The Lego Race, Miami 2041, and a Creator Backlash?!
Hi there! Welcome to Track Limits, a weekly newsletter where we break down the biggest headlines in F1 and explore the questions, topics, and trends that are shaping the sport. Nothing is off-topic and a little fun is always part of the mix!!
Good Evening!! After a couple of weird and very chaotic weeks on the personal front, I’m happy to be back at my desk writing this newsletter. Sure, a bit late but nothing like the Miami hype to give me the energy needed to get this issue out before we completely move on!!
I don’t know about you, but after two sprint weekends, I think it’s fair to say that the format is proving to be a great recipe for high-quality on-track action. Just last weekend, Antonelli became the youngest driver ever to be on pole, Piastri secured his place as the leading McLaren driver, Ferrari had some sassy Hamilton on the radio, Verstappen drifted further from the title fight and somehow, Williams became a team to watch out for this season!!
Now, let’s get into the chaos that was the weekend off-track!!!
After writing a couple of issues with this new shenanigans format, I have to admit I may have been a bit too ambitious!! While a top five makes sense for some Grands Prix, in terms of newsletter length, it’s just too much. So, in order to avoid giving myself an anxiety attack every time I see the reading time — and to make sure the newsletter doesn’t feel like a drag to you — I’ve made the executive decision to turn the shenanigans into a Top 3. Will this actually reduce the size of the newsletter? Only time will tell!!
The Miami Grand Prix has become my unofficial start of the summer. The turquoise water, the palm trees, the latin music and the colourful surroundings screams summer party like no other setting could!! It’s also the first stop on U.S. soil, which means we were bombarded with a lot of social media content, activations, press coverage and celebrity sightings!! So let's see what Florida had in store for us this year.
3. Off-Duty Duties With everything going on during a race weekend, you’d think a weekend off would mean sleeping till noon or lounging by a fancy pool in Monaco, right? Well, not for some drivers — I imagine not by choice, but let’s ignore that for now!!!
The week before Miami was anything but calm. Sainz was in Madrid, laying the first brick of 2026’s new street circuit. Hamilton popped up in London to open the Fanatics collectibles store — somehow I’m always surprised when I see him geeking out about something!! Leclerc waved the starting flag at the Historic Grand Prix at Circuit Paul Ricard, and Albon? He spent the morning flying with the Blue Angels in a fighter jet — looking mildly terrified while Vowles was cool like a cucumber!!
The rest of the grid was probably relaxing somewhere in the world…well, maybe not relaxing but definitely having fun! Bearman and Antonelli went karting together, Bottas was off racing his bike on yet another gravel trail and Lawson went full cowboy at Stagecoach in his boots and denim vest. We may not have an American driver on the grid right now, but Lawson is slowly and very enthusiastically starting to resemble a stereotypical one!!
2. Ugly Merch Let’s be real — baby blue and pink, dolphins and flamingos, or a Miami Vice references for Miami merch isn’t exactly groundbreaking!! After four years in 305, can we please move on?!
That being said, some teams still managed to go the cliche route and mess it up!! At the top of my hate list is Mercedes. That weird football jersey-looking shirt with the purple, pink, and black flowers is an absolute eyesore!! Although I have to admit, by the end of the weekend, it didn’t bother me as much. Maybe it’s a sensory adaptation thing where you stop seeing the ugliness after a while?!! The one silver lining in the collection is that they offered a few different silhouettes and socks — yes, I’m a sucker for a fun sock!! Overall they are great product ideas, just completely the wrong design!!
Another miss, in my humble opinion, is Ferrari. The white and red team kit is nice but it feels like it belongs at Monaco, not Miami. And those race suits? Love the colors, but why are they cosplaying as Williams drivers?!
And speaking of being at the wrong race — why is Aston Martin collaborating with Dom Dolla — a house music producer — for their “House of Miami” but releasing a Rolling Stones capsule days before? Like, pick a vibe and go with it!! They should have left the Rolling Stones partnership for Silverstone and go all in with Dom Dolla and give us more than a basic t-shirt.
Now, the shock of the century: Alpine actually nailed it. I know, I can’t believe it either!! The Duke + Dexter collab is so good. The designs are fun, the Miami references are subtle, the campaign is cool, and most importantly — I’d actually wear it in public!! That alone puts it leagues ahead of most F1 merch, which usually screams “I’m on my way to the gym or wearing my pjs!”
All in all, these endless merch drops every year are starting to feel like a cash grab with no creative direction.
