Sky Sports F1 reporter Craig Slater has revealed that “crisis meetings” had to be held with the Miami Dolphins team after the presenter decided to take a swim in a fake Marina during the Miami Grand Prix.
During the debut year of the race, many fans were curious about the appearance of the so-called marinas that would be placed around the circuit.
Initially believed to use real water, when reporters got to the circuit in Miami, they found the water was fake.
Slater, during a live broadcast in 2022, decided to jokingly take a swim in the fake marina, a moment that went viral with fans but caused the veteran reporter to land in hot water with the organisers.
Craig Slater got into trouble for his actions at the 2022 Miami Grand Prix
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In a Reddit ask me anything, Slater revealed: “I got in a lot of trouble for that, I have to say.
“I hadn't intended to jump into the water. I knew it was a thing because there had been people that planted images of themselves on images of the fake marina, but the actual swimming bit, I jumped in, and the camera panned off.
“In that moment, I thought, I wonder if I could do a bit of a backstroke on the fake plastic lagoon. And actually, it worked quite well.
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“I got a bit of traction as I was moving myself. But there were apparently crisis meetings called with the Miami Dolphins management about it.
“They weren't pretty happy. Although they took it in good part when I subsequently saw them, and there were a lot of phone calls.
"I felt really sorry for the people who were marketing the event because they thought I was poking fun at it.
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Craig Slater went for a swim in the fake marina during the 2022 Miami Grand Prix
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“It really is a world-class event. They do such a good job there. But it was meant to be a bit of innocent fun, and it was totally spur of the moment.
“So yeah, it genuinely wasn't a hatchet job against the people running the Miami event, which is maybe the most polished event on the calendar now. If you get the chance to go, go to that.”
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Despite criticism leading up to the event in 2022, the race has been a hit with fans and has thrived in the following years.
In May, the event signed a 10-year contract extension that will keep it on the calendar until at least 2041, making it the longest contracted race on the whole calendar.
Formula One will return to the United States next weekend at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas
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In a statement at the time, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicalli said: “In just three years, the Miami Grand Prix has established itself as one of the most important and spectacular events on our calendar, an extraordinary example of quality and vision that truly represents the spirit and ambition of Formula One in the United States.”
Teams will be returning to the Miami circuit next season, but they will be returning to the United States much sooner, as the next round of the championship takes them to the Circuit of the Americas in Texas next weekend.