How Formula 1 took over the magical city for the 2024 Miami Grand Prix, NYLON was on the ground to take you inside the exclusive weekend, from the racetrack and paddocks to the after parties and beyond.
Friday, May 3
During the practice races, cars zip past the Liquid IV Race House at over 200 mph, making conversations nearly impossible if you don't feel like yelling. Next, it's time to explore the rest of the campus; There are several dance floors, a marina (parking lot painted to look like Biscayne Bay) filled with yachts, and even a furniture exhibit for fans willing to decorate their home with a chair in the shape of a helmet Formula 1 and a coffee table with a Ferrari Motor as a base. Amidst the sea of fans wearing McClaren's bright orange or Ferrari red, there are women rocking satin and caramel Amina Muaadi heels alongside men with wrists weighed down by massive luxury watches that cost six figures. This is Miami, after all.
Kendall Jenner is seen chatting with Susie Wolff, the managing director of the F1 Academy, while Steve Aioki performs '3 Days', a song about a 72-hour bender. He busts out a pie during a remix of Kid Cudi's “Pursuit of Happiness” and the slightly sunburned crowd goes wild; we all know what comes next. Back at the Liquid IV Race House, I learned that Formula 1 drivers lose between four and 10 pounds of sweat during races, prompting me to order my third Winnermelon of the day: a Liquid IV cocktail made with their Watermelon, Fennel, Basil and Watermelon Juice Flavored Hydration Booster. There will be no dehydration on my watch.
The beauty of the Miami Grand Prix is that the party really starts as soon as you step off the track. The lobby of The Setai is packed like a club as a growing crowd tries to grab a table at Jaya, the hotel's new restaurant and authentic Miami Beach spot. Between rounds of wasabi martinis and bites of crispy tuna rice, contortionists and dancers take the stage. A performer wears one not there lit with bright lights that blur into an ethereal orb as it spins. At 1 in the morning there is only one place to see and be seen: E11EVEN. The renowned Miami ultra club is being the spirit of Formula 1; The dancers' bodies are painted to look like racing suits, with their entire heads hidden by their helmets. There's enough room to dance to a remix of Rihanna's “Love On The Brain” without spilling my vodka Red Bull on another attendee. At 3 a.m., women wearing sparkles and a 50 cent bob cut into the crowd ahead of the rapper himself, and soon, everyone in the club is singing “In Tha Club.”
Saturday, May 4
My eyes are less puffy than I expected from being out until 4:30 a.m., which I attribute to the recovery benefits of Liquid IV The Miami sun has turned up the heat, and A-Listers like Isabela Grutman and Braxton Berrios are great. out in the shadow of the race house. On the Heineken Highline, I get a bird's eye view of the F1 Academy cars racing and am very grateful to be back on solid ground once the cable car stations. When the Formula 1 qualifying race starts, only the piercing sound of the zooming cars is able to keep me awake.
After a quick nap, it's time for another party. At Nobu Beach House, fire dancers stretch around the crowd sipping fresh oysters and tuna hamachi. I take a sip of my Nobu 75, a spin on a French 75 with yuzu and rosé, and watch as a trumpet player joins the DJ spinning on the restaurant's rooftop. Someone send me a TikTok of an old man Keeping up with the Kardashians clip of Kim asking for a $2,500 suite at The Setai and smiling.
Sunday May 5
It's finally race day and it's time to celebrate from inside the Paddock Club, the exclusive Miami Grand Prix hospitality area. Tickets cost a whopping $12,000, but include access to a cryochamber, five-star chef meals and celebrity face-offs. Camila Cabello and Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc share a moment (she enjoyed a TikTok she made).
I grab a Pit Crew Punch, my Liquid IV mocktail for the day packed with a hydration multiplier of tropical punch, spirulina and guava before checking out John Summit's DJ set. “His Coachella set changed my life!” shouts one fan, and I can tell this one is doing the same. After securing lobster rolls and arepas, I grab prime seats at the Liquid IV Race House before the grand prix begins. Once the cars start zooming by, the smell of hot asphalt and burning rubber is intoxicating.
It turns out to be a historic race: not only does BLACKPINK's Lisa fly the checkered flag to the delight of K-pop fans around the world, but McLaren's Lando Norris takes his first win. Champagne bottles are popped in celebration from the Liquid IV house to the Paddock Club. Kaytranada jumps behind the decks and performs a fantastic set that brings the crowd to the floor. Delirious dancing ensues, along with chatter about plans for the night. People are talking about dinner at Lucali, mansion parties on the exclusive islands of Miami Beach, and even a return to E11EVEN. Everything is possible with this alt.
