Miami Grand Prix: Stage Preview

      The start of the 2026 season turned out to be strange. After the rush with the work schedule during the winter tests and the first two Grands Prix, teams unexpectedly received a month-long break due to the cancellation of the races in Bahrain and Jeddah, for which they were completely unprepared.

      In the context of constant updates to the cars under the new regulations, a limited budget, and a tight calendar, the work schedule was planned in advance and did not foresee such breaks. New developments were being prepared for the canceled races, which needed to be installed, tested, and moved forward, but after the forced pause in the calendar, two North American races in a Saturday sprint format were coming up, for which serious innovations had not been prepared beforehand, as it was impossible to fully test them in the conditions of a single practice session.

      The only thing that could be offered to the teams was an extended 90-minute practice session in Miami, but these extra half hours cannot compensate for the loss of six hours of free practice in the canceled Bahrain and Jeddah races, where championship participants planned to take the next step to then bring further serious innovations to Barcelona.

      The entire pre-planned scheme of developing new products, testing them in the wind tunnel, installing them on the actual car, receiving feedback, and then developing new ones collapsed. The month-long break did not help the teams; it hindered them, but there was no other choice anyway. It only helped in that employees were able to take a short vacation after a tense winter.

      Some say that the 2026 season will start anew in Miami, but that is not the case. The cars are built, the favorites and outsiders are determined, the power dynamics are known and are unlikely to change significantly – everyone will progress throughout the season, but approximately to the same extent. Although surprises are always possible.

      Liberty Media spent several years preparing for the Miami Grand Prix – changing the track configuration, litigating with the authorities, but they achieved their goal – the stage around the Hard Rock Stadium became the first they organized independently, replacing Monaco in its role as a bright spring postcard at the beginning of the championship.

      The race in Monaco remains, but it has lost its former status and many privileges that were present under Bernie Ecclestone. For Liberty Media, inviting American partners and sponsors to Miami is much easier and closer. There is plenty of room to expand – prestigious hotels and entertainment abound for every taste, they are their own masters and do not depend on the whims of the ruling Prince. Great views, comfortable boxes, beautiful television pictures. Even a yacht dock like in Monaco, albeit a painted one.

      Since 2023, the main focus for Liberty Media has been the new stage in Las Vegas, but it takes place in November, at a crucial stage in the title fight, and allows for completely different tasks to be addressed. The race in Miami remains an interesting, bright, and colorful event in its own right.

      It seems that the accident at Tamburello on May 1, 1994, happened just yesterday. In the broadcast, a car was unexpectedly halted in a cloud of dust, thrown from the concrete wall, the Williams FW16. The race was stopped, medics arrived, and a helicopter flew in. No one believed the worst, but in the evening news, it was announced that Ayrton Senna was no longer with us, repeatedly showing footage of the fateful crash.

      More than thirty years have passed. Our lives and the world around us have irrevocably changed. Every year we remember Senna on May 1 not only because he was a racer. For many, Senna was a symbol of hope for a better future, which became different with his departure. He remains in our memory as a symbol of hope.