F1 to court US market with pre-Miami GP summit featuring Hamilton

Formula 1’s latest effort to raise its profile in the United States will take place in the build-up to next week’s Miami Grand Prix.

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The F1 Accelerate Summit event will take place on Thursday ahead of the first of three American rounds on the calendar this year.

The event is described as an opportunity for “trailblazers from the worlds of sports, entertainment and business to discuss how they can make a significant impact on the future of technology, performance, diversity and sustainability, not only in their own business but across industries and culture.” Among the F1 personalities taking part are seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton, CEO Stefano Domenicali and McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown.

Following an introduction by Domenicali and Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei, the six-hour event will begin with a session described as “a fireside chat with Sir Lewis Hamilton” on the theme of “the catalyst for change”. Hamilton, who is currently producing an F1 film featuring Brad Pitt, often speaks passionately and publicly about his interests outside of his motorsport career, including promoting diversity and inclusion.

Later in the day Brown will appear alongside Domenicali, Maffei, F1 Academy managing director Susie Wolff and Miami Grand Prix managing partner Tom Garfinkel, who is also CEO of the Hard Rock Stadium where next week’s race will take place. This session “invites the leaders of the sport to lift the curtain for an exclusive look at what is next for F1.”

A key draw of the event is likely to be the appearance of producer and director duo Jerry Bruckheimer and Joseph Kosinski who are working on Hamilton’s F1 film. The pair will share “an exclusive look” at the project, filming for which is due to begin soon.

Underlining the event’s focus on entertainment, one session will discuss “the markets that athletes and professional sports leagues unlock when they play the Hollywood game.” This will be debated by Manish Pandey – the creative force behind the 2010 movie Senna and recent documentary on former F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone, Lucky! – along with representatives from US F1 broadcaster ESPN and Drive to Survive broadcaster Netflix.

Among the other speakers at the event are former F1 driver David Coulthard, presenting a session on how F1 exploits live data in its coverage. Another session focused on inclusion brings together Wolff, grand slam-winning tennis player Maria Sharapova, a representative of Monarch Collective – a firm that invests in women’s sports – and the CEO of the Hello Sunshine production company.

The F1 Accelerate Summit is being held in conjunction with The Wall Street Journal and will take place at the Rubell Museum, south of the Miami International Autodrome near the city’s downtown district.

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12 comments on “F1 to court US market with pre-Miami GP summit featuring Hamilton”

Alan Dove
27th April 2023, 8:00

Really have to appreciate F1’s Diversity strategy which seems to be.

1. Introduce budget cap reducing available number of jobs within the F1 industry
2. Pull enormous barriers to entry for new teams who would…. employ a ton of people.

Top work.

Matt
27th April 2023, 8:02

What is american culture centered around?

SadF1fan
27th April 2023, 8:06
Polarisation.
some racing fan
27th April 2023, 8:59
Money. That’s it.
Nulla Pax (@nullapax)
27th April 2023, 20:15
Ignorance.

some racing fan
27th April 2023, 9:05

I would not be surprised if this race courts the same controversy as it caused last year. The race is held in an oppressive time of year, which causes all sorts of problems- the circuit layout needs some changes and on top of all that, all those things leave a bad impression of what is otherwise a simply fabulous place.

I’ve spoken to people who went to this race, who felt the weather last year was just too hot and the event was just too expensive.

The first thing Liberty needs to do is move this race to February or early March as the first race of the year. It’s current date is only going to harm F1’s image in the US and Miami’s image internationally. Domenicali cannot organise a schedule to save his life- he needs to go.

Nick T.
27th April 2023, 16:43
Florida, for me anyway, is truly a nightmare. I don’t get how anyone not born and bred in a climate with 100% humidity and scorching heat could enjoy that place. And besides the awful weather, Florida is primarily compromised of swamps, trailer parks, strip malls and a few wealthy enclaves with no charm.
1. some racing fan
  28th April 2023, 1:36
  I don’t get how anyone not born and bred in a climate with 100% humidity and scorching heat could enjoy that place.
  That’s why people largely go there in the winter, specifically from mid-November to mid-April, when the weather isn’t scorchingly hot and crushingly humid. Florida in winter is milder, less humid and less rainy. Inland Florida in July and August is nigh on unbearable. That’s why Miami needs to be the opener, held in that specific timeframe. That is when the weather in Miami isn’t too hot and humid.
  And besides the awful weather, Florida is primarily compromised of swamps, trailer parks, strip malls and a few wealthy enclaves with no charm.
  Well, yeah, just about everywhere in Florida that isn’t Miami, Tampa or on the Atlantic coast. Miami is completely different from the rest of Florida- it feels more like an extension of the Caribbean and South America.