Amidst Trolling Over $280 Lobster Rolls Price; Miami GP Boss Calls Criticism to Be out of Context

During the recently concluded Miami GP weekend, pictures of the food menu in the circuit along with its exorbitant prices were put up on social media by fans. This garnered a lot of criticism online for the organizers of the event, but in the wake of getting trolled for $280 Lobster Rolls, Tom Garfinkel, the Miami GP boss, has come out with a clarificatory statement.

Garfinkel explained (as quoted by Motorsport.com),

“Somebody sent out a tweet the other day that showed a lobster roll was $280 and they sent it out without comment. And the context that wasn’t included is that it was for a suite. It was a lobster roll, for probably 10 people, for $280.”

The menu that was making rounds on social media was for Hard Rock Bites. They listed their Maine Lobsters Rolls at $280, a Fruit Refresher at $190, and enjoying the F1 platter (sliders, chicken tenders, and ribeye quesadilla) would set one back $290.

For regular fans, these food items are overpriced but as revealed by Garfinkel, they were for the VIPs and celebrities who attended the Miami GP weekend.

For the likes of Tom Brady, Ed Sheeran, and Camila Cabello (among many others), a $400 caviar add-on wouldn’t seem as outrageous.

2024 Miami GP lives up to its lofty expectations

Miami is one of the most popular destinations among celebrities all over the world. Adding the spectacle of an F1 Grand Prix would have been the icing on top of the cake for the stars who happened to travel to Florida at the time.

In 2022 and 2023, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen showcased his dominance by winning both races in Miami. Last weekend, however, celebrities and fans would have left feeling they got their money’s worth.

In what was one of the most iconic moments in recent F1 history, McLaren’s Lando Norris won his maiden F1 race.

A testament to the success of the weekend was the viewership of the Miami GP which according to Reuters, averaged at 3.1 million. With a peak of 3.6 million concurrent viewers, the 2024 Miami GP was the biggest F1 race (in terms of eyeballs) in American history.