Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix president Tyler Epp has admitted he was wrong to question the addition of a sprint race to the event earlier this year.
Having hosted its first grand prix in 2022, the Miami International Autodrome was one of six circuits announced as staging one of F1’s sprint races this season.
Max Verstappen took victory in the 19-lap race on the Saturday before title rival Lando Norris secured his maiden F1 win in the grand prix a day later.
Miami has since been confirmed as retaining a sprint race for 2025. The only planned change to the roster sees Belgium replacing Austria among the six tracks allocated the shorter race format.
Epp concedes he was incorrect to have initially been wary of introducing a sprint race in Miami – having since seen the commercial benefit and the positive reaction of fans.
“I was wrong about the sprint race, I was very concerned about the value proposition there, but I couldn’t have been more wrong,” he told Motorsport.com.
“I will be clear in saying I wasn’t in the camp when we first did the deal but the feedback and the data we got showed that year over year our attendance was up on a Saturday, and they were there early for a sprint race.
Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38
Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
“When we look at gate scans and we look at data, they weren’t coming for qualifying, they were coming for the sprint race.
“I was wrong, it has been a really, really good thing for us. I understand it hasn’t been that way for every promoter, but we really have enjoyed and see real commercial value in hosting a sprint race, it has been fantastic for us.”
As well as the sprint race staying in place, Epp revealed he also expects the support race schedule to look very similar next year.
F1 Academy debuted in Miami in 2024 having been staged in Austin in its inaugural season the previous year, while the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America is likely to return for a third consecutive year.
For Epp, those events are not just to add to the spectacle for the spectators but are also key to preparing for better conditions for the F1 races.
“It does matter what goes on the track before Formula 1 does. In year one it was made very clear that nobody gets on the track before they did because they wanted to be the first on the new track,” he said.
“In year three support races were successful for us, putting Porsche on the track and F1 Academy on the track, was a real positive. Now, the racing lines aren’t always exactly the same but just laying rubber down did impact what the race teams were dealing with on track.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
“From our perspective, we are very committed to two support series in some capacity, and we are expecting to have a similar line up next year.
“We learned a lot in years one and two, we take on challenges and mistakes and are honest about it, we try to attack them full throttle.
“Year two to year three was just about tweaks and in years four and five I think it is just as important we listen to our customers – we have put a big emphasis on that in the last 12 months.”
