. I believe what he’s really telling me is that Miami should create extraordinary experiences to maintain clients coming again, particularly when competing with two different races on American soil.
Epp credit a lot of the Miami Grand Prix’s fast success to the Dolphins group and its almost 4 a long time of expertise internet hosting NFL video games. “Once we began this three years in the past, we have been already midway there. We’ve these tremendous advertising folks, gross sales folks and a variety of different assets, so we must always ship one of the best Grand Prix on the calendar,” he explains. “The flexibility to lean on shared providers has been an actual profit, however we’ve additionally had our challenges. We’ve to construct whole grandstands and hospitality venues, and all of our plumbing and energy [outside the stadium] is momentary … to not point out, ensuring that the grounds don’t ever really feel like a parking zone, which has been the mission that Tom Garfinkel [CEO of the Dolphins] talked about from day one.”
Lando Norris celebrates on the rostrum on the 2024 Miami Grand Prix
Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Pictures
Right now, the group operates as a cohesive unit, with the soccer aspect of the enterprise even drawing classes from F1. Campus operations throughout Dolphins recreation days, for example, at the moment are modeled on logistical successes from the Miami Grand Prix. “We have become a year-round mega occasions enterprise,” Epp says. “We begin planning the Grand Prix format in August [the year before] and that’s finalized in November or December. However from a publicity perspective we are able to’t ever make it appear to be we’re not planning for a Dolphins championship dwelling recreation,” he explains. “We at all times must assume that the staff can be taking part in within the stadium that weekend, but when one of the best case situation would not occur, we’ve got to be nimble sufficient to maneuver up our timelines.”
Epp additionally has the good thing about nearly a decade immersed within the soccer world, having labored on the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs earlier than transferring to Florida. “We have been very intentional about by no means prioritizing F1 over soccer. However we additionally perceive what an enormous alternative we’ve got, as a result of we’ve now acquired a sports activities leisure enterprise,” he says. Miami’s pure attract as a playground for the wealthy and well-known has been one other stroke of fine fortune for the staff, as numerous A-listers have stepped foot within the paddock over the previous few years. “There have been some celebrities that nobody even is aware of have been right here,” Epp says coyly once I ask about rumors that Beyonce and Jay-Z secretly attended the race in 2022. Others have been extremely low key. “Michelle Obama wished to come back and was a visitor of Lewis. She confirmed up proper on time, acquired to expertise a session, and was out and in very, very quietly,” he explains. “Then there’s the C-list celebrities who simply need to be right here as a result of they love racing, however typically these persons are [the most valuable] as a result of they’re going to speak so graciously concerning the expertise, and so they nonetheless have affect over thousands and thousands of individuals on-line.”
Venus and Serena Williams on the grid
Picture by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Pictures
Dealing with high-profile company is an artwork in itself. If, say, Taylor Swift (whose boyfriend, Travis Kelce, is an investor in Alpine Racing) wished to attend the race, the method is rigorously orchestrated. “The primary test is at all times with F1 to verify they learn about it and we’re all aligned,” Epp explains, noting that “the worst scenario is when an agent and a supervisor are speaking to 2 completely different events and taking part in us towards one another.” The second name can be to Swift’s administration staff. “That’s after we actually perceive what expertise she’s searching for. If she’s bringing her whole household and it’s an enormous celebration they’re having collectively, then we’re going to cost you. However should you’re simply coming since you need to see the race, which is a good profit [to us], there is no cost,” he says.
The VIP expertise extends properly past the stadium, all the best way out to the freeway. “About 5 years in the past [Dolphins owner] Stephen Ross and Tom launched a Black Card Specific Lane off the Turnpike that you would be able to solely drive on with a particular move and takes you proper into our luxurious parking zone,” Epp says. “You don’t have any interplay with the overall inhabitants from the time you permit your resort to the time you get to your seat. It’s all very protected and personal … crucial factor is that they’re in an surroundings the place they’re comfy amongst friends and do not feel like they’re being checked out.”
