Four weeks after the Miami Open wrapped up its tennis finals and seven weeks before the city welcomes the first of seven World Cup football matches, Hard Rock Stadium finds itself at the heart of the Formula 1 world this week, hosting the opening race of the 2026 season’s revival. Since its debut on the calendar in 2022, the Miami Grand Prix has quickly become one of the sport’s marquee events, and the preparations for its fifth edition are proceeding on schedule despite the abrupt cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix earlier in the year. Organisers are acutely aware that the global spotlight is now even brighter on Miami’s return to racing after a four‑week hiatus.
"We haven’t altered our plans at all – we began planning back in the summer of 2025 for the 2026 season, so we’re exactly where we need to be," explained Katharina Nowak, president of the Miami GP, during a chat with Sky Sports. "The anticipation is definitely building.
After four weeks of no racing, the buzz around the Miami Grand Prix is huge, and while safety remains our top priority, the excitement we’re hearing from industry insiders is palpable. We’re eager to deliver another outstanding event." Miami’s inclusion on the F1 schedule has turned the Sunshine State into the first of three American stops on the championship’s itinerary.
Hard Rock Stadium, home to the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, sits in Miami Gardens roughly fifteen miles north of downtown Miami, providing a versatile venue that can morph from football arena to tennis centre to Formula 1 circuit within a matter of days. Nowak’s team describes the transformation of the 265‑acre site as "doing the impossible" each year.
The temporary 3.36‑mile, 19‑corner track snakes around the stadium, while roughly 250 structures – grandstands, hospitality tents, pedestrian bridges and more – are erected for the weekend. Inside the 65,000‑seat arena, the F1 hospitality suites and press conferences take place in the locker rooms, and a permanent paddock building sits just outside the stadium’s perimeter. This rapid conversion has become a well‑honed routine, cementing the Grand Prix as a staple of Miami’s diverse sporting calendar. "When the Miami Grand Prix first launched, we rode a perfect storm – the surge of 'Drive to Survive' popularity and the post‑COVID resurgence of live sport," Nowak reflected.
"The city has evolved dramatically since then, and each year we lean further into Miami’s unique character. We’ve not only secured a place within the F1 community but also seen the city embrace what we’re doing with increasing enthusiasm." Todd Boyan, senior vice‑president of stadium operations for the Dolphins, gave a behind‑the‑scenes look at the logistical marathon. "After the Dolphins season ends, we host the NCAA National Championship on January 19.
As soon as that game concludes, we rip up the grass, lay down flooring, bring in cranes to build a tennis court for the Miami Open, and start constructing the F1 campus," he said. "We manage about 250 structures – grandstands, hospitality suites, bridges – in an intense, 24‑hour sprint that runs from the end of the tennis tournament in late March straight into race weekend. Once the Grand Prix wraps, we flip the venue again for the FIFA World Cup, installing seven football matches beginning June 15.
After the World Cup, we transition back to NFL football for the Dolphins and the University of Miami." For 2026, the event has added a free five‑day fan festival on Miami Beach, and the fan zones around the circuit have been refreshed to showcase the city’s varied districts, from Little Havana’s cuisine to Wynwood’s street art. Organisers have also upped the ante on the spectacle: after a controversial mock marina in the inaugural race, they now feature a 50‑foot‑tall, 264‑foot‑long replica super‑yacht that anchors the inside of Turns Five‑Nine, offering a dramatic new hospitality backdrop. Attendance figures underscore the race’s growing pull – 275,000 fans attended each of the past two weekends, setting event‑record numbers. Last year, F1 secured a long‑term agreement to keep Miami on the calendar through at least 2041, a deal that Nowak says gives the team "the freedom to think big and plan for the future." "We’ve been asking ourselves how to turn this into the next Super Bowl in the United States," Nowak explained.
"The Miami Grand Prix is already a world‑class event; we want to elevate it to a global Super Bowl‑level experience. That means expanding the program so visitors arrive early in the week and stay for a full slate of activities from Tuesday through Sunday, creating a destination that rivals any major sporting weekend." Nowak’s personal connection to the race adds another layer of significance. Born in Austria and raised in Miami, 2026 marks her first year at the helm of an event she helped launch. At 28, she succeeded Tyler Epp in September and became the youngest president of an F1 Grand Prix, as well as only the second woman to hold such a role after Emily Prazer of the Las Vegas GP.
"The past eight months have been a whirlwind," she said. "Transitioning from vice‑president of business operations with the Dolphins to leading the Grand Prix felt natural, thanks to Tyler’s mentorship and the support of Tom Garfinkel and Stephen Ross, who trusted a 28‑year‑old woman with this high‑profile position. I’m humbled and grateful for that vote of confidence." Despite the rapid ascent, Nowak hasn’t taken time to celebrate yet. "People keep asking if I’ve celebrated this historic milestone.
I keep telling them I’ll celebrate on May 4 after the race is over," she laughed. The Miami Grand Prix returns this Friday as the season’s second Sprint weekend, broadcast live on Sky Sports F1. Fans can stream the action via NOW without a contract and cancel anytime, ensuring that the excitement of Miami’s "impossible" transformation reaches a global audience once more.