F1 Miami Grand Prix: SB Nation talks with Tyler Epp, President of the Miami GP

Think about, if you’ll, internet hosting a multi-day occasion that attracted tons of of 1000’s of sports activities followers from the world over, and included attendees from Ed Sheeran to, sure, a former President of the USA of America who’s in search of that workplace but once more.

You will have simply described the Formulation 1 Miami Grand Prix, and you’ve got simply imagined being Tyler Epp.

Epp is the President of the Miami Grand Prix, which launched in 2022 because the second Formulation 1 race in the USA on the yearly calendar, becoming a member of the USA Grand Prix in Austin. With the addition of the Las Vegas Grand Prix final season, the USA now has F1 races on the calendar annually, as the game continues to develop by leaps and bounds.

SB Nation talked solely with Epp concerning the Miami Grand Prix, what it takes to place collectively such an enormous occasion, how troublesome it’s to cater to such a diverse clientele, what the race promoters have deliberate for the longer term, and even some ideas on how the dramatic 2024 season will conclude.

The expansion of the Miami Grand Prix

Our dialog started with a dialogue of the Miami Grand Prix, and the way the occasion has grown over its three years of existence. There have been definitely some bumps alongside the best way, and Epp addressed what the race promoters have discovered over now three years of the F1 race in Miami.

“Look, massive success, 12 months three,” started Epp.

“You realize, we talked to the promoters on the market earlier than we entered this. It was all the time ‘Yr One, the battle. Yr two, you’ll get higher. In 12 months three, you’ll lastly hit your stride.’ I feel to an extent we felt that manner. I feel we felt that we mounted lots of the challenges the primary two years and actually began to lean into the worth proposition for our followers.”

Epp then outlined how an occasion just like the Miami Grand Prix has a wide range of stakeholders, from the followers to the groups, and to the drivers themselves.

“We give it some thought very a lot as there’s six key stakeholders to us. It’s the FIA, it’s Formulation One, it’s the drivers, it’s the media, it’s our followers, and it’s our companions, and making an attempt to ensure that we ship the outcomes for every of them is admittedly paramount to what we do right here,” continued Epp. “And I feel we we took one other constructive step because it pertains to success for these six teams.”

I then requested Epp about what he and the race promoters have discovered over three years of the Miami Grand Prix. He centered on how vital communication is when pulling off an occasion like this one, amongst all of the concerned events, from the groups, the game, and to the followers themselves.

“I feel, primary, it’s ensuring that we proceed to speak and align with the trade, like together with Formulation One, the groups, the drivers, the completely different entities that actually make every considered one of these Grand Prix pull collectively.

“And I feel you may solely try this by going by way of it.

“This isn’t one thing that I may have learn in a guide, like that is one thing you simply need to work by way of and construct these relationships. So I feel that’s primary.”

Epp then outlined how maybe the most important lesson they’ve discovered these previous few years is that the most important star of the Miami Grand Prix may not be any of the drivers, the groups, or the celebrities that descend on Onerous Rock Stadium every Could.

It could be Miami itself.

“I feel quantity two, I feel we’ve discovered how vital Miami is to our model,” described Epp. “Steve [Ross] and Tom [Garfinkle] have been manner forward of this by way of speaking about this from the very starting. However Miami is a core a part of what we promised with an expertise, proper? The tradition, the artwork, the leisure, the meals and beverage, and you then sprinkle on world-class racing on prime of it. And that’s sort of the magic that leads the Miami Grand Prix.”

Getting buy-in from the drivers, and the neighborhood

Picture by Clive Mason/Getty Photographs

For an occasion just like the Miami Grand Prix to succeed, and thrive, buy-in from concerned events is vital.

Getting that buy-in for a Formulation 1 race can imply giving the drivers what they need — a difficult however honest race observe — but in addition ensuring the members of the neighborhood, whose lives are upended for a while every Could, should buy in as properly.

Our dialogue began with the drivers. Since its debut again in 2022, the racing circuit — and floor — in Miami has undergone some modifications. That has seen the race remodel into an occasion and circuit, the drivers have come to like.

“Yeah, it’s drivers, groups, it’s FIA, it’s Formulation 1. Once more, it’s all these completely different teams, [but] drivers for positive are gonna be probably the most vocal, proper? They’ve the biggest platforms,” started Epp.

