A merging of cultures is happening in Miami, where F1’s circuit has become a beach vacation

In between the loud zooms of cars whipping around the race track, nightclub-like electronic beats blared through the speakers at the Miami Grand Prix.

Some attendees took in the scene sitting comfortably in shaded trackside suites. Some dipped their feet in a pool at the Hard Rock Beach Club, the signature day club at the Miami International Autodrome that provides a tropical backdrop for some of the most popular music acts in the city.

Hard Rock Stadium organizers are used to hosting some of the biggest events in sports: The Super Bowl. Tennis tournaments. College football’s national championship game.

Formula One is just the latest annual star-studded spectacle.

As F1 has gained popularity in the U.S. in recent years — thanks in part to the popular Netflix series “Drive to Survive” — the Miami Grand Prix has become one of the more appealing stops on the F1 calendar, infusing racing weekend with festival-like concerts and parties to draw more people to the track.

“Fan bases are built at events, not on television,” said Tom Garfinkel, managing partner of the Miami Grand Prix. ”I think you become a fan at the event. So if we can create a great festival atmosphere here for casual fans and then they come, they’re going to fall in love with the racing.”

There are two other F1 races in the U.S. every year. Las Vegas was added to the schedule in 2023 and F1 also makes a stop at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. But Miami Grand Prix feels its emphasis on music, entertainment and Miami’s culture is what sets its race apart.

“At the end of the day when you think about that Miami culture, you’re thinking about the sunshine, you’re thinking about great culinary offerings,” said Keith Sheldon, Hard Rock’s president of entertainment and brand management, “and you’re also thinking about amazing music.”

“Certainly other F1 races have done a great job bringing in amazing musicians and bands and performers to help elevate the offerings,” Sheldon added. ”But I think that Miami really makes it a part of every race. It’s in between runs. It’s before qualifying, after. There’s just so much happening around music and entertainment.”

In the fourth year of the event’s 20-year stay in Miami, a mix of pop and Latin acts filled the entertainment lineup to appeal to both a local and global audience. Around 275,000 people were expected to attend the three-day race weekend, Garfinkel said. About 60% of those attendees were from Florida, with a majority living in South Florida.

Dutch music producer DJ Tiesto was set play at the start and finish of Sunday’s race. Pitbull was headlining a concert later that evening. Other weekend performances included popular Miami-born DJ Steve Aoki and electro-dance duo Sofi Tukker.

On Saturday, Lando Norris beat McLaren Racing teammate Oscar Piastri to win an eventful, rain-soaked sprint race early in the afternoon. Max Verstappen edged Norris of by .065 seconds in qualifying later that day to take the top starting spot for Sunday’s race.

Both races were displayed on a huge outdoor jumbotron at the beach club, which is by Turns 11, 12 and 13. Sprawling white cabanas lined the area to provide a mild escape from the sweltering South Florida heat. There’s a bar in the center of the outdoor club and a pool right beside that.

Later that evening, the area turned into a concert pit for Aoki’s high-energy set.

“It combines all the best things of Miami,” said Stacey Mageropoulos, a Ferrari fan who drove in from the nearby city Sunrise. “You get Formula One, but then you get the beach experiences, which everyone knows Miami for that. … I’m at a festival while I’m at F1. It’s the best of both worlds.”

Music also took a front seat just outside the team garages at the track, where upbeat tunes that make up the soundtrack for this summer’s “F1” movie could be heard. The Miami Grand Prix was the first time that most people could listen to the records, which featured a range of artists from Ed Sheeran and Doja Cat to Roddy Ricch.

“I think it’s great to merge the worlds,” Ricch said Saturday, his first time at an F1 event. “You see what Travis Scott does when he goes to be with WWE, with the wrestlers. It’s all different people who just love and enjoy entertainment and culture. That’s always a good way to blend different worlds.”

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing