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How best-ever Miami GP defied fears over a Vegas F1 hangover

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How best-ever Miami GP defied fears over a Vegas F1 hangover


Just over five months on from a frantic – but highly successful – inaugural Vegas street race, a third Miami GP might have felt a little old hat for America’s recently acquired passion for F1. Had Miami been trumped?

But fears that Sin City had stolen all the limelight were allayed by a sell-out 275,000 Miami GP weekend crowd and a plethora of global celebrities, musicians and sports stars and even a former US President (and future candidate).

When asked by an American journalist if he thought Miami’s race had been diminished by the arrival of Vegas, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton replied: “Diminished? No, I think the sport’s got bigger here.

“It’s got a lot more awareness. Every city that I go to, people are excited. It’s now a sport here in the States. Before, it was just an event that arrived once a year. Now, we’re kind of a part of the culture here, which is really, really cool.

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“It’s been amazing, and I think all of us are super grateful for the US finally embracing this sport and having the love and passion for it that we all have grown up with.”

Hard Rock Stadium president and CEO Tom Garfinkel, who is the managing partner of the Formula 1 event and the boss of the Miami Dolphins NFL team, explained to selected media including Autosport that he felt his event is proving out F1’s continued growth in the States.

“We are sold out; we’re over 275,000 tickets, he confirmed. “The grandstands, suites and hospitality mostly sold out last week.

“We sort of plan things to sell out right before the race, that’s how we like to do it. And we had some last-minute campus pass sales just over the last few days, but most of the tickets were already sold.

Tom Garfinkel meets Michael Andretti in the paddock

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Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

“We’re still kind of trying to limit capacity a bit to make sure we can deliver the experience. I think if we put 125,000 people a day in here, traffic would get worse, concessions and bathroom [queues] and everything would get worse.

“We anticipate growing the attendance in the future, but right now we’re trying to just keep delivering this great experience hopefully and grow it slowly.”

As well as a packed house, celebs like Ed Sheeran, Kendall Jenner, Luis Suarez, Danny Ramirez, Tom Brady, Alexandra Daddario, Camilla Cabello and Patrick Mahomes strolled the paddock.

There was clearly no reduction in star names wanting to be seen here, and it seems that fan interest continues to be boosted by having celebrity attendees on site.

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“I think the people that didn’t come in year one had FOMO [fear of missing out] and wanted to come in year two,” said Garfinkel of the event’s celebrity pulling power. “And then the people that maybe missed the first two years wanted to come this year.

“I got so much good feedback from some of those folks. One very, very famous athlete told me it was his favourite event he’d ever attended because he could be with his friends, he got in and out easily. He wasn’t being bothered for pictures and selfies and stuff. Then he ran into other friends of his that he didn’t expect to see.

“He was like, ‘this is the best event I’ve ever attended and I wanna come every year’. So, from that standpoint, I’m not surprised they’re coming back and that more people are coming that haven’t been here before.”

For RB’s sprint race hero Daniel Ricciardo, whose popularity in the US exploded thanks to Netflix’s Drive To Survive, he believes that the spectacle only continues to increase.

Daniel Ricciardo, AlphaTauri VCARB01

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Photo by: Erik Junius

“I love when you mix sports and the States, I think it’s always a lot of fun,” he said. “I’m enjoying having three races here.

“I didn’t compete here last year, but I was here at the event. It felt like it was much kind of I’d say better, let’s say grander than year one, which is expected.

“It’s like a whole week of things now. And I feel that you know, our weeks have built out now not to the extent of a Super Bowl week but it’s getting there with events and people are interested.

“There’s kind of high from a Wednesday onwards, it’s not just the Sunday that they’re excited for the race. We had a really good crowd, a lot of young people, and I feel like a lot of a new audience coming in so it’s good to grow the sport for sure.”

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In his role, which is second only to the Miami Dolphins billionaire owner Stephen Ross, Garfinkel gets the peruse the entire campus and is all about the details, listening to feedback and fine-tuning the experience for his patrons.

Of course, he spends most of his time in the exclusive suites and that gives him insight into what’s making them the hottest ticket in town.

“I think Miami attracts so many people because it’s culturally relevant,” he said. “When you combine Miami with what Formula 1 is, I think that combination creates a lot of great things.

