Despite the threat of potential downpours for the weekend, the already frenetic vibe around Miami was in overdrive due to the highly anticipated fifth edition of the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix. The premiere racing series has always been a magnet for both gearheads and glitterati alike, with the Monaco Grand Prix long the benchmark for exclusivity and cultural cachet. Now, though, it’s becoming clear that Magic City is making a move for pole position when it comes to presenting the world’s finest racing with A-list revelry, and a new co-driver on this wild ride is American Express.   

“Given the immense popularity of F1 with our fastest growing audience of Millennials and Gen Z, it made the partnership an obvious choice,” says Beth Spaeth, executive vice president of Global Experiences at American Express. “Following our initial success in the Americas, we knew we had to take the partnership global. Starting in 2025, we went from five races to more than 20,” she tells Robb Report.

The nascent 2026 Formula 1 season has fast become marked by controversy and turmoil. First, comprehensive regulation changes necessitated a complete redesign and reengineering of the cars, which teams have done with very disparate degrees of success. Though admittedly early on, Mercedes-AMG Petronas appears to have pieced together the hybrid puzzle with optimal results, as evidenced by its sweep of the first three races prior to Miami.

The eight-time winner of Formula 1’s Constructors’ World Championship, Mercedes has not claimed the title since 2021, giving way to Red Bull the two subsequent years, who in turn gave up the crown to McLaren, the overall victor in 2024 and 2025. But this Mercedes makeover looks to be a game changer.

Red Bull, on the other hand, came to Miami having a sixth-place finish as its best result so far this season, while serious vibration issues have kept Aston Martin at the bottom rung in 10th place. Naturally, those struggling are crying foul over some of the new car requirements, while those winning are, well, grinning to say the least.

Of vastly more import and cause for concern, though, has been the conflict in the Middle East, which understandably forced the cancellation of the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia earlier this month. Formula 1’s unexpected hiatus seemed to turbocharge anticipation and the energy level leading up to Miami, which used the framework of Formula 1 to showcase the bleeding-edge of not just motorsport, but fashion, fine dining, entertainment, and finance.

These all found a confluence at Carbone Beach, presented by American Express. The three-night pop-up of chef Mario Carbone’s internationally renowned namesake restaurant was the most coveted ticket in town, with an all-inclusive culinary experience priced at roughly $4,000 per person.

Opened on Friday, Carbone Beach transformed a stretch of sand into a Floridian cabaret—a tented enclave ubiquitous with grand chandeliers, balletic performers, and a caviar and raw bar anchored by an ice castle. And that was before entering the actual dining space, which seemed to extend to another area code. After an endless array of specialty dishes were brought out family style, and members of the celebrity set—including Bethenny Frankel and, reportedly, Hailey Bieber—had been served ample amounts of attention, Ludicrous took the stage. The full set of hits spanned his 25 years in music and included cameos by Jamie Foxx and Kevin Hart to close out the evening. Those with reservations for Saturday had Snoop Dogg as the headliner.

Saturday’s main event, of course, was the Sprint race and Qualifying sessions to determine Sunday’s grid order. The 19-lap midday sprint saw McLaren dominate, with Lando Norris—last season’s winner of the Drivers’ World Championship—and teammate Oscar Piastri finishing first and second, respectively, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took third. Kimi Antonelli, the 19-year-old phenom who won the last two grand prix contests for Mercedes, was given a time penalty and landed in sixth place. Yet Antonelli has already shown one of his superpowers to be resiliency, which he demonstrated again a couple of hours later by taking pole position for Sunday after the three qualifying rounds. Red Bull, too, was given reason for optimism as Max Verstappen qualified in second, and Ferrari found representation with Leclerc in third.\

For all the weekend’s action, AmEx members had the option of purchasing varying levels of exclusivity and access. These ranged from fan-zone activations and the AmEx Racing Club—complete with multiple beauty-refresh stations and massage chairs—to a prime trackside viewing lounge located near the first turn. Platinum and Centurion members could also avail themselves of a top-tier package that included accommodations at the Setai Miami Beach, the Carbone Beach experience, and either Paddock Club access or other VIP viewing options at the track, such as Hard Rock Stadium’s own exclusive 72 Club.

It was at the latter that Robb Report was invited to witness much of Sunday’s 57-lap race, which began three hours early due to the threat of a rainout. The start turned chaotic in seconds when Verstappen, who along with Leclerc almost immediately passed Antonelli, proceeded to completely pirouette, recovering but quickly finding himself in ninth. Laps five and six saw Red Bulls’ Isack Hadjar and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly crash out, with Gasly having his car flipped due to contact with Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson, though all were unhurt.

For a change of perspective, we briefly visited turn three and the two-story trackside manifestation of the Concours Club, the private racetrack club in nearby Opa-locka that has been a longtime host of Robb Report’s Car of the Year contest. The temporary installation has been a fixture at the Miami International Autodrome since the race’s inception in 2022. As with AmEx, the Concours Club has found that the Miami Grand Prix allows a unique opportunity to showcase commitment to their members and exceed their expectations.

“Year one had this incredible energy and vibe, and a newness, and it brought out a lot of people,” say Concours Club president Aaron Weiss. “I understand that’s very common in a lot of cities. What I’m amazed and marvel and proud of is we’ve seen so little drop off . . .  Miami already had a car and a racing culture, and this was just like the catalyst . . . it was like when the spark goes in a dry forest, you know, everything that was needed to fuel this was laying on the ground, and that spark just kicked it all off. So we’ve seen a constant, steady ramp up. The marriage of high-end hospitality and motorsport was really the ethos of the club itself, so extending that to this stadium is incredible.”

Also incredible was Antonelli’s recapturing the lead by lap 29 and holding it through the checkered flag, forcing Norris and Piastri to settle for second and third, respectively. Red Bull had its strongest finish of the season in fifth, and Leclerc, who spun out on the last lap but recovered, finished in sixth—just ahead of his Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton. The win, his third straight, bolsters Antonelli’s spot at the top of the leaderboard, 20 points ahead of fellow Mercedes driver George Russell. Mercedes, already 90 points ahead of Ferrari, its closest competitor in the Constructors’ Championship, saw potential in Antonelli very early on and acted decisively in signing him after Lewis left. The investment seems to already be exponentially profitable.

Similarly, American Express hopes it has found a winning partnership with this race and Formula 1 in general. “We have a significant number of card members who live in, and travel to, Miami, so it is a natural place for us to show up. There is an incredible energy around our growing sports portfolio, and we’re thrilled to bring that to life at the Miami Grand Prix,” says Spaeth. “American Express and Formula 1 are both premium brands with global reach that continues to grow,” she adds. “This partnership allows us to deliver for motorsport fans around the globe, nearly all year long.” That next deliverable will be the Canadian Grand Prix, May 22 through 24.

Click here for more photos of the 2026 Miami Grand Prix.