“We all the time joke about this, proper? Each driver who runs within the prime three likes the observe lots. The blokes who’ve a difficulty or end within the backside, or the again of the pack have an issue.

“So we strive, to not be too reactionary based mostly on what occurs.

“However look what I might let you know is that we’re actually happy with the work that our staff has carried out to place collectively a world-class racing facility centered on the racing circuit itself,” continued Epp. “We’ve acquired an amazing partnership with people at Tilke, and the FIA has been an amazing associate by way of not solely observe design however holding us protected, and holding our drivers protected.

“I feel that the racetrack presents a extremely differing expertise for the people who find themselves on it. We’ve acquired lengthy flowy turns, acquired an extended straight, we’ve acquired some actually tight hairpin corners.

“And once more, the mixture, we have been painstakingly detailed on by way of the repave in Yr Two to ensure that the mixture, the polymer, and the binder, and it was the correct mix for this surroundings to not solely be actually nice for years, two and three, however on into years 4, 5, ten, 15 and 20.”

I then requested Epp about partnering with the neighborhood. On the morning of final Could’s Miami Grand Prix, I used to be in a position to spend a while with Tom Garfinkel, the CEO of the Miami Dolphins and the Managing Associate of the Miami Grand Prix, for a roundtable with choose media. That morning he talked about among the applications race promoters have applied in the neighborhood.

Epp went into some additional element, beginning with the first want: Authenticity.

“Nicely, after we do it, it needs to be genuine, proper?

“And so I feel Tom stated it properly. I feel the programming that we’ve constructed now with the native faculties and the scholars who’re engaged in our programming, we’ve acquired nice native companions who’ve actually taken this and run with it,” described Epp. “The chance to combine not solely with F1 in faculties, but in addition taking our personal programming into the colleges and exhibiting that the individuals on this neighborhood, and most significantly, doubtlessly youngsters on this neighborhood, what racing is, and it’s actually not simply in regards to the individuals sitting within the cockpit.”

A part of what the Miami Grand Prix is doing in the neighborhood is exposing college students to alternatives and careers outdoors of the automobile itself.

“It’s additionally in regards to the engineers and the mechanics. It’s additionally in regards to the PR groups. It’s additionally in regards to the advertising and marketing groups and the individuals who promote the tickets and the individuals who function concessions, and making an attempt to indicate that the Grand Prix is not only in regards to the guys within the automobiles,” continued Epp. “It’s additionally about a complete expertise.

Epp then talked to me in regards to the MIA Academy, an 18-week paid internship program with the Miami Grand Prix that mixes work within the classroom, with work on the race itself. Alternatives run the gamut from hospitality, to meals and beverage service, by way of human sources, and all the things in between.

“I feel one factor we’re actually happy with is we’re now getting into our fourth 12 months of what we name MIA Academy. And that is we’re taking younger individuals from this neighborhood, from the native universities and faculties, and actually giving them a possibility to have a task inside our Grand Pix,” stated Epp. “They begin this system in January, February yearly. They work with us all by way of the semester and work the race with us.

“I’ll let you know, Mark, by the point we get to the race, these individuals have actual roles that we’re relying on.

“Within the myriad of like internships and the worth proposition amongst them, I feel the best way that we offer curriculum for them to study in regards to the enterprise, the power to use that curriculum to real-life experiences, after which community with individuals throughout the trade, I’m actually happy with the staff and the way we completed that,” added Epp.

As well as, the alternatives lengthen past simply that preliminary internship. The Miami Grand Prix has employed members for full-time roles due to their expertise by way of the MIA Academy.

“The final level of that’s we’re hiring these individuals,” continued Epp. “We’ve got now over a half a dozen individuals from the primary two or three years that at the moment are employed as a part of our full-time workers as a result of they excelled within the internship program. So it feeds proper straight again to what you’re speaking about. Not simply neighborhood buy-in from a public relations perspective, however actually actually neighborhood buy-in impacting individuals’s lives and giving them a future round motorsport.”

What it takes to tug off a Formulation 1 race

This 12 months’s Miami Grand Prix was my first F1 race expertise.

To say it was overwhelming was an understatement.

However my expertise was only a fraction of your entire puzzle that race promoters need to assemble every Could, and I used to be only one small section of the numerous segments that Epp described race promoters need to attraction to when placing the Miami Grand Prix collectively.