“We have an area called the Palm Club, and just looking around who was in that room and then going to Carbone Beach [an exclusive off-site supper club that attracted Taylor Swift’s NFL boyfriend Travis Kelce, LeBron James and Ivanka Trump] and seeing who was in that…

“I was with people, you know, they are some of the wealthiest people in the world. There are CEOs of some of the biggest companies in the world. There are NFL players, NBA stars, music stars and they’re all converging and hanging out, spending time together and we’re all kind of looking at each other.

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“I was with one CEO of a huge bank and he’s like, ‘I can’t believe this room’ – and he’s been in a lot of rooms, you know what I mean?! So, it’s really amazing to see people of different ages, backgrounds, skin colour, all kinds.

Camila Cabello, singer

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

“You’ve got hip-hop stars hanging out with CEOs of banks, hanging out with some billionaire, hanging out with an actress. You’re just standing there like ‘this is bizarre’ – but that’s a lot of fun.”

Garfinkel doesn’t see a risk of dilution with having three events in the US, and points to his group’s close ties with Vegas in particular, as they are both effectively partnered with F1 owners Liberty, rather than Austin’s ‘legacy’ United States GP event.

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“I think Miami, Austin and Las Vegas are all three very different cities with three very different cultures,” he added. “And we’re trying to be uniquely Miami here, and Vegas does what Vegas does and Austin does what Austin does.

“I think those differences are all positive because it means that fans can choose which one they enjoy the most. Or choose to go to all three and have different experiences at all three.

“We’re just being Miami, and trying to do things a little differently, do some things that are fun across the spectrum from people that are spending $150 a day for a campus pass to people that might spend $15,000 a day for really high-end luxury experience.

“We’d love for this event to become like the Super Bowl or Wimbledon or the Masters or something where it’s an event you need to attend and you need to go to.

“And I think it’s got the potential to become that.”

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Ranking the Miami Heat’s Top Trade Targets

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Ranking the Miami Heat’s Top Trade Targets


The Miami Heat are heading into another crucial offseason, and they MUST make changes. This team has been mediocre for the past few seasons and has been stuck in the Play-in Tournament. The Heat can’t currently compete with the way the roster is constructed. They need to trade for a star who can lead this team, and if a star becomes available, Miami will be involved. The real question is which direction actually makes the most sense. 

The Heat could go after three potential targets this summer: Giannis Antetokounmpo,  Kawhi Leonard, and Donovan Mitchell. Who should Miami target? Let’s stack rank them based on fit, risk, and potential. 

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo: The Only Move That Changes Everything

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Apr 10, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo enjoys a moment during warmups prior to the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The Miami Heat need to go all-in for Giannis. This is a trade that would completely reshape the franchise. Giannnis could potentially turn the Heat into a contender overnight. Even with his recent injury cutting his season short, nothing about his overall impact has changed. He still bends defenses in a way very few players can. Teams build entire game plans around simply trying to slow him down, and most of the time, it doesn’t work.

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The Miami Heat have desperately needed a true superstar who can take over games late in crunch time. The Heat have been relying on undrafted players and role players to create and execute their offense. Giannis flips that instantly by creating advantages on his own, possession after possession.

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I think the most interesting part will be pairing Giannis with Bam Adebayo. They would automatically become the best defensive frontcourt duo in the NBA. Giannis and Bam could both guard 1-5, and their switchability and rim protection would be elite. Offensively, Bam’s versatility allows Giannis to stay aggressive without needing to adjust his game too much.

The risk is obvious. Injuries have started to creep into the conversation, and committing everything to one player always carries weight. Still, Miami has never been a franchise that plays it safe. If Giannis is available, the conversation starts and ends there.

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2. Donovan Mitchell: The Cleanest Basketball Fit

Apr 20, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) reacts after a made basket during the second half during game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Toronto Raptors at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images | David Dermer-Imagn Images

If Giannis is the bold swing, Mitchell is the move that makes the most basketball sense from top to bottom. At this stage of his career, Donovan Mitchell knows exactly who he is as a player. He can control tempo, create offense in isolation, and take over stretches of games when things stall out and that is something Miami has struggled with consistently.

