Formula 1 has been receiving star treatment from Apple for awhile, and now the racing series will literally be getting even bigger. Apple is partnering with IMAX to show five races from the 2026 season. The Miami Grand Prix on May 3, the Monaco Grand Prix on June 7, the British Grand Prix on July 5, the Italian Grand Prix on September 6 and the United States Grand Prix on October 25 will be aired live at select IMAX theaters in the US.
Apple landed a five-year deal for the US broadcast rights to Formula 1 last fall and there’s already a dedicated channel for the car races on Apple TV ahead of the season’s start. It also got the rights for a splashy feature film about the racing league, which amassed more than $630 million at the global box office, including with some IMAX screenings. It’s unclear if IMAX will be paying to host more live F1 races at its theaters in future years, but it should be a fun way for fans to get the most immersive experience possible short of actually attending the racetrack.
MIAMI GARDENS — The U.S. popularity of Formula One racing is in overdrive, but Black racegoers were few and far between at the 2024 Miami Grand Prix, which ironically takes place at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, a small, predominantly Black municipality just north of Miami.
Photo Courtesy: Blair S. Walker
One of the melanin-enhanced folks giddily watching multimillion-dollar Formula One cars shriek around a 3.36-mile road circuit at velocities exceeding 200 mph was attorney Alan Clarke. “Brothers already like cars and we already like driving,” said Clarke, who flew in from Columbia, South Carolina.
“It’s just about exposure and access to Formula One. A lot of people don’t know that it exists, a lot of people don’t know that the best driver, Lewis Hamilton, is Black. But, as long as it’s considered a White, or European sport, we’re just going to opt out,” adds Clarke. He was rocking a red Ferrari T-shirt and paid around $500 to take in a weekend of motorsports. “Without knowing that it really aligns with all the things we like. We like cars, we like engines, we like good weather, we like nice women. It’s really a match made in heaven!”
Fans still at odds over controversial final lap between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen in Abu Dhabi
Clarke got no argument from buddy Donald Crump, a corporate lawyer from Houston. Like many Black gearheads, Crump is still fuming over 2021, when an out-of-the-blue rules change denied Hamilton what would have been an unprecedented eighth Formula One Drivers’ World Championship.
“It hurt,” Crump said of an unanticipated officiating decision made during the last lap of the last 2021 race, in Abu Dhabi, gift wrapping the drivers’ championship for Dutch driver Max Verstappen. “I watched it at home and, just knowing that they didn’t do the right thing, knowing that they purposely manipulated that race just to not see (Hamilton) get eight world championships. It hurt.”
Photo Courtesy: Blair S. Walker
Formula One’s brain trust said there was no ill intent back in 2021, but try telling that to Crump, clad in a purple T-shirt stamped with the signage of Mercedes AMG, Hamilton’s current team before the British driver moves on to the legendary Ferrari squad in 2025.
“Mercedes, Ferrari — it doesn’t matter where he goes, I’m going with him!” said Angelie Spencer, who flew from Kingston, Jamaica, with her friend Imani Angus, to enjoy Miami Grand Prix 2024. “I’m happy to return to Ferrari, because I was always a fan of (legendary German driver) Michael Schumacher. So, when I started watching Formula One 22 years ago I was a Michael fan, until he retired.”
Internal medicine physician Theo Sai, and his wife, Vianka, came from Tampa to root for Lewis Hamilton, who 2023 salary was $55 million, and whose gasoline-and-electric-powered Mercedes W-15 racing car produces 1,000 horsepower. To put Sai’s 280-mile Tampa-to-Miami Gardens sojourn in perspective, he’s trekked to Monaco, Austria and Mexico City to soak in Formula One’s international ambiance.
“Everybody knows it was his race to win,” Sai said of Hamilton’s fateful 2021 experience in Abu Dhabi. “But we can’t dwell on the past. He still has a championship in him — he just needs the right car.”
Aannnnddd we’re back with another weekend playlist curated by yours truly. Luckily enough for all of us, this time of year is a hotspot for releasing new music. As I mentioned last week, we are now witnessing the competition for Song Of The Summer, and honestly I don’t know if we’ve heard it yet.
So this week I’m feeling extra hopeful that more music is here to get us through these next few hot months. Nothing complements those days spent roasting on the beach quite like having a playlist to get you through. It’s almost as essential as staying hydrated and wearing sunscreen – almost.
Every week, I’m scouring Spotify New Music Friday playlists, I’m taking in recommendations, and I’m listening to the songs myself. I’m specifically choosing songs that will stand out to you and your friends as you pack your schedule with weekend getaways and parties on rooftops.
This week, we have new music from the lovely Lewis Capaldi, Popdust favorite Austin Millz, and more…so it’s turning out to be one of my fave playlists yet. Here’s my new playlist of songs that came out around today, May 19.
Lewis Capaldi – Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent
The thing about Lewis Capaldi is that he will never disappoint. His voice is unmatched, leaving nothing to be desired and everything on the table. It’s what got him chart-topping records like “Someone You Loved” and “Before You Go”, and this new album is no exception. After a raw documentary and vulnerable, triumphant singles like “Wish You The Best” and “Haven’t You Ever Been In Love Before?”, this album is classic Capaldi, but with a new glimpse inside.
Austin Millz & Alina Baraz – “Breathless”
It’s been a big year so far for Austin Millz, who we’ve covered releasing “Inhale/Exhale” with Sabrina Claudio and “Freeway” with Estelle. He’s performed at the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix and in Coachella’s Heineken House, and now he’s here releasing “Breathless” alongside Alina Baraz. Pair Millz’ ability to make a catchy beat and Baraz’ smooth, summery vocals and your transported into another world with “Breathless”.
Bad Bunny – “Where She Goes”
You already know you will be hearing this at every bar and club you enter for the foreseeable future. “Where She Goes” sends you right to the club with a punchy beat and his silky voice gliding throughout the whole track. The shocking part is that this music video features Frank Ocean, who has barely been seen the last decade. The video is riddled with other stars like Lil Uzi Vert and soccer star Ronaldinho.
Lana Del Rey – “Say Yes To Heaven”
It only made sense for Lana Del Rey to finally release “Say Yes To Heaven” after the unreleased version blew up on TikTok. It’s an essential Lana song, with her unique tone and crooning sound that sends you back to sometime far in the past. Her voice is like the summer, and this single is just what you need alongside you at the beach.
Post Malone – “Mourning”
With a new album coming soon and more live performances on deck, Post Malone is constantly showing us how a hit record is made. It’s his classic tone, a little sprinkling of vulnerability, and a must-listen. If it’s any indication of what the rest of the album sounds like, you won’t want to miss it.