After all, not each visitor craves discretion. “There are undoubtedly two forms of celebrities: there’s additionally the individual that actually desires to ensure that they’re seen, and that is nice, too. We’ve a special program for that the place we are able to parade you thru the paddock and ensure you’re there on the grid.” The way in which Epp sees it, there’s a give and take: “We deal with them like some other buyer, however there’s a variety of worth there [for us] so it’s only a query of, ‘What do we have to do to make this work?’”
Managing VIPs isn’t with out its challenges, nonetheless. The problem that instantly involves thoughts for Epp includes company arriving with a a lot bigger entourage than anticipated. “Everyone seems to be trailed by a videographer now … even CEOs,” he says. Although it may not seem to be a significant concern, arriving on the paddock gates with 5 further individuals who don’t have passes may cause some severe complications in a sport obsessive about crimson tape.
Donald Trump and Zak Brown
Picture by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Pictures
Private safety is one other essential concern, which got here to a head when Donald Trump attended the 2024 Miami Grand Prix and wreaked havoc within the paddock. “Working this race is extraordinarily troublesome from a safety standpoint due to all of the doorways, nooks, crannies and caverns. In that stadium, there are secret hallways that solely our guys know, so within the first yr, paddock safety was not good,” Epp admits. Earlier than Trump’s go to, the Secret Service spent 10 days surveying the venue, nonetheless they nonetheless ordered main shutdowns in areas of the paddock just some hours earlier than the race kicked off. “The Secret Service blocked off the walkway in the midst of the paddock for 20 minutes, and the groups have been dropping it as a result of they have been like, ‘I’ve to cross,’” he recollects. “However talking fully apolitically, it is nice to have that sort of movie star on the grid. We’re pretty disciplined on not aligning our group with any political determine — we deal with everyone the identical, as a result of we need to present that we perceive precisely what you want on your go to. Taylor’s going to want various things than Trump wanted, and various things than a CEO wants, however we’ve got the power to execute all of it.”
I ask whether or not there have been any learnings from the Trump go to, however Epp isn’t certain how a lot would change ought to the now-President select to attend the race once more this yr. “If you’re coping with world leaders and governmental safety, there’s solely a lot you are able to do. We simply needed to attempt to make one of the best selections that we probably might within the second … we will not inform them no, and we by no means would,” he says.
Haas staff members go to the Miami Dolphins NFL staff coaching floor.
Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Pictures
Once I attended the inaugural Miami Grand Prix in 2022, I wrote that the most popular place to see and be seen was a small entry street behind the Arduous Rock Stadium. Within the years since, the F1 paddock has prolonged past that entry street to incorporate hospitality constructions on the soccer discipline and the purpose-built Paddock Membership constructing. However Arduous Rock Stadium isn’t simply an F1 venue for one week of the yr — it’s evolving into one thing way more built-in.
“We’re nonetheless discovering our means, and perhaps we’ll be having a special dialog in 18 months, however the fantastic thing about it’s that it will get to be buyer centered,” Epp tells me. The garages are rebranded because the MIA Storage Tailgate post-F1 and can be found to hire for pre-game BBQs. In the meantime, the Paddock Membership construction, which connects to the principle stadium through a skybridge, has hosted wedding ceremony receptions and serves as a lounge for Dolphins members on recreation day. “We bumped our heads slightly bit attempting to determine precisely what the providing was, however we really feel like we’ve discovered a very nice candy spot,” Epp says of the lounge. “This isn’t the Paddock Membership. That is meant to be a spot for passionate followers to get away and chill out earlier than the sport.”
Finally, all of it comes all the way down to delivering experiences that final. “We service everyone from the one who saves all their cash for one recreation that they take their children to yearly to [ultra high net worth] people, and we’ve got to have the ability to do this each within the soccer enterprise and in F1,” Epp says. In a crowded F1 panorama, he’s assured that his staff has a singular proposition. “We’re within the reminiscence making enterprise on the finish of the day, and we’re attempting to create an surroundings to make particular recollections that may final a lifetime. That is our objective.”
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Emily Selleck
Formulation 1
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