Miami Grand Prix exploring F1 night race switch

Miami Grand Prix organisers have begun discussions with F1 over the event becoming a night race.

The sport raced around the Miami Dolphins' Hard Rock Stadium for the first time last season before successfully returning across the weekend, with Max Verstappen leading home Sergio Perez in a Red Bull 1-2 in front of a sold-out crowd.

The race is the first of three United States-based events on the calendar in 2023 as F1 aims to capitalise on the booming Stateside market, with the Championship subject to a sharp upturn in popularity following the release of Netflix docuseries Drive to Survive.

Whilst the Circuit of the Americas has become an established leg of the sport's bustling calendar, the addition of the F1-promoted Las Vegas Grand Prix could steal the limelight with its Saturday night show along the famous Strip.

Speaking to select media, including RacingNews365.com, Miami GP Managing Partner Tom Garfinkel revealed: "We have had some discussions about that [becoming a night race].

"Obviously, this time of year the weather is a bit unpredictable. It was pretty nice this year, the breeze helps a lot. Last year was unseasonably hot but there are a lot of factors that go into that, with F1, television and everything else.

"So we have got to weigh up all of those things but we are certainly open-minded to it."

No decision on schedule change

The greatest obstacle to a night race for Miami would be the start time for the European audience, given Florida is five hours behind London – owing to a middle-of-Sunday-night start time which would have an adverse effect on viewing figures.

When asked by RacingNews365.com if a night race would facilitate a move to a Saturday night slot akin to the upcoming Las Vegas GP to avoid the scheduling issue, Garfinkel replied: "I don't know.

"We are not at a place where we are making a decision right now, we are having discussions about 'if we did it, what would it look like'."