Miami International Autodrome
Miami, USA
Miami International Autodrome is a temporary circuit built in the parking lots and surrounding roads of Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins. It mixes long straights with a tight marina-themed section built specifically for the race, giving it a resort-like atmosphere despite being a purpose-laid track rather than true city streets. The venue is dismantled and rebuilt each year around the stadium complex.
Length
5.412 km
Turns
19
Race Laps
57
Elevation
5m
First GP
2022
Lap Record
1:29.708
Max Verstappen (2023)
Location
Nearest Town
The circuit is located in Miami Gardens, a suburb north of Miami, Florida, in the stadium district surrounding Hard Rock Stadium. Miami itself is known for its beaches, Latin American cultural influence, and vibrant nightlife, drawing large celebrity attendance to the race weekend. The track's man-made marina feature has become a signature image of the event.
Getting There
Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport both serve the area, each roughly 25-35 minutes' drive from the circuit depending on traffic. There is no direct rail link to the stadium, with fans relying on rideshares, shuttles, and dedicated event parking.
Circuit History & Trivia
Notable Incidents
Rather than a single dramatic crash defining its short history, the Miami International Autodrome is notable for the safety-conscious, multi-configuration design built into it from the start. The circuit was engineered with five distinct layout options, including Grand Prix, Extended Marina Loop, Marina Loop, Extended MIA Loop, and MIA Loop configurations, allowing it to safely host series with very different car specifications, from Formula One down to the shorter-range Formula E cars, without compromising safety margins for any of them. Because the track is entirely temporary infrastructure erected in stadium parking lots rather than adapted public streets, its barriers, run-off areas, and layout can be purpose-built and reconfigured each year according to the demands of whichever series is racing, a flexibility not available at true street circuits.
Design History
Proposed in October 2019 for construction around Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, the project evaluated as many as 75 candidate circuit designs, with 36 fully simulated, before Formula One specialist firm Apex Circuit Design finalized the current layout. Miami Gardens commissioners initially opposed the project before reversing their position in April 2021; the circuit was formally named in September 2021 and opened in May 2022. Unlike genuine street circuits, it is built entirely on the stadium's private grounds and surrounding parking areas, assembled before each race weekend and dismantled afterward, giving it the character of a purpose-built track despite its temporary nature.
Records & Notable Races
Max Verstappen holds the Formula One race lap record at 1:29.708, set in 2023 driving a Red Bull RB19. The venue has expanded beyond Formula One to host Formula 2 races and Formula E Evo Sessions, with Oliver Rowland setting the Formula E MIA Loop record of 1:02.316 in 2026. Qualifying speeds around the circuit average roughly 139 mph, reflecting its mix of long straights and technical infield sections.
Fun Facts
The circuit's signature feature is an artificial marina section, built specifically for the race despite the venue being nowhere near open water, complete with docked yachts to evoke a resort atmosphere in the middle of a stadium parking lot. It draws around 65,000 spectators per race weekend. The entire facility is constructed and torn down annually around Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL's Miami Dolphins, meaning the circuit essentially does not exist for most of the year outside race week. Its five interchangeable layout configurations let organizers tailor the track's length and complexity to different racing series throughout the year.