Formula One: Miami Grand Prix is at risk of being cancelled as residents file last-ditch lawsuit

The inaugural Miami Grand Prix is in jeopardy after residents submitted a lawsuit against the race, according to reports. 

Formula One has long faced opposition from local homeowners to hosting the event at the Hard Rock Stadium but the Florida residents have made one last stand against the race. 

The Miami Grand Prix is scheduled to take place on May 6-8 which means lawmakers have just three weeks to make a decision. 

Miami Gardens residents filed a lawsuit which concluded that the noise produced by the event would ’cause severe disruption and physical harm to Miami Gardens residents.’

The lawsuit contained an estimate from an engineering firm which predicted that the race would produce ‘up to 97 decibels at homes within a 2.5-mile radius,’ which would be comparable to a chainsaw. 

The law states that noise levels should not ‘unreasonably disturb the peace and comfort of adjacent residences’ but does not provide specific measurements. 

Residents claimed that the noise levels would ’cause severe disruption and physical harm’

With three weeks left until the Grand Prix, judge Alan Fine was ‘frustrated’ at having to hear the case on such a tight schedule but would make a ruling on whether to dismiss the case as soon as Monday, according to the Miami Herald. 

Formula One are still awaiting city officials to issue special events permits to ensure the event can go ahead. 

The lawyers for both the Hard Rock Stadium and the city of Miami Gardens reportedly said steps to prevent the event going ahead should not be taken until a decision on issuing a special events permit is made.

The Hard Rock Stadium provides the backdrop to the event which is set to take place on May 8

‘Numerous courts before me have resisted the temptation to jump into something that hasn’t been issued yet,’ said Fine. ‘Shouldn’t I wait to see if the city manager issues the special events permit?’

‘We’re in this limbo state prior to the issuance of a special events permit,’ he added. ‘It’s a very uncomfortable place for a court to be.’ 

F1 chiefs have already been left scrambling to fill one gap in their schedule this season after cancelling the Russian Grand Prix in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine. 

The Russian Grand Prix was cancelled earlier this year following the invasion of Ukraine

Organisers in Miami had planned to open a temporary beach club featuring pools and luxury cabanas, according to The Mirror, but they are now at risk of being cancelled. 

The Grand Prix had been in the pipeline for a number of years following American conglomerate Liberty Media’s acquisition of the sport in 2017 and, after a series of setbacks, a ten-year deal was confirmed last year.

The round in Miami, if it goes ahead, will become the second F1 race to be staged in the United States, with Austin’s Circuit of the Americas a permanent fixture on the calendar since 2012. 

Las Vegas is set to become the third American host city on the F1 circuit next year, while races have previously been held in Indianapolis (2000-07) and Phoenix (1989-91).

MailOnline has approached motorsport’s governing body, the FIA, for comment on the residents’ lawsuit.