Miami Grand Prix president kicks off first race with yacht club debut

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (WINK)—Formula One's Miami Grand Prix returns to Hard Rock Stadium with a new five-story yacht club offering fans a bird's-eye view of the track.

Preparations are in full swing as Formula One takes over Miami once again. This year, fans will notice something new towering over the track.

"We are standing on the Embassy Yacht Club, which is a five-story hospitality product that we dreamt up about 11 months ago," said Katharina Nowak, president of the Formula One Miami Grand Prix. "We thought, you know, let's lean into Miami even bigger and change up our iconic Marina zone a bit."

From 55 feet in the air, fans will be able to see multiple turns in one location for the first time in Miami. South Florida's flat topography typically limits viewing angles at racing events.

"A lot of races around the world you can see multiple turns in one location because the topography is so different, and because South Florida is so flat, you don't really have that opportunity here," Nowak said. "And so we were like, if we just go build higher, we'll give fans an opportunity to see a lot more of the race track."

The new structure is part of a bigger push to elevate the experience as Formula One's popularity surges in the U.S. Two-thirds of the audience now comes from Florida.

Organizers attribute that growth to the evolution of the Miami Grand Prix. The event has positioned itself as an authentically Miami experience that the city has welcomed as a staple on its calendar.

With Nowak in place as the new president, expectations are only getting higher. She said the team is chasing a bold vision for the event's future.

"How do we turn this into the next Super Bowl, but globally?" Nowak said. "So that's what we're chasing."

The Miami Grand Prix takes place May 1 at Miami International Autodrome.