Our dialogue turned to these varied segments, and the way the Miami Grand Prix seems to be to fulfill the wants of every.

“I feel we’ve, you already know, over 34 various kinds of merchandise right here and so they vary in every single place from an costly high-end paddock membership ticket to a a each day campus move, proper? {That a} household of 4 can come and be a part of us,” started Epp. “And I feel it’s a part of the, the magic of this proper, is that we’ve the chance to take all people from all walks of life who’re centered across the expertise, proper?

“And for some individuals that have actually focuses round race automobiles, proper? It focuses on their favourite driver, their favourite staff. For some individuals, it focuses in no way on the racing, it focuses on, ensuring that the appropriate group is catering the area at their occasion, and ensuring that there’s the appropriate issues to ‘gram a second.’ And there’s some individuals which are coming as a result of they need to see Ed Sheeran or they heard Jelly Roll was coming or whoever it could be.”

That’s when Epp dove into the thought of fan segmentation, one thing the Miami Grand Prix will probably be leaning into much more within the coming years.

“However these varieties of the best way we section the fan base, we’ve taken straight from the work we do with the Miami Dolphins, and the best way that they function their enterprise and the best way they section the fan expertise. We’re simply taking it just a little bit extra broader and just a little bit wider because it pertains to the motorsports enterprise,” described Epp. “However large credit score to Tom [Garfinkle] and Steve [Ross] for permitting us to construct off of the work that they’ve carried out on that buyer segmentation with the Dolphins for now over a decade.”

In fact, with a lot segmentation, there is a chance for some, let’s simply say confusion. Throughout final 12 months’s race, Darren Rovell shared a photograph of among the concession costs which touched off a fury on social media over what followers confronted on the race.

That photograph didn’t define how the objects have been being offered for teams of 12 individuals, however social media did what social media does.

I requested Epp about concession costs on the Miami Grand Prix, and the way that too is one other facet of the issue in placing on an occasion with such a various clientele.

“Yeah, if individuals simply need to get a sizzling canine and you already know, a beer. That’s one factor. If individuals need a sizzling canine with lobster on it, they will get that too. It’s again to the segmentation you simply requested about. Like, so there’s a, there’s completely a technique to have a really reasonably priced expertise right here with high-value proposition that features generally priced concessions,” stated Epp. “There’s additionally the power to have a really luxurious expertise that has very excessive and never even concessions however meals and beverage providers that you may even upsell into, you already know, high-end bottles of wine and alcohol as it could be.

“So, for us, it’s once more, ensuring we perceive what the client needs.

“We now give it some thought just a little bit extra in another way after Darren’s tweet, proper? That how we put issues out on menu boards does matter,” continued Epp. “And ensuring that we all know if it’s a worth for 12, it’s very clear that it’s a worth for 12.”

The distinctiveness of the Miami Grand Prix

To maybe paraphrase George Orwell’s Animal Farm, all F1 races are distinctive, however some races are extra distinctive than others.

With its setting in and round Onerous Rock Stadium, the Miami Grand Prix is definitely distinctive, and the race promoters have leaned into that facet of the occasion in methods they envisioned, and methods they didn’t count on.

One such facet of the race is the paddock, which is assembled on the sector at Onerous Rock Stadium:

Mark Schofield

As somebody who grew up watching Dan Marino play, it was one thing wonderful to stroll out onto the sector and see his identify, and others, within the Dolphins’ Ring of HonorBut the setup of the paddock in Miami additionally presents followers in attendance an opportunity to look “behind the scenes” at F1, as they will congregate within the higher degree of the stadium and have a view into the paddock. One factor I discovered when down in Miami is that if you hear the followers roar contained in the stadium, you may need to go searching to see who has arrived.

I requested Epp about that facet of the race, and if it was one thing they envisioned when designing the format of the Miami Grand Prix.

“So [Formula 1 CEO] Stefano Domenico will get lots of credit score for the idea of the paddock within the stadium. From day one he and Tom actually wished to showcase the stadium as a part of the expertise.

“Now, one of many actual challenges of Formulation 1 basically, particularly because it grows in the USA is entry, proper? Followers as we’ve gotten to know them definitely by way of our lens right here in Miami, like they like entry, proper?

It’s virtually like this, that is the place the sausage is made,” stated Epp.

