“It wasn’t so much the difference that amazed me, but the similarities. It is just great people coming together to achieve one goal.” – Pete McMahon

 


The 2023 Miami Grand Prix is the second annual Formula 1 race to be held at the Hard Rock Stadium, the home of NFL team the Miami Dolphins. A unique circuit with a unique experience attached to it, we invited Pete McMahon, Senior Manager of Photography for the Miami Dolphins, to join BWT Alpine F1 Team over the weekend and show us the 2023 Miami Grand Prix through the eyes of an NFL photographer.

 


“I think the big takeaway for me is just that the sports are very different in terms of what they actually do, but, in terms of the people and who they are it is very similar,” says Pete. “Despite being on a different playing surface, whether it is the track or a football field, everyone enjoys seeing these guys who have an incredible talent for whatever sport they are in.

 

 

“Even the crews. I got the same vibe off them as I do for our equipment staff or our trainers. It is people that work tirelessly, no matter what time it is, no matter how many hours it is consecutively. They get the job done and then afterwards they let loose.”

 

 

Having joined the Miami Dolphins in 2010, Pete has been working with the team for over a decade covering everything from the Miami Grand Prix and the Miami Open to regular Dolphins content and community events. Seeing the comparison between Formula 1 and the National Football League, Pete remarked on the cross over between fans of the two sports.

 


“South Florida is so diverse; you have fans of everything. When it was announced that Formula 1 would be coming down here, I don’t think there was any question that we would have a lot of local people very excited for it to happen,” he says.

 


One of three US circuits this season, the Miami Grand Prix joined the Formula 1 World Championship in 2022 with a 10-year contract to be featured in the F1 calendar. A showstopper venue which includes a Hard Rock Beach Club, a Yacht Club and an in-stadium Team Village, the initial planning for the Miami International Autodrome began in 2019, with a timeframe of little over 12 months between complete design to complete construction.

 


“Our owners put a lot of money into the Grand Prix to make it what it deserves. Formula One isn’t something that just comes in for a quick weekend, this is an event that there is all year-round planning for,” says Pete. “I was drawn to the architecture and the aesthetic. The luxury of the event was very beautiful and clean. We have tried to pull a little bit of Miami into the track and venue.”

 

 

Take a look at the gallery below to see the 2023 Miami Grand Prix through the eyes of an NFL photographer.