I’d much rather have one or two really great collections a year with strong design, unique silhouettes, various product types, and a clear vision — maybe even with multiple price points. Is that really too much to ask?!
1. Marketing Madness!! Major brands didn’t just show up this year, they planned a complete takeover!! If usually off-track shenanigans revolve around the drivers, the main characters this weekend were the unexpected marketing moments!!
Since I can’t go over every single one of them, I made a top 3. Wow, writing a top within a top must be a sign of something very disturbing!!
In third place, we have Red Bull with their VCarb pink livery, which not only looked amazing but was part of the fizzy drink’s latest product launch — Red Bull White Peach Summer Edition. The pink team kits and livery perfectly matched the Miami vibe, and the special touch of having the wheel covers look like actual can tops was a surprisingly genius way of integrating the product into the car. Once again, Red Bull had a clean execution on the marketing front!!
In second place is the F1 Movie, which definitely went a little overboard!! They announced the soundtrack of the movie, which included a star-studded lineup of very trendy artists — wasn’t really expecting anything different from them!! The first single they released is from Don Toliver with Doja Cat, which was meh at best — sorry!! The album roll out also included an activation in the paddock, a pitlane takeover on media day, a Tommy Hilfiger x Apx merch collab, and some of the artists actually showing up on race day.
But the biggest stunt was without a doubt Damon Idris showing up at the Met Gala in an Apx race car and race suit, with his actual Tommy Hilfiger outfit for the evening revealed on the red carpet in a very dramatic fashion!! I’m not an avid follower of the Met Gala so I don’t know if these types of shenanigans are normal, but let’s say, judging by entertainment journalists’ reactions, it’s safe to say the answer is NO!! This not only scares me for what awaits us in the next few weeks, but it makes me wonder if Formula 1 has overestimated how relevant and successful the movie is going to be — the hype is mild at best!!
Finally, I don’t think anyone is surprised that the Lego driver parade secured the top spot. The toy brand went all-in for Miami, making the impossible possible by using 10 life-size, fully functioning F1 cars for the drivers’ parade. Naturally, with most drivers being little kids at heart, they turned it into a full-on 20 km/h race!! The pure ridiculousness of the idea, combined with the sheer joy on drivers’ faces, not only perfectly captured Lego’s essence but gave us a moment that will go down in F1 history!! Also, the over 100 million views of the “lego race” across platforms and the significant spike in search interest for “Lego” means this activation was a master class in emotional marketing and that the Lego team had a great Monday!!
Honourable Mentions Miami hosted the U.S. premiere of the upcoming Netflix series F1: The Academy. Several F1 drivers were in attendance as well as fans, and the show’s executive producer — Reese Witherspoon. Not much was shared with the public about the first episode guests were able to watch, but I have a feeling it’ll be something like a girlboss vibe meets Drive to Survive — please let me be wrong!!
On the fashion front WAGs seriously outperformed the drivers with several of them taking advantage of the Miami vibe to dress in colourful, summery and unique outfits. This included Saint Mleux in a beautiful red Jacquemus mini dress, Montero Mundt in a stunning lime green Silvia Tcherassi gown and Lily Muni He – Albon’s girlfriend – strutting around the paddock with her JW Anderson pigeon clutch bag, which she named Pete. I have no clue why, but I can see how he looks like a Pete!!
I’m pretty sure Ferrari’s marketing team is challenged every year to come up with the ugliest special livery possible – just so we won’t stop talking about it. Honestly, it’s the only explanation for this week’s monstrosity!! Related to Ferrari, but far more interesting and better looking, was Hamilton at this year’s Met Gala!! The British driver wore an amazing custom all-ivory tuxedo by Wales Bonner, adorned with white pearls and a gold brooch — honestly, I have nothing more to say about it other than wow!! With this iconic moment finally behind us, I’m hoping it means we’ll see him start wearing interesting outfits in the paddock again.
Speaking of iconic!!! After almost a month at Red Bull, Tsunoda has become the best thing that’s ever happened to the Milton Keynes team when it comes to PR. The man is doing some serious heavy lifting, and it’s paying off! I don’t think I’ve seen as much Red Bull content in the last two or three weeks, and it’s actually fun and good! Like him rating American snacks — he hated every single one of them!! — admitting he didn’t know who Emrata (Emily Ratajkowski) was who famously wore a Yuki shirt a couple of weeks ago, posting the now iconic Verstappen picture with those damn sunglasses, calling him “big daddy” in the team’s congratulations video and to top it all off he joined the 100 men vs gorilla conversation and seriously thinks he could defeat a gorilla with Sainz — why he didn’t pick Verstappen is beyond me!! If you haven’t jumped on the Tsunoda train yet, you absolutely should right now!!
