Miami Gardens and Formula 1: Race day divides as Black residents weigh impact

The Other Side of the Track: Miami Gardens’ Black Community Grapples with Formula 1’s Local Impact

A billion-dollar spectacle meets a historic Black neighborhood — and not everyone is cheering

When the Miami Grand Prix returns to the Hard Rock Stadium this weekend, the grandstands will be packed with celebrities, athletes, and high-profile executives, all basking in the buzz of Formula One’s splashiest U.S. stop. But just beyond the fences of the temporary circuit lies a very different reality — the neighborhood of Miami Gardens, home to over 110,000 people, the majority of whom are Black and working-class. And while the race puts South Florida on the global stage, many locals are still debating whether the spotlight is worth the disruption.

A tale of two Miamis

Miami Gardens is Florida’s largest majority-Black city, a place where many Black Miamians relocated after being priced out of other areas amid the city’s ongoing gentrification. The community has long been wary of large-scale developments — particularly those that arrive without full local support.

That wariness turned into open protest when F1 announced plans to run a race around Hard Rock Stadium starting in 2022. Residents cited noise, traffic, and environmental health concerns, drawing comparisons to how white neighborhoods rejected the event when it was first proposed in downtown Miami. After wealthier, whiter residents successfully blocked the proposal, race organizers shifted their attention to Miami Gardens.

“The decision doesn’t escape me that [the Miami GP] was proposed downtown and they said, ‘No, this will be too much disruption,’” said Timothy Kellison, an environmental policy researcher.

Lawsuits, protests — and silence

Opposition came swiftly. Residents filed lawsuits alleging environmental racism and racial discrimination. One lawsuit failed to prove measurable harm from the race’s noise levels; a judge dismissed the case, advising residents to wear earplugs or stay indoors. Critics say that decision missed the broader issue — the long-standing pattern of placing high-impact events in communities of color.

“We really believe it’s environmental racism,” said former Miami-Dade commissioner Betty Ferguson during the initial lawsuit.

Since then, formal protests have quieted. Facebook groups once active in mobilizing opposition have gone dormant. Several residents who still oppose the race say they no longer feel heard — and are hesitant to speak publicly.

Community benefits or compensation?

F1 and the event promoter, South Florida Motorsports, say they’ve worked to ensure the race gives back. A Community Benefits Agreement created in 2021 outlines efforts to include Miami Gardens in the economic upside:

$5 million in local funding

18,000 temporary jobs filled primarily by city residents

Free tickets for locals (1,500 annually)

STEM education programs and scholarships

Local restaurant partnerships

$17 million in infrastructure upgrades to ease traffic

Ongoing noise and air quality monitoring

The promoter claims that overall pollution levels during race weekend have remained within EPA and OSHA guidelines, and that improved transport access has even reduced emissions from local car traffic.

But is it enough?

Some residents, like long-time local Ray Reyno, appreciate the investment. “It’s not that loud,” he says. “I admire what they’re doing. Makes the place more alive.”

But others question the trade-offs. Scholars like Madeleine Orr, a sustainability expert working with Formula 1’s governing body, note that even well-intentioned projects raise ethical concerns.

“Even given what I know and who I work with, I will probably side with residents on this,” she said. “I don’t know that I would want it in my backyard.”

For Kellison, who studies the intersection of sports and urban policy, the situation highlights a broader American pattern.

“This is not just an isolated group of naysayers. If they’ve been raising concerns about stadium events for years — maybe they’re on to something.”

The road ahead

Formula One has no plans to move the race. The Miami GP continues to be a commercial success, drawing record-breaking TV audiences and pumping over $1 billion into the local economy since its debut. Officials have declared May 4 “Formula One Day.” Critics note the irony: some of those same officials once opposed the race entirely.

Meanwhile, Miami Gardens continues to evolve under the shadow of the stadium. While the sound of engines may fade by Sunday night, the questions about equity, environmental justice, and community inclusion won’t.

“Race tracks,” Kellison said, “aren’t meant to be in neighborhoods.”

Stay with The Horizons Times for on-the-ground coverage of F1 in Miami, community impact stories, and sustainability reporting from across the world of sport.