F1 Faces Late-Hurdle as ‘Frustrated’ Residents File Lawsuit Against ‘Intolerable’ Miami GP

Over the years, Liberty Media have constantly had their eyes on the United States and its vivid audience. And of course, the build-up has been quite impressive, with F1 Drive to Survive offering the sport an explosive response which consequently led to worldwide recognition in an immensely short period of time.

The American audience, of all, was beginning to recognize F1 as one of their own, opening the gateway for Liberty Media to strike an insane deal with the Miami Grand Prix. One year since the mind-boggling announcement, the much-anticipated race is now less than a month away.

However, an event without controversy is never really entertaining, is it? The initial two race weekends had enough on-track incidents, with the latest Australian GP provoking a war of words between Christian Horner and George Russell.

Mar 30, 2022; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; An overall view of the grounds at the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

However, come Miami GP, F1 might experience a different level of controversy, thanks to the residents living nearby Hard Rock Stadium. Turns out, the Residents of Miami Gardens are not happy with the upcoming event and even went on to file a lawsuit against the commencement of the Miami GP.

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Residents looking to hinder F1 from holding Miami GP

According to Miami Herald, the residents are well aware of the soaring decibels that the new-age F1 cars could produce. Hence, citing potentially “intolerable” noise levels, the residents are now seeking ways to prevent the race from going ahead.

The lawsuit claimed that the race will “cause severe disruption and physical harm to Miami Gardens residents.” Furthermore, it also referenced an engineering firm to prove that the cars could generate up to 97 decibels, “similar to the sound levels produced by a chainsaw.”

As of now, the case is still hanging in the air, as the lawyers pointed out a loophole in the city’s noise ordinance. According to the law, the noise level should not “unreasonably disturb the peace and comfort of adjacent residences.” However, the law doesn’t specify what noise level meets that threshold.

Miami Gardens, FL, USA; An overall view of a portion of the circuit for the upcoming Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix running through the middle of the grounds at the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge, Alan Fine, admitted that it would be impossible for the court to jump to any conclusion before hearing from the city manager itself. “Numerous courts before me have resisted the temptation to jump into something that hasn’t been issued yet,” he said.

“Shouldn’t I wait to see if the city manager issues the special events permit?”

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For the time being, it would be unfair for the court to order Miami GP from going ahead. However, at the same time, the lack of clarity in the city’s ordinance is also preventing the judge from dismissing the case. So, how is the ongoing battle between Miami GP and Miami Gardens going to end?

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