Last but definitely not least, the Piquet Verstappen clan has a new member — Lily Verstappen. The fact that Verstappen already “used” her as the reason not to show up for media day is a sign he will do parenting the right way!!!!
A Creator Backlash?
As the Miami weekend kicked off, it quickly became clear that the first stop on American soil would be packed with brand trips and different types of partnership deals with some of the most well-known motorsport creators.
Not because brands teased anything in advance of the Grand Prix, but because several creators started posting about “how important it is to support motorsport creators when they get opportunities and not to get angry at them for doing paid work”. Naturally, this sparked a whole lot of online discourse.
ZOOMING OUT:
Influencer marketing has been a growing industry ever since online personalities like Julia Alison and Chiara Ferragni were asked to endorse brands and products in the mid-2000s.
Today, both the term influencer as well as its place in a brand’s marketing strategy have evolved. Now, most “online personalities” are called content creators and influencer marketing is far more complex than ever before.
Not only has the media landscape changed profoundly with the rise of free creative tools and easily accessible distribution channels. But algorithms are pushing hundreds of micro-trends and excessively rewarding virality, leaving people with fleeting attention spans and scattered across countless online communities.
All of this means that one-size-fits-all brand messaging and traditional advertising formats no longer lead to meaningful engagement or sustained revenue. It’s literally impossible and hugely expensive to market to everyone. As such, brands have turned to creators to reach their target consumers, giving rise to the $250 billion creator economy.
But while brands and creators may have aligned interests, partnerships don’t always land well with audiences. More often than not, the issue isn’t with the brand or the creator, it’s in how the partnership is executed.
A creator's success in growing an audience and maintaining relevance comes from their ability to captivate and resonate with people. This usually means they have a unique point of view, relevant insights and a recognisable presence. When a brand partnership alters any of these qualities or feels overtly like a creator is selling something, it immediately comes across as inauthentic — causing people to tune out and lose trust. This is especially true with younger audiences who are far more skeptical and adverse to advertising than most.
It’s what happened in past years in Miami, and this weekend was no different. Several creators changed their content style just for the Grand Prix, mentioned product categories unrelated to their usual focus and posted actual ads they shot for products and services.
But there are ways to avoid this. Interestingly, last weekend a brand showcased a different approach to partnering with celebrities and creators. While it’s not a new concept, it’s the first time it has been done on such a large scale in motorsport.
WhatsApp, the Meta-owned messaging app, released the short documentary called The Seat about Kimi Antonelli, the 18-year-old Italian rookie, and his journey to getting the seat at Mercedes.
Although the film didn’t feel or look like an ad, it absolutely served a marketing purpose for the tech company. What they did wasn’t just organic product placement, it was branded entertainment. They embedded themselves into F1 culture by helping tell a story people actually want to hear and engage with. Stepping away from the traditional marketing mindset of making the brand the hero and actually letting the narrative — and the people in it — take center stage.
This collaborative storytelling model can be replicated on a smaller scale and in different formats. With brands not just using a creator’s influence but amplifying their voice and allowing them to tap into stories that are relevant to them and the community they are a part of. Helping shift the brand’s position from an outsider trying to sell, to members of the community fans want to support.
While it’s not a simple endeavour — requiring showing up with curiosity, releasing some creative control and adding value beyond the product or service you are selling — the truth is that influencer marketing is evolving from being a tool for visibility to a strategy focused on fostering a sense of belonging with the goal of gaining cultural relevance — which ultimately drives business growth.
Brands that understand this and empower creators to co-create their presence within these communities — both online and in real life — in a way that feels like they were made with and for the community and not to serve the brand’s commercial interests are the ones most likely to succeed, especially in a space like sports.
As such, some of the brand partnerships we saw at the Miami Grand Prix serve as a reminder that when brands shift their focus from simply selling to great storytelling and thoughtful brand building, everyone — creators, audiences and brands alike —benefit.
Miami 2041
On the first day of on-track action at the Miami International Autodrome, Formula 1 announced that the Miami Grand Prix will remain on the calendar through 2041, following a 10-year extension to its existing agreement with the promoter.
