The organizers of the Miami Grand Prix say they’re “scratching the floor” of the potential draw {that a} Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari partnership might be this 12 months.
Hamilton’s first week at Maranello has attracted large curiosity after he drove for Ferrari for the primary time on Wednesday, as System 1’s most iconic group and its most profitable driver pair up in 2025. Miami Grand Prix president Tyler Epp says there are a number of storylines which can be driving fan curiosity in america this 12 months, however that the Hamilton transfer is prone to be the standout.
“At this level, we’re scratching the floor of it, however I feel all of us noticed it from a business standpoint final 12 months when it was introduced,” Epp informed RACER. “Lewis’s presence within the sport – and never simply within the sport, even outdoors the game, simply as a character and an envoy for motor racing generally – he’s simply so highly effective and so important, and his success on the observe is so admired.
“Then you definitely take that, and as we’ve gotten to know the Ferrari enterprise fairly properly – we’re doing a little enterprise with them in Might, and we do have interaction with them fairly closely right here in South Florida – it’s one of the crucial distinctive and highly effective manufacturers we’ve ever sort of gotten our arms round.
“And so to place these two items collectively, fueled by the ability of System 1 on the world stage, I feel all of us see what might be the truth right here.”
Chatting with RACER on the day the Miami Grand Prix started promoting one-day grandstand tickets for this 12 months’s race for the primary time – a transfer pushed by suggestions from followers asking for extra flexibility to tailor their entry to their very own necessities – Epp mentioned the best way the race continues to see progress in its native market is especially encouraging.
“If we’re taking an sincere have a look at it, we’ve seen regular curiosity in our race,” he mentioned. “I might let you know that we’re pleased with what we constructed. I say this quite a bit, however I feel the truth that Stefano [Domenicali] and System 1 enable us to be Miami and we’re not simply one other System 1 race in one other market is actually essential.
“We get an opportunity to specific ourselves a bit of bit and do the issues that we do right here which can be a bit totally different than one other market, and I feel that our fanbase responds to that. A very powerful factor that that we see is we see continued, regular progress in our market during which we reside.
“South Florida continues to be a very good marketplace for us, a market that’s rising, that’s partaking. I feel the reducing within the race observe for us in order that we’ve extra motorsports occasions now all year long, built-in into our soccer schedule and our stadium schedule, I feel, helps that.
“We’re we’re seeing engagement in numerous methods, through social and through a few of our membership applications, that I feel is totally different and permits us to unfold our wings a bit of bit, and herald the local people and be sure that they’re a part of what we present yearly.
“So we’ve seen regular progress, and we proceed to see it. And I do know that everyone needs me to say, like, ‘The F1 fan in us, we are able to’t determine it out, we don’t know what we’re doing’. That’s not what we’re seeing. The information is actually good for us, but it surely’s being pushed by South Florida, Latin America, and the remainder of the home U.S.”
