Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri, Miami International Autodrome, 2022

Miami Grand Prix buzz even bigger than Austin – Gasly

2022 Miami Grand Prix

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Pierre Gasly says the buzz around the Miami Grand Prix feels like Formula 1’s equivalent of the Super Bowl.

The AlphaTauri driver is enjoying the level of attention F1 is receiving, after two years of largely enforced quietness during the pandemic.

“It feels like our Super Bowl in Formula 1,” said Gasly. “I must say I’ve never had anything like this, I’m super-excited.”

“It’s the first time, especially after the last few years we had with with COVID where it was impossible to have any sort of marketing communication, [we have] big events with the fans and people like yesterday.”

F1’s long-awaited first event in Miami began with a special launch event at Hard Rock Stadium yesterday. “I’ve never seen a Wednesday in Formula 1 where people show up at the track in the wet and just feel like that much energy,” said Gasly.

“There is a massive build-up to it. I always use that energy around as well to build myself up. So I’m super hyped up about it.”

F1 drew a packed crowd to last year’s United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas – which was the first time it had visited the country since 2019, due to the pandemic. Gasly agreed the buzz around this weekend’s race is bigger than it was in Austin last year:

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“Big time. Since I arrived Monday night from the airport onwards, everywhere we go, everyone’s talking about the race. I’ve never had that many friends this week everybody’s asking to come to the race like three days before the event which is obviously impossible.

“I know a lot of people just coming to Miami, they don’t even have tickets, but they just want to be in Miami because this is happening. So there is a very special feeling about this race.”

Gasly’s team mate Yuki Tsunoda is making his first visit to Miami and wants to return when it is less busy to discover more of the city.

“I’m really enjoying the atmosphere here in Miami in general,” he said in response to a question from RaceFans. “It’s my first time. It’s pretty warmer than I expected, it’s more humid.

“I want to come here outside of racing. Race week of course there’s a time that you can go around, but at the same time I had a busy last two days. As soon as I came to Miami there’s either filming or meet and greet, something like that. So I couldn’t enjoy fully and I couldn’t go to a place I want to go.”

“I already found a good restaurant two days ago,” he added. “I didn’t expect like this good in terms of food in America, or Miami. So I’m quite surprised.

“I didn’t go yet to the beach – I just went at midnight so I couldn’t see anything. But I like it here.”

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...
RJ O'Connell
Motorsport has been a lifelong interest for RJ, both virtual and ‘in the carbon’, since childhood. RJ picked up motorsports writing as a hobby...

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10 comments on “Miami Grand Prix buzz even bigger than Austin – Gasly”

  1. Gotta love that Yuki quote about the food

    1. Anyone who’s been to both Japan and America will know exactly why he’d be surprised.

    2. Japanese food and American food is really opposite of each other so i could understand that. that said even in America some restarants have great food (which doesn’t included fries, hamburger and or steak) Some fish-restarants in Florida which i visit were very very good (in 2005)

      1. Miami has a lot of international flavor, as it were. Mostly Latin American and Caribbean, along with spectacular seafood.

        But I still claim the humble Cuban sandwich (invented in Miami or Tampa, depending on who you believe) is one of the greatest sandwiches made by humanity.

  2. Todd (@braketurnaccelerate)
    6th May 2022, 8:04

    With a better location in Miami, one not at a depressing stadium situated in the middle of lower-middle class suburbia, I could see the Miami GP on a similar rank to Monaco, in terms of glam and ‘buzz-i-ness’, if that were a word.

  3. LV could very well surpass Miami in buzz magnitude, but unsurprising how big the pre-event buzz in Miami has been.

    If Tsunoda wants to enjoy Miami without the event buzz & associated busyness, he could go there in the off-season for warm-weather training purposes.

  4. It’s fine & all but it’s a shame that the buzz & excitement is more about the event rather than the circuit.

    I just sort of miss the days where a new venue would be added & all the attention & excitement is on the fantastic racetrack we are about to see cars going around rather than on everything but the racetrack. But when the track is in a car park, Is as smooth as glass & quite uninteresting compared to most others I guess there’s no reason for there to be any buzz or excitement about the actual racetrack which is a shame.

    Also a shame that all of this buzz, excitement, glitz & glamour isn’t about the local area. It’s all about the stadium, fake marina & downtown Miami. So none of the local residents, businesses etc.. that are having this event forced onto them despite there opposition are getting any of the benefits from the event while having to put up with all of the disruption. But the Motorsport media will just ignore them & try & frame there entire argument as ‘noise complainers’ which is just a nice way of batting there actual complaints/concerns/criticisms aside.

  5. If this event really kicks off may find the previous opposition to the track actually being in the original area planned fade away and the track moves to downtown Miami.

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