“Don’t simply have a look at the gorgeous race automobiles after which get out on the race circuit.”

“Stefan and Tom actually drove this as being in-built Yr Two, saying, ‘let’s use the stadium as the best way to showcase the sort of inside workings of the Formulation 1 sample.’ And in order that’s the, that’s, that’s what drove the idea.”

One other distinctive function of the Miami Grand Prix is one other offshoot of internet hosting the race round an NFL stadium. Every nook of Onerous Rock Stadium has a “helix,” a round ramp that permits followers to succeed in the higher deck after coming by way of the gates.

These helixes provide among the finest views of the race and may be accessed by ticket holders. For instance, right here is the view from the “northwest helix,” which is the place I ended up tenting out for the majority of the Miami Grand Prix itself. You see the tight Flip 17, which comes on the finish of the lengthy straight, after which Turns 18 and 19 earlier than drivers attain the beginning/end line.

Readers on Apple Information can click on this hyperlink to see the embedded submit from Threads.

Epp pointed to these helixes, together with the stadium itself and the views of the paddock, as one other distinctive function of the Miami Grand Prix.

“Now, I feel we began it by saying this might simply be a extremely cool technique to showcase the stadium mixed with Formulation 1,” stated Epp. “However we in a short time leaned into the truth that our campus move viewing is most advantageous, the upper you get into the quadrants of the stadium and the helixes give us the most effective viewing level simply externally, not internally, proper?

“So unexpectedly you discover your most valued tickets have the power to not solely have the most effective views from the helix, however additionally they have the power to stroll throughout the breezeway and right into a view of the Formulation One paddock.”

Epp views this function as maybe probably the most “rewarding” of your entire setup in Miami.

“I can let you know strolling by way of the paddock on Saturday morning earlier than the dash race was beginning and also you see teams of followers who’re waving flags as a result of their drivers are strolling throughout, I can’t let you know how rewarding it’s,” stated Epp. “It’s not essentially something that was deliberate, however we definitely hoped that we might discover that sort of engagement and provides individuals who possibly don’t have the chance, have to stroll by way of the Formulation 1 paddock, an precise view of what’s occurring inside.”

Nevertheless, regardless of a few of these nice views, there’s not less than one one that doesn’t get to take pleasure in them through the races.

Epp himself.

Of the numerous questions that readers on Threads submitted, one centered on simply how a lot of the race he will get to see.

Apparently, little or no, if in any respect.

“Oh, man. Nearly none,” stated Epp once I requested this query.

“About ten laps earlier than the tip of the race final 12 months, I went to seize my nine-year-old son as a result of I used to be gonna take him over so he may check out the rostrum, proper? So I grabbed him and I stated ‘[H]ey, Trey, it’s time to go. You gotta go proper now. Like we’ve to go proper now.’

“He’s a giant Max Verstappen fan and he stated, ‘[n]o, no dad, Max is gonna lose.’ And so we’re strolling throughout and making an attempt to catch views of TV as we go by and positive sufficient, Lando [Norris] has this unbelievable efficiency with McLaren.

“My level is I noticed nothing, like I see no laps of the race. The very best-rated dash race in America in historical past” continued Epp. “I noticed zero laps of it. However that’s okay. I get to journey the world. I get to see races everywhere in the world. I might a lot favor that our followers have an exquisite expertise whereas they’re right here watching the race, than permitting me to catch a pair laps.”

The 2024 F1 season, and why it is best to go to the 2025 Miami Grand Prix

Picture by Eva Marie Uzcategui/Anadolu through Getty Photographs

Because the dialog wound down, I did need to get Epp’s ideas on the 2024 F1 season. Our dialog occurred simply earlier than the Singapore Grand Prix, which noticed Norris take his third victory of the season, and helped McLaren lengthen their lead within the Constructors’ Championship over Purple Bull.

So I requested, will McLaren maintain on? Will Norris maybe catch Verstappen, giving Epp’s son some extra heartache?

Epp turned his consideration to what this season means for the game on a much bigger scale.

“Nicely, my son won’t ever be completely happy except Max wins. He’s accustomed to Max all the time profitable, so he’s already upset,” joked Epp, earlier than turning critical.

