F1 Miami welcomes Bonhams Auction House

F1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix is attempting to solidify its position as a stronghold of South Florida luxury through a new agreement with Bonhams Auction House’s automotive section.

The agreement, announced this afternoon, centres on Bonham staging a live auction over the May race weekend at the Miami International Autodrome circuit around Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. The third edition of the event is scheduled for May 3-5, and the auction will take place on Saturday of that weekend, with approximately 25 collector vehicles being driven on the track before the sale in front of the podium area.

While the auction will be invitation-only for visitors and Bonham customers, the cars will be displayed throughout the venue during the race weekend for all fans to view. They plan to add supercars and used F1 race vehicles.

• Major new cooperation agreed between the FORMULA 1 CRYPTO.COM MIAMI GRAND PRIX and prominent international collector car auction house Bonhams | Cars
• Bonhams | Cars will present a live auction in front of the podium and on the track at the Miami International Autodrome on Saturday night at this year’s event with Managing Director of Bonhams | Cars, Maarten ten Holder directing the auction
• Fans will be able to experience the display of current, modern supercars and Formula 1 race vehicles around the Miami Campus during the weekend of 3-5 May, 2024

F1 Miami president Tyler Epp told SBJ that the agreement “isn’t just a new thing—it’s a new thing with a purpose,” noting that luxury automobile collectors and aficionados make up an increasing proportion of ticket purchases. “This is a bit of an ode to that group, and I think [Bonhams] will bring additional experiences specifically for that segment of the population.”

F1’s Paddock Club also collaborated with Bonhams for an auction at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last year, featuring over 30 collectible cars such as Mario Andretti’s Lotus 79 from 1978, Kimi Raikkonen’s McLaren MP4 from 2006, and a Ferrari F2001 display car from the team’s Michael Schumacher era.

Richard Cregan, former CEO of Formula One Miami, assisted in introducing the teams. Dolphins owner Stephen Ross established a new company, South Florida Motorsports, to officially oversee and operate the event. Miami is the first of three yearly Formula One races in the United States, joining COTA and Las Vegas.

Epp stated that the event is “in really good shape” as it prepares for its third year, focusing its operational and business efforts on the race. He also mentioned that ticket sales are “in really good shape” and that they anticipate a sellout.

“The Bonhams deal is really representative of the commitment that [Ross and Dolphins Vice Chair and CEO Tom Garfinkel] have made to this autodrome between different car segments, luxury, and off-track experiences,” he said. “It’s a proud moment for us.”

Who has won the most Formula One races in one season?

Over the last two seasons, Formula One fans have witnessed an extraordinary run. Max Verstappen has won 34 races during that time, including an impressive 19-win season in 2023.
As the 2024 Formula One season begins, let’s look back at the most successful seasons by individual drivers in F1 history.

Max Verstappen has 19 wins (2023)
Last year, Verstappen had the most dominant Formula One season in history, winning 19 races. To put this into context, only 17 drivers in the sport’s 78-year history have won 19 races throughout their careers. Verstappen won 86.4% of the races in 2023, setting an F1 record. Last year, he scored 575 out of 620 available points, setting another F1 record. Verstappen led runner-up Sergio Perez by an incredible 290 points. Verstappen once set an F1 record by winning 10 straight races. Verstappen is presently in a class of his own, and all eyes will be on the 26-year-old to see how he builds on his record-breaking season.

Max Verstappen has 15 wins (2022)
Verstappen set many of the records in 2023 on his own, following a season of remarkable achievements in 2022. Verstappen won 15 races in 2022, including nine of the last eleven. His 454 points eclipsed the previous F1 record set by Lewis Hamilton (413 points in 2019). Verstappen’s 68.2% win rate was outstanding, but nothing compared to what happened the next year.

Sebastian Vettel has 13 wins (2013)
Prior to Verstappen, Vettel held the record for the most wins in a single season, with nine consecutive victories at the end of the year. Vettel won 68.4% of his races that year. He eventually got 397 points, 155 more than the runner-up, Fernando Alonso. From 2010 until 2013, Vettel led the Formula One points standings. 2013 proved to be Vettel’s greatest season yet. The following year, he failed to win a race and ended fifth in points.

Michael Schumacher has 13 wins (2004)
During the 2004 season, Schumacher won 13 of 18 races, for an astounding 72.2% victory rate. He had a strong start to the year, winning 12 of the first 13 races. He won the championship with more than a third of the season left. He finished the year with 148 points, 34 more than the runner-up, Rubens Barrichello. Schumacher retired from Formula One in 2012, having won the most titles and grand prix.

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