F1 St. Petersburg Grand Prix
St. Petersburg, FloridaCharter a Private Jet to the F1 St. Petersburg Grand Prix
The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg opens the Verizon IndyCar Series in March on one of the most beautiful and interesting street circuits in all of racing.
St. Petersburg, located across Tampa Bay from Tampa, is an up and coming city with large apartment buildings and high-rise condos springing up all over the city to hold wannabe-residents.
Art museums, great restaurants and plenty of spots to quench your thirst – all within walking distance of the track – will make your trip unforgettable.
We can get you there
The great thing about visiting St. Petersburg is that award-winning beaches are less than 10 miles straight across the Pinellas County peninsula. Urban chic or sunny beach. Take your pick. If you’d like to see the Firestone Grand Prix, Paramount Business Jets can arrange a charter flight for you into any nearby airport, including:
- Albert Whitted Airport, KSPG, SPG, St Petersburg, United States (0 miles)
- Mac Dill AFB Airport, KMCF, MCF, Tampa, United States (9 miles)
- Clearwater International Airport, KPIE, PIE, St Petersburg, United States (10 miles)
- Airport Manatee Airport, 48X, 48X, Palmetto, United States (11 miles)
- Peter O Knight Airport, KTPF, TPF, Tampa, United States (15 miles)
- Tampa International Airport, KTPA, TPA, Tampa, United States (15 miles)
- Clearwater Air Park, KCLW, CLW, Clearwater, United States (16 miles)
- Tampa Executive Airport, KVDF, VDF, Tampa, United States (24 miles)
- Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport, KSRQ, SRQ, Sarasota, United States (26 miles)
- Plant City Municipal Airport, KPCM, PCM, Plant City, United States (33 miles)
About the venue
The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the season-opening race, is run on a 1.8-mile, 14-turn track, in the heart of the city on the Tampa Bay waterfront. The track, which twists and turns around the Dali Museum and Pioneer Park, extends onto Albert Whitted Airport and breathtaking views of the bay and the marina.
In 2016, scout.com sports writers ranked the Firestone Grand Prix No. 2 on their list of the Top 100 Stadium Experiences of 2016.
The list was culled from the 761 stadium experiences of the more than 300 journalists writing for scout.com. Scout is a digital, multi-channel video network that aims to provide information to sports travelers.
This is what the writers said about the race: “While most street races offer views up close for fans, few boast what has become a hallmark of the St. Petersburg race; walkability. Centered around the downtown waterfront area, the race course is laid out with the front stretch located on the runway of the St. Petersburg Albert Whitted Airport. From there, the track snakes its way into the streets of downtown, passing Al Lang Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Rowdies, running through the stadium’s parking lot before turning back towards the airport by circling around Pioneer Park.”
What was No. 1? The Baltimore Orioles’ Camden Yards.
Rounding out the Top 10 were:
- St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium
- Daytona 500 in Daytona
- Winnipeg Jets at MTS Centre
- Fort Wayne Tincaps at Parkview Field
- Kansas Jayhawks at Phog Allen Fieldhouse
- LSU Tigers at Alex Box Stadium
- Durham Bulls at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
- Honda Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park
About the race
The Verizon IndyCar Series is called the premier open-wheel racing series in the United States.
Its circuits are diverse and challenging. Some are permanent road courses; others are temporary street courses.
There are 13 races, headlined by the 110-lap Verizon IndyCar Series.
The other races are the:
- Pirelli World Challenge Championship is four races in two classes, the GT, GTA and GT Cup classes; and the GTS class.
- The Mazda Road to Indy is a three-race series including: Indy Lights, Pro Mazda Championship and the USF2000 Championship.
- As an added attraction, there is fan-favorite Speed Energy Super Trucks, a Baja-meets-motocross spectacle in which high-powered, off-road trucks that race on dirt and asphalt tracks that include jumps, crossovers and tight corners.
- And for those who want to race as well as watch racing, the weekend includes the Firestone Grand Prix 5K Run to benefit the Police Athletic League of St. Petersburg. The run or walk event is held on the race track.
Things to do and see
- The Dali Museum: The building, which opened in 2011, is almost as spectacular as the Salvador Dali paintings it holds. A large free-form geodesic glass bubble, known as the Enigma, erupts out of and wraps around the building like a dragon’s tail. The Enigma is made up of more than 1,000 triangular pieces of glass and is 75 feet tall. A helical staircase inside the museum pays tribute Dali’s obsession with spirals.
- Fort DeSoto Park: An arrow shaped island edged by award winning beaches juts out into the Gulf of Mexico. It’s a great place to swim, sailboard, kayak or bike.
- Explore downtown: The eclectic artsy nature of the city is evident in the scores of murals on downtown buildings. On every block, you are sure to find a gem of a restaurant or shop or antique store. There are horse-drawn carriages for sightseeing but it’s more fun to just walk. Just north of the racetrack is the famous pink hotel, the Vinoy. On the way there, you’ll pass rooftops and sidewalks filled with people enjoying the sun, the tropical breezes and the view of Tampa Bay.
