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For Formula 1 fans in the U.S., there was some great news when it was announced that Apple TV would be teaming up with IMAX to present five races on the 2026 schedule in the premium format. As a big fan of the sport, I couldn’t be more excited for the chance to take in all the pageantry and excitement of an F1 race on the biggest screen in town. My only slight disappointment came with the choice of one of the five races, though I understand why it was done.
Big Changes Coming To F1 For American Fans In 2026
For the last decade or so, F1 races (and all the practice rounds and qualifying) have been broadcast on ESPN. That’s changing with the 2026 season as Apple TV has taken over as the league’s broadcast partner in the United States, and anyone with an Apple TV subscription will be able to catch all the racing excitement. That was only the first bit of big news, however. Last week, Apple TV and IMAX announced they would be teaming up to bring five races on the schedule to the big screen.
The five races make sense. Of course, they have to include the premier race of every season, the Grand Prix of Monaco (June 7th). The British Grand Prix at Silverstone (July 5th) is another classic race deserving of a spot on the schedule. The Italian Grand Prix (September 6th) is at one of the most iconic tracks in the world, Monza, and is always an exciting race, and the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin (October 25) makes sense for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which is that it’ll be in there afternoon, rather than early morning, in North America.
There Is One Bummer, Though
The only dud on the five-race schedule is the first that is scheduled to appear on the big screen: The Miami Grand Prix on May 3rd. I mean, I totally understand why this race would be included. It’s early in the season, it’s in the U.S (the primary market for this), and, like the race in Austin, it’ll air in the afternoon Stateside. It makes perfect sense why they would choose this one. Still, for Formula One, a sport that races in some of the most interesting and exotic places in the world, the race in Miami is…well… just blah.
Other amazing circuits in the 2026 season would look incredible in IMAX. I’m talking about tracks like Spa in Belgium, Suzuka in Japan, and Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain. These are famous, iconic tracks that would be inspired choices. Even another race in the U.S., the Las Vegas Grand Prix on the streets of Sin City, would have been a better choice. Imagine watching the cars race down The Strip on a giant IMAX screen! Heck, they could’ve waited just a couple of weeks and have the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal as the first race, which is another afternoon race in North America.
The “track” in Miami is barely a track. It’s pretty much just a circuit around the parking lot of the Dolphins stadium in North Miami. It doesn’t hold a candle to the look or the racing excitement of other circuits on the schedule. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll be there, first in line at my local IMAX theater to watch, but I just wish it would be for a different race.