“Right here’s what I might let you know about it. I feel that the competitors that we’re seeing is precisely the chance for the game to take the following step and proceed to develop, particularly in the USA,” continued Epp. “When you may flip on the display early on Sunday morning and never know who’s going to win, and qualifying takes on a complete completely different worth proposition? F1 and the FIA get a ton of credit score for the way they constructed this collection this 12 months. The groups get a ton of credit score, the most effective drivers on the earth, all competing at a really excessive degree.

“Traditionally, you will have an amazing staff and their teammates compete.

[This year] we’ve two, three, generally 4 groups, seven, eight, 9 drivers competing for the rostrum,” stated Epp. “It’s completely unbelievable racing.

“I’m not a lot of a prognosticator. We’re all the time supportive of competitors. Max has acquired a giant lead on the driving force’s facet, however I feel it’ll be actually fascinating to see, particularly because the collection comes again to North America.”

That speaks to the remainder of the 2024 season, however Epp and everybody else on the Miami Grand Prix have already got their sights on 2025. They’ve began rolling out tickets, in addition to some massive plans, for the fourth Miami Grand Prix. That features a specialised McLaren Grandstand, to honor Norris’ maiden victory, in addition to some modifications to the circuit that may permit for various layouts, enabling the venue to host racing collection past Formulation 1.

The plans for 2025 get again to the “segmentation” mannequin Epp and I mentioned earlier in our dialog.

“It’s actually centered on evolution, not revolution,” stated Epp once I requested about their plans for 2025. “So large sweeping modifications are hopefully not what you’re going to see heading into Yr 4. That’s definitely not the plan. However I’ll say concerning McLaren, Lando [Norris] profitable the race, two days after the race, I used to be forwards and backwards with [McLaren CEO] Zak [Brown] through WhatsApp speaking about how we will work collectively for the 12 months, proper? You solely get one likelihood to do it your first time.

“And so, and Zak’s been unbelievable. McLaren’s been an exquisite associate for us. Placing that, that McLaren Grandstand program collectively out of the Marina Grandstand the place you’re permitting McLaren followers to come back and sit collectively and root for your entire staff to be clear, not simply Lando,” continued Epp. “And in addition having a merchandising alternative by way of McLaren, like that’s been within the works now courting again to love, I suppose the third week of Could. And Zak was an enormous assist and his staff has been great about pushing it by way of.

“So, I feel it’s consultant of how we’re attacking or how we’re making an attempt to plan out how we work by way of the segmentation mannequin, proper? So individuals prefer to be round individuals who like the identical issues that they love to do,” described Epp. “And so placing the McLaren followers collectively, and so placing Ferrari followers collectively and Mercedes followers collectively, these are issues we’re speaking about continually, whether or not it’s manufacturers, whether or not it’s producers, whether or not it’s driver golf equipment. We’ve acquired integration going into all of these completely different areas, and we’ll continually be engaged on placing these applications collectively.”

One other change to the ticketing construction for subsequent season? A rotating ticket mannequin. Epp acknowledged that one other line of criticism levied on the Miami Grand Prix expertise was the truth that followers sat in the identical seat every day. They altered that for Grandstand tickets in 2024, and are increasing that to membership and luxurious tickets for 2025.

“So one of many criticisms that we’ve seen through the years is, you pay no matter you pay for a three-day ticket, however you sit in the identical seat for all three days, proper? So this 12 months we constructed a Grandstand product that rotated the ticket day after day to day,” outlined Epp. “We’re extending that this 12 months to our membership tickets and in addition to our luxurious tickets. I feel we’ve seen actually good suggestions on that simply because it differentiates the expertise. Particularly if you go to a Formulation 1 occasion the place you usually sit on a nook, or generally a straight, being able to go see the automobiles within the motion from a special vantage level on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, we really feel there’s an actual benefit and an actual worth proposition to our clients.”

Nonetheless not satisfied {that a} journey to the Miami Grand Prix is for you?

Epp closed our dialog together with his elevator pitch to these followers who could be on the fence about subsequent 12 months’s race.

“So I pitched my 25-year-old self who spent, you already know, most of his early profession out and in of North American Motorsport,” started Epp. “And I might let you know that the rationale to come back to Miami is since you get a staff of individuals right here who’re centered on you, your expertise, and bringing the artwork, the tradition, and the experiential nature of Miami to you surrounded by the most effective motor racing on the earth.”