The Miami F1 Turn 18 grandstand, also known as the AutoNation grandstand, gives great views and a lively atmosphere of the final section of the Miami Grand Prix circuit.
This article provides a full review of sitting in the Turn 18 grandstand for the GP and includes examples of the view, a seating chart and tips for best seat selection.
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F1 Miami Family grandstand
The Turn 18 grandstand is also known as the Autonation grandstand. In 2022 it was sponsored by AutoNation and will be again for 2023.
The grandstand is made up of two main parts which are angled towards each other but still joined together. Both parts have reserved seating and are partially covered.
The grandstand can be seen at 3:03 in the video below.
where is the Turn 18 Autonation grandstand at the Miami F1?
The Turn 18 grandstand at the Miami F1 is located on the right hand side of the circuit at Turn 18. This is also the outside of the circuit, but because of the way the track is designed it feels like it’s on the inside.
Turn 18 is the penultimate corner, with 19 being the final flat-out right hand kink before the cars run on to the start finish straight.
The pit lane entry is also between turns 18 and 19 on the same side of the circuit as the grandstand.
Turn 18 grandstand Miami F1 seating chart
Below is the seating chart for the Miami F1 Turn 18 Autonation grandstand.
As the chart shows the grandstand is split up in to 17 different sections. Sections R1 to R8 are effectively the ‘east’ stand, section R9 is the join between the two angled parts and sections R10 to R17 are in the ‘west’ stand. Section R1 is the closest to the pit lane entry and Turn 19, section R17 is the closest to Turn 17.
Every section in the Turn 18 grandstand has 30 rows. Row 1 is the lowest down at the front and row 30 is the highest up at the back.
The seats are numbered 1 to 12 in sections R1 and R17 and 1 to 24 in all other sections apart from R9, where the seat numbering is different for every row as it’s a triangular shape.
Seat numbers are higher the further to the left of the grandstand you sit (as you look at the circuit), and they start from zero again in each section.
grandstand details
The Miami F1 Turn 18 grandstand is partially covered. It has a roof which directly covers the back 12 rows, so rows 18 and up. The east section of the stand is North facing and the west section is North-East facing. In the early morning sessions you might have the sun in front of you and catch a few rays but as the day gets later it should move around behind you to provide more shade.
The few rows in front of where the edge of the roof stops are likely to catch a bit of shade as the sun moves round. But everything from row 15 and lower should expect to be fully unshaded for the whole day, which in the Miami sun could be pretty tough.
There are no side coverings on this grandstand, so if you sit in the extreme end seats in either section R1 or R17 then you should also expect to be exposed to the elements. But as a positive, you can also get a view off to the side of the stand which if you’re on the right hand side of R1 means you get the best view of the pit lane entry and Turn 19.
The seats in the Turn 18 grandstand are individual chairs with foldable seat bases and fixed backs. They don’t have cupholders or armrests.
Miami F1 Turn 18 grandstand views
The view from the Turn 18 Autonation grandstand is one of the best at the Miami Grand Prix. You get to see the cars exit Turn 17, come round Turn 18 and enter Turn 19 right in front of you. Plus, you can look across the little grassy infield section on the other side of Turn 18 and see the end of the long northern straight between turns 16 and 17.
The map below shows the parts of the circuit you can see from the Turn 18 grandstand highlighted in green.
The straight between turns 16 and 17 is one of the Miami GP DRS zones. It’s a common spot for overtaking, so you can watch the cars line up a passing move as they hit the brakes for Turn 17, and then see if they manage to make it stick around 17, 18 and in to 19.
The higher the section number the better your vantage point for seeing more of the cars as they round Turn 19 or enter the pit lane.
If you can, avoid getting a seat directly behind one of the pillars that supports the roof, but these are normally slightly cheaper seats.
The video below is from pretty far to the left in the Turn 18 grandstand, section R16 around rows 6-10. It gives a closer view of the apex of Turn 17 and longer visibility of the cars as they round Turn 19, even if they are a little further away. It’s also out in the open, under the blazing Miami sun.
This one was filmed from section R12 around row 24.
This next video was filmed from section R11, row 23 of the grandstand. This row is directly beneath the canopy and in the shade.
This panorama shot from Reddit user DetectiveWonderful42 was taken from section R6 row 25. Click the image for a hi-res version.
giant TVs
There is one giant TV visible from the Turn 18 grandstand at the Miami F1. It’s on the other side of the track in the grassy section between Turn 18 and the north straight. It’s a pretty big screen and because of its location and orientation it can be seen from all sections of the grandstand. You can see its location on the map below and in the videos above.
One thing to be aware of though is that for most stands at the 2022 Miami Grand Prix, sitting in the top few rows meant your view of the jumbotron was cut off by the front of the roof over the stands. The roof on the Turn 18 stand is higher at the front than most of the other grandstands, but it could still be an issue. I’d avoid the top row or two if possible just to be safe.
is the Turn 18 grandstand a good place to sit?
Overall, the Turn 18 Autonation grandstand for the Miami Grand Prix is a great place to sit. Being one of the biggest stands at the circuit, the atmosphere is always loud and buzzing.
It’s the only stand at the Miami F1 where you can see across the track to another section of the circuit, and in this case being able to see the cars as they run down the north straight and hit the brakes for Turn 17 is great.
This is a spot where numerous cars lined up to make an overtake at the end of the DRS zone in 2022. Skip to 5:03 in this video to watch a few of the F1 drivers get some close overtaking in at this section.
The giant TV screen provides a great view of the action on the rest of the track when it’s not happening right in front of you.
The Turn 18 grandstand is also right next to the West Campus which houses the F1 Fanzone and loads of food and drinks vendors and entertainment options. So it’s perfectly positioned for the off-track action.
If I was trying to get seats in this grandstand I’d probably chose to go somewhere around section R13 and between rows 20 and 25. That’d keep me close to the action at the Turn 17 apex, give me a good vantage point for seeing more of the cars as they go around Turn 19, I wouldn’t be too far from the screen and I’d be in the shade.
nearest entrance and parking
The nearest spectator entrance gate to the Turn 18 grandstands is gate 8 which is only a short walk from these stands.
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:
be careful when booking your seats
One thing to note when booking your seats through the MiamiGP website’s virtual viewer is that the fan view of the seats you select may not be completely accurate.
For example let’s pick seats 1 and 2 in row 30 of section R14. These are the seats furthest to the right and highest up in that section.
When it puts is in the fan view, we’re actually in row 25 seat 12, so don’t have a completely accurate representation of the view we’d get from the seats selected. Just bear this in mind when picking where to sit.
