The F1 organizers have set up fake water in a fake marina so that the Miami Grand Prix will look good on TV. Social media is already filled with memes regarding the water that is not so wet.
It is the first-ever Miami Grand Prix and it’s been the talk of the motorsport town. But why the buzz? There are ten yachts “floating” in the areas of Turns 6, 7 and 8. But they are probably the world’s first yachts “floating” on a vinyl tarpaulin. The video of Sky Sports’ Craig Slater plunging in the fake marina has become viral.
The organizers of the Miami Grand Prix wanted to come up with an image similar to what UAE’s Yas Marina and Monte Carlo offer. But for safety and logistics reasons, there could be no track on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. The racetrack is actually at the Hard Rock Stadium, quite far from the city’s marina. Therefore, in order to look exotic and extravagant on TV, they set up this fake harbor with crystal clear but dry “water”. It will be easy for those spectators in the stands to notice that what they’re looking at is not what they thought it was.
The setup was Tom Garfinkel’s idea. He is the chairman and CEO of the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium. The F1 wanted to show water and yachts on TV. So that is exactly what they’re showing. “I told F1 that you’re gonna get your yacht shots. They looked at me like I was crazy. And then I came back and drew it on a whiteboard and said: I want a marina with yachts here and we’re gonna make it happen. And so we did,” he tells.
Miami Grand Prix, just one of the three races the United States are getting
And it’s not just the yachts and the marina that became trackside furniture. But also the fake beach with deck chairs and loungers for the party people attending the race. There will be around 400 guests who will be spending their racing weekend on these yachts. Everything took around 10 months to build and it involved the assistance of MSC Cruises. That’s how the FIA got the Miami vibe straight to the TV screens. Enjoy the view!
The U.S. will host no fewer than three races. The Miami Grand Prix and the race in Austin, Texas. Starting next year, there’ll also be the long-awaited Las Vegas Grand Prix.
So this is how Sky Sports mocked the fake marina at the Miami Grand Prix. Spoiler alert: don’t worry, Craig Slater’s not gonna drown!
Nothing to see here, just Craig Slater having a swim at the #MiamiGP‘s fake harbour 😂 pic.twitter.com/LB48SQgedq
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) May 3, 2022