This means that in just three years, South Florida Motorsports has become the longest-running event on the F1 calendar. And although Formula One purists may dislike the glamorous party atmosphere and the racing, the news came as no surprise to most insiders.
WHY IT MATTERS:
In a world of infinite feeds, sport remains one of the few things still capable of commanding our live attention. But even that is being challenged, with young audiences increasingly reporting they are watching more highlights than full matches, games or races. It’s a revealing shift that many sports properties are grappling with: audiences are drawn to moments, not schedules.
Six years ago, Formula 1 realized it needed to build a content ecosystem to attract new audiences. It leaned into athlete-driven storytelling with Netflix’s Drive to Survive, build its own social media presence to reach younger audiences, created space for creators to flourish and fuel year-round engagement, partnered with celebrities, influencers and consumer brands to push the sport into mainstream culture, and expanded into fan-facing ventures like gaming, F1 Arcade, the F1 Exhibition and even the upcoming F1 movie.
While all of these things have been critical to building and growing the sport — as is evident by Formula One’s fanbase increasing from 471 million fans in 2019 to 826.5 million at the start of this season — keeping those fans engaged for the long haul is an entirely different challenge.
One of Formula One’s biggest issues throughout a season is the significant variation in viewership and attendance between races, particularly among newer fans and in emerging markets. Which speaks to this idea that some Grands Prix are more than just dates on the calendar. Not because they deliver great on-track action — some don’t at all! What they have in common is that they:
Know how to Build Hype: They spark curiosity and generate excitement well before the weekend begins or the lights go out on Sunday. They build anticipation, fuel conversation, drive press interest, and make people feel part of the experience, even from afar. As a result, these Grands Prix become events fans want to be a part of.
Drive a Storyline: Even when a Grand Prix isn’t tied to a pivotal moment in the season — like a dramatic comeback or a title decider — it’s still able to create an emotional narrative rooted in its unique location. One that resonates with fans and drivers alike and transcends seasons.
Create a Cultural Moment: By embedding themselves into pop culture — through intersections with fashion, music, film and other sports — these races end up transcending Formula One. They become the place to see and be seen, drawing Hollywood A-listers, Silicon Valley’s tech entrepreneurs, business tycoons, upcoming music artists and internet influencers.
Are Commercially Relevant: They know how to attract big sponsors and partners, making these races a go-to location for brand activations, roundtables, mini-conferences, one-off liveries and high-end client entertainment. And it goes beyond the paddock, with brands not directly tied to Formula One leveraging the moment to host their own events, tapping into the buzz surrounding the Grand Prix.
All of this means these Grands Prix play a key role in boosting the sport’s global visibility, attracting sponsors, generating revenue, and maintaining strong average viewership figures for broadcasters. Making them essential events from a business standpoint.
Over the past four years, the Miami Grand Prix has managed to position itself as one of those marquee weekends that, for better or worse, draws people in. That positioning has given it the leverage to secure a long-term contract with Formula 1 at a time when the commercial rights holder is juggling multiple interested parties and a limited number of available race slots. And Formula 1, for its part, has a strong interest in securing a tentpole event like this in the United States, as it remains the sport’s most important growth market.
As such, with Miami now locked in, F1 effectively has one of these “star events” in every major region it races in, giving the sport the necessary foundation to continue to explore new markets, business ventures, and fan engagement strategies.
But more than anything else, this contract extension highlights Formula 1’s willingness to adapt to evolving consumer behaviors, embrace different types of sporting products, and pursue long-term strategic partnerships that support the sport’s next chapter of growth and ensure its continued financial viability.
The content I enjoyed last week!!
🗞 READ
Everything You Know About F1 Academy is Wrong | How the Women of F1 Academy Are Gunning for Racing’s Top Ranks | F1’s paint war: livery designs pit engineers against marketers | Beauty Brands Accelerate Their Formula 1 Drive | Lego built full-size F1 cars for the Miami GP drivers’ parade. Here’s how they did it | The other side of the track: Miami Gardens’ Black residents grapple with F1’s effects | These Preteens Go-kart Drivers are Spending Millions for a Shot at F1 Racing
🎧 LISTEN
The Seat | Red Flags Pod: 2025 Miami Grand Prix Race Recap | F1 Beyond The Grid: Claire Williams, Proud of The Progress | F1 Explains: The Making of the Miami Grand Prix | Freakonomics Radio: When Did We All Start Watching Documentaries?
Photo Credit: Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team