The collection of 10 yachts inside turns 6, 7 and 8 of the Miami Speedway, which are surrounded by water that is actually solid “vinyl”, has sparked an avalanche of Photoshopped memes, images and videos.
An edited Twitter video of a man appearing to jump into water only to bounce off the solid surface has gone viral and has so far received more than three million views.
As expected, there has been a division of opinion among fans about what Miami has done with its circuit.
Some have embraced the uniqueness, as the track has tried to offer something completely different, but others have been more critical of the extravagance on a weekend where ticket prices have clearly been aimed at the wealthy.
But for Miami GP managing partner Tom Garfinkel , vice president and CEO of the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium , fans who scoff at what they’ve done on the track with the marina don’t worry at all.
First of all, he is quite pleased with the fact that everyone is talking about the Miami GP. But more importantly, he sees no downside to the race offering some humor and something so unique.
Speaking to Motorsport.com, Garfinkel said: “I don’t think we take ourselves too seriously. We’re having a bit of fun with it, right?”
“I think people are enjoying it. I think the people who are going to watch the race from those yachts are going to have fun, and I think the people who are making fun of it, it’s fun and it’s great.”
“We’re not taking ourselves too seriously. We’re trying to have a little fun with it.”
Garfinkel says the idea for the stadium marina came about after plans for the original Miami GP in the city, and at the actual marina, fell through.
“In the beginning, when we were looking at the city center, F1 had some ideas to get some shots of the yachts,” he explained.
“When we moved here to the Hard Rock Stadium for a number of reasons, the biggest one being that we didn’t think we could have a good race circuit downtown, I said to F1: ‘You’re going to get pictures of yachts, right? “.
“They looked at me like I was crazy. And then I came in and drew it on the board and said, ‘I want a yacht marina here, and we’re going to make it happen.’ And so we did. And it’s a lot of fun.”
What is important to understand is that fake yachts are not an irrelevant piece of trackside furniture, intended solely to make the circuit look better on television.
In fact they are a focal point for a boulevard of entertainment stalls that form an esplanade for fans. The marina is adjacent to a multi-story, street-side yacht club with bars and restaurants, and is also surrounded by a fake beach with chairs, games, and loungers.
So while around 400 guests will be lucky enough to spend the weekend watching the race on the yachts, the entire surrounding area will be surrounded by thousands of party guests enjoying the sun and all that is on offer. .
Making the fake marina was no easy task for Miami, as the process of supplying the yachts and getting them on the circuit took 10 months.
Because permits only allowed the yachts to be transported at night, and the track had to put special flooring over the course so the asphalt wouldn’t be damaged when they were brought in, it took the largest yacht five hours to get from the Miami Marina to the circuit.
Although that effort may seem extreme, it fits a lot with what has been generated in Miami, where things are not done by halves.
But, beyond everything else, Garfinkel has one thing completely clear. Doing something like the marina, or the Hard Rock Beach Club with ‘real’ sand at the other end of the track, could never be justified if they were situated next to a track that didn’t offer the potential to host big, exciting races.
So given that the circuit received rave reviews from the drivers and looks like it will be able to put on a good show, he thinks it was right for Miami to go the extra mile to make sure there was something special around it.
And judging by how quickly the tickets sold out, despite the high prices, the efforts seem to be worth it.
“First of all, the first priority was to create a great circuit for racing,” he said. “So we really believe that if it’s a track that the drivers and the teams want to race at, then it would be great for the fans. So that was the first priority . “
A billboard on the water
“Then aside from that, why not do it Miami style? Why not bring a piece of Miami culture here to create great experiences for the fans?”
“If it’s a good circuit for racing first and foremost, then we can move on to do other things to make it great. So that’s really what we’re trying to achieve.”
When asked if the marina was expected to generate such a stir on social media, Garfinkel was quick to reply.
“I didn’t know if it would be that, or if the impact would be the beach club with its real sand, or the podium.”
“But as long as people say that we first created a great circuit for great races, and those who came to the grand prix had a lot of fun, then with the rest we can have a little fun.”
