Veteran F1 photographer Kym Illman revealed how the Miami Police Department charged F1 a small fee for escorting the drivers to the race track from their respective hotels. Illman revealed that the drivers needed police escorts to ensure that they faced no hindrance on the way to the Miami International Autodrome.
Speaking on his official YouTube channel, Illman said, “Their drives were typically unhindered because they had police escorts“.
He then revealed that the Miami Police Department charged F1 a small fee of $75 for every officer who aided the drivers to the circuit ahead of the Grand Prix.
Illman revealed that the police made the lives of drivers easy as they helped them escape the traffic en route to the track. These escorts aren’t particularly new, however, as F1 drivers also used their services last year.
Max Verstappen, being one of the fan favorites last year as well, had police escort him to the Miami International Autodrome in 2023 to avoid fans crowding him. However, unlike last year, Verstappen failed to win the Miami Grand Prix in 2024.
Instead, to the delight of the American audience and the rest of the F1 community, it was Lando Norris who grabbed his maiden F1 victory.
Lando Norris’ win helps 2024 Miami GP register record US viewership
The 2024 Miami GP drew in an average of 3.1 million viewers, with a record 3.6 million tuning in concurrently at one given point. This viewership figure is the best for F1 in America, ever.
The previous record was registered by the 2022 Miami GP. Back then, ESPN reported that the race recorded an average viewership of 2.6 million, which is 500,000 less than the 2024 Miami GP.
Miami attracted the largest live US television audience on record for F1, with an average of 3.1 million tuning in on ABC.
Previous record was 2.6m from Miami 2022: https://t.co/z29bpCthNq #F1
— Chris Medland (@ChrisMedlandF1) May 7, 2024
Lando Norris’ race winning stint likely made the difference this year. The McLaren driver drove a flawless race and brought his long wait for an F1 win to an end by beating reigning Champion Max Verstappen to the chequered flag.
In 2023, viewership in America took a dip, likely because of Verstappen’s continued dominance. With the Dutchman winning the majority of the races since the start of the 2022 season, many experts came up with the theory that his relentless domination made the sport boring for fans.
Thankfully for the spectators who did feel so, there are signs that this is changing.