This is less about transforming the roster and more about fixing a specific problem. The Heat have lacked a reliable perimeter engine. Mitchell fills that gap immediately. What makes him especially appealing is how easily he fits into different lineups. He doesn’t need the ball every possession to be effective, but he can handle that role when needed. That flexibility matters on a team that values structure as much as Miami does.

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There’s also a timeline advantage here. Mitchell is younger than the other options and doesn’t come with the same long-term durability concerns. He gives Miami a clearer runway to build around, rather than a shorter window that demands immediate results. He may not bring the same overwhelming presence as Giannis, but he raises the overall level of the team in a way that feels sustainable.

3. Kawhi Leonard:  Elite Talent With Too Many Variables

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Apr 15, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski (2) is fouled by Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) in the second half during the play-in rounds of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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When Kawhi Leonard is available and healthy, he’s still one of the most controlled and efficient players in the league. His season with the Los Angeles Clippers was a reminder of that. Playing 65 games was a big step, and when he was on the floor, he looked like himself, methodical, physical, and impossible to speed up. From a pure basketball standpoint, he fits Miami’s identity. He defends, doesn’t force offense, and thrives in structured environments.

The hesitation comes from everything outside of that. Kawhi’s availability has been unpredictable for years, and even in seasons where he plays a high number of games, there’s always uncertainty about how things will hold up deep into a playoff run. Age adds another layer. Miami wouldn’t just be trading for a player; they’d be betting on a timeline that may already be shrinking. There’s no denying the upside. A healthy Kawhi still moves the needle in a big way. It’s just harder to justify that gamble compared to the other two options.

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Final Take

Each path offers something different. Giannis is the all-in swing that could put Miami back in the championship conversation overnight. Mitchell is the calculated move that stabilizes the offense and fits long-term. Kawhi is the wildcard, still elite, but with more uncertainty than the Heat can comfortably ignore.

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If Miami is serious about breaking out of the middle, they need to pick a direction and commit fully. Giannis is the dream,  Mitchell is the smartest bet, and Kawhi is the toughest sell.

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Man arrested in Miami for alleged sexual battery on 10-year-old girl – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale

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Man arrested in Miami for alleged sexual battery on 10-year-old girl – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale


MIAMI (WSVN) – A 21-year-old man was arrested on a charge of sexual battery on a minor by an adult and lewd or lascivious molestation stemming from an alleged incident involving a 10-year-old girl, according to an arrest report.

According to the report, Alvin Davis was arrested due in connection from an alleged incident that occurred Oct. 16, 2025, in Miami. The child’s mother, who became suspicious and placed a recording device in the child’s bedroom.

The report states the girl told investigators that Davis touched her inappropriately on multiple occasions.

Authorities said Davis was transported to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center and is being held without bond.

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Ty Simpson considered staying in college for $6.5 million offer from Miami

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Ty Simpson considered staying in college for .5 million offer from Miami


Former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson is expected to be a late first-round draft pick on Thursday night, which will bring him a guaranteed four-year contract worth around $20 million. But he considered turning that down for a big-money offer to stay in college.

Simpson, who has previously said that Miami offered him $6.5 million to transfer and play for the Hurricanes in 2026, said on David Pollack’s podcast that the money was too good not to at least think about.

“I think the last offer was definitely one that I just had to sit down and consider, because it would have been life-changing money,” Simpson said. “It would have made me the highest-paid player in college, and it was something to where I was like, I can’t just ignore this. I have to sit down and think about it. That’s how I am, I don’t want to do anything sporadic. I want to sit down and think it all out, and it really just came down to how I wanted to be remembered and what do I want to do.”

Simpson, who spent three years as a backup at Alabama before becoming the starter last year, went to his former coach, Nick Saban, for advice.

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“I actually talked to Coach Saban about this,” Simpson said. “The things he was talking about were, do you want to play football in college, or do you want to play football professionally? And he was like, ‘Take the money out of it, take the rounds out of it, what do you want to do next year?’ And without a doubt, without hesitation, I said, ‘I want to play professional football.’ And he was like, ‘Well, there’s your answer.’ It was something that I’ve always dreamed of, and I felt that I was ready to take that next step and be the face of a franchise and lead a locker room.”

It’s a different world in football now that players might make more money with another year in college than their annual average salary will be in the NFL. Now, players have to think about whether the NCAA or the NFL will be more lucrative. NIL deals have changed both college football and pro football.





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