Formula 1 chiefs have expressed confidence that recent developments in Miami mean its inaugural grand prix can still take place in 2021.
Liberty Media has been attempting to introduce a second grand prix in the United States for several years, and had to abandon proposals for a 2019 race in the Biscayne Bay district.
A new design was drawn up for Formula 1 to race in the area around the Hard Rock Stadium – owned by Miami Grand Prix partner the Miami Dolphins – on the outskirts of the city.
Some local residents complained and after several meetings it was agreed that the race would avoid disruption to nearby streets and only take place after school hours.
Last week Miami commissioners rejected a piece of legislation that would have needed the country and City of Miami Gardens to approve the event.
A date of May 2021 has previously been mooted as a target for the inaugural race in Miami.
“There’s been positive steps the last couple weeks,” said Formula 1 CEO Chase Carey.
“We’re actively engaged with them. I think we’ve got meetings over the next week or two to continue to nail things down.
“We feel good about where we are with that race, obviously, for 2021.
“I think, first and foremost, we want to make sure it’s a great race, a race that will live up to what that, the potential of what that race is, which is a real tentpole race for us, not just in the U.S., but around the world, a race that will capture the world’s imagination.
“We want to make sure we do the race. And we’re still focusing on trying to get things in place for 2021.
“Obviously, time continues. Time gets shorter. But we are actively working on it and engaged with it and I think making good headway.”
“The steps and processes we go through to ultimately finalise a race always have degrees of complications to them.
“But I think we feel good about the path we’re on, and we feel good about the opportunity to make the race in Miami a reality in short-term.”
Miami is understood to be the only new grand prix in contention for 2021, with prospective races in South Africa and Saudi Arabia unlikely until 2022 at the earliest.
Of the current events China, Spain, Austria and Brazil are out of contract at the end of the campaign.
A yet-to-be-built circuit in the Deodoro suburb of Rio de Janeiro eager to replace Sao Paulo’s Interlagos while Jerez has indicated that it will target a Formula 1 return in 2021.
