The Miami F1 Start / Finish grandstand, also known as the Main grandstand, sits along the front straight and provides the closest views possible of the start and finish of the Miami Grand Prix.
Your view of the racing from this stand changes significantly depending on where you sit. This article provides a guide to seat selection with example views, a seating chart and tips on the best places to sit in the start / finish grandstand at Miami.
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Miami F1 start / finish grandstand
The start / finish grandstand is a single grandstand which runs along the side of the main straight.
Buying a Miami F1 start / finish grandstand ticket will get you access to all three days of the Miami Grand Prix weekend. You’ll be able to explore the whole campus and come back to a reserved seat in the main grandstand at any time.
😍😍 We just can't get enough 😍😍
— F1 Miami Grand Prix (@f1miami) May 4, 2023
📍 Miami International Autodrome pic.twitter.com/Afzxf6Fcql
Where is the start / finish grandstand at the Miami F1?
The Main grandstand at the Miami F1 runs along the left hand side of the start / finish straight, between Turn 19 and Turn 1.
Being on the left hand side of the track means the grandstand is actually on the inside of the circuit, so to access it you’ll need to cross over the track.
There’s a number of spectator bridges over the circuit that give you access to the infield. The best one to use will probably depend which entrance gate you come through.
The official Miami F1 campus map shows the location of all the bridges to help you plan your route.
The main grandstand is directly adjacent to both the start and finish lines (they’re in different places for the F1). It’s also directly opposite the pit lane, pit buildings and behind those the Hard Rock Stadium.
If you’re interested in seeing the action during the pitstops then this grandstand is perfectly located, but you still need to sit in the right spot. See the sections below for more details.
Main grandstand tickets
Tickets for the start / finish stand are some of the most popular and often sell out quickly on the official Miami GP website.
So I’d recommend buying tickets through StubHub instead, where sometimes you can find them cheaper than list price, plus you’ll have single-day ticket options too.
I’ve bought Formula One tickets on StubHub a number of times over the last 12 months, including when I went to the Las Vegas F1 event. I’ve always had a great experience and will definitely be using them for more Formula One tickets later this year.
They also have a ‘FanProtect guarantee’ which is very robust and keeps your tickets and money safe and protected.
Miami F1 start / finish grandstand seating chart
Below is a seating chart for the start / finish grandstand at the Miami F1. The chart shows that the stand is split in to different sections, numbered A1 to A17 (or SF1 to SF17).
The finish line is directly in front of section A1 and the start line directly in front of section A12.
Section A1 is the closest to the final corner on the track, Turn 19, and section A17 is closest to the first corner.
Every section within the grandstand has 24 rows of seats, named with letters where row A is the lowest down and nearest to the track and row X is the highest up at the back.
Section A1 is 8 seats wide, sections A2 to A16 are 24 seats wide and section A17 is 12 seats wide. The seat numbers increase from left to right as you stand on the track and look at the stand. The seat numbers also start from zero in each section.
Grandstand details
Cover
The start / finish grandstand at the Miami GP is partially covered. There is a roof that extends from the back of the stand and directly covers the top 12 rows, so row N and upwards.
It’s South-West facing, so it’s likely the sun will be in front of you from late morning onwards. If you sit in anything lower than row M you should expect to be in the sun all day, and prepare for the Miami heat accordingly!
There are no side covers on the grandstand, so if you’re sat in the extreme end seats of either section A1 or A17 then you are also likely to be exposed to the elements, whichever row you’re in.
Seats in the shaded section will cost you a few hundred dollars more.
Seats
The seats in the start / finish grandstand are individual chairs with folding seat bases and fixed back rests. They don’t have armrests or cupholders.
TV screens
There are 2 giant TVs visible from the start / finish grandstand. These are on the side of the pit lane buildings opposite the stand, spread out along its length. In 2022 there were 4 smaller TVs and from 2023 on they’ve moved to just 2 larger ones.
One thing to note is that the roof over some of the grandstands came down slightly too low at the front and restricted the TV view from the top few rows of seats. Usually it was only the back 4 or 5 rows that were affected, but in some cases the back row had no visibility of the jumbotrons at all.
We're not over this Paddock Club View 📷#MiamiGP pic.twitter.com/7O2HoSec2a
— F1 Miami Grand Prix (@f1miami) May 4, 2023
Miami F1 start / finish grandstand views
Wherever you’re sat in the start / finish grandstand at the Miami F1, your view is purely of the main straight directly in front of the stand. You can’t see across to any other parts of the circuit as the buildings surrounding the circuit block your view.
However, which part of the stand you sit in does determine whether you’re view is purely limited to the straight or whether you can catch a glimpse of the first or last corner as well.
If you sit in the one of the left hand sections such A14, A15, A16 or A17, not only do you get a close-up view of the start line but you can also look to your left for a view of the run in to Turn 1.
The video below filmed from section A16 row 10 (row J) shows this vantage point at 0:53.
Whereas if you sit at the other end of the stand, sections A1 to A4, you can get a view of the cars coming around the flat-out final corner of Turn 19.
This video was filmed from section A3, around row 16. At 0:12 you can see the vantage point of the cars coming around the final corner.
If you sit on the extreme right hand side in section A1 then you’d have an even better view of Turn 19 and maybe even catch a bit of Turn 18. There’s not normally a lot of overtaking action that happens at these two corners but it is a chance to see the cars accelerating at full tilt on to the straight.
Sitting in higher rows pretty much has no downsides, whichever section you’re in. Being high gives you a better vantage point of not just the track but the pit lane as well, and you need to be high enough to see over the pit wall and catch the pit stop action.
The video below was filmed from section A13, row 23 (row W). The high vantage point means you can easily see over the pit wall to the pit boxes and garages.
Whereas a lower vantage point, like in the video below filmed from row 4 (row D), makes it much harder to see. It also means your views to either side are restricted.
And here’s a video of the view from the front row, row A.
Is the start / finish grandstand a good place to sit?
The start / finish grandstand is undoubtedly the best place to sit at the Miami F1 if you want to be as close to the start and finish of the race as possible, and want to see what’s going on in the pitlane.
Whilst both start and finish lines are directly in front of the grandstand, most of the action at the start of the race is actually going to happen at Turn 1 which is off to the left of the main grandstand.
If you wanted a better view of any potential clashes that occur there then sit in one of the Miami Turn 1 grandstands instead. However, from the left hand section of the start / finish grandstand you can still the see braking area and entry for Turn 1, just not as clearly.
Sights from the Start/Finish Grandstand 🤩 #MiamiGP pic.twitter.com/MK2cbQRhNa
— F1 Miami Grand Prix (@f1miami) May 5, 2022
The start / finish straight is also one of the Miami GP DRS Zones, so it’s likely you’ll see some cars go side-by-side here as they open their rear wings and get a straight line speed advantage.
Personally I’d try and get seats as far to the left (higher sections numbers) as possible to see as much of the action at Turn 1 as you can. I’d aim for sections 14 and above and rows 20 and above for a nice high vantage point in the shade.
Nearest entrance and parking
The nearest spectator entrance gate to the start / finish grandstand is gate 8 to the North West corner of the venueThere’s more information on the entry gate locations in our guide to the Miami F1 campus pass.
See our article on Miami F1 parking for more info on the nearest parking lots to this entrance gate.
Other Miami F1 grandstands
Click the links below to read our viewing and seat guides for all of the other grandstands at the Miami GP:
