An Inside Look at McLaren’s Miami ‘Mini Grand Prix’

More McLarens than palm trees

An M23, MP4/6, MP4/14, MP4-23A, MCL60, and an Arrow McLaren IndyCar.

That mouthful is also the roster of historic and modern McLarens that took to the makeshift Miami track to kick off the festivities. Each car was piloted by a McLaren driver (which I’ll come to in a minute) who raced it back and forth in front of a cheering crowd.

The various colors and shapes really showcased both the length of McLaren’s racing legacy and the evolution of its cars and partners. There were the open cockpits of old, and the halos of the modern era. The two standout designs for me were the M23 Formula 1 car, for its classic simplicity, and the No. 31 Arrow McLaren IndyCar, a special purple and white livery Ryan Hunter-Reay will run for the 2026 Indy 500. I’ll probably catch flak for picking something so modern, but I love how the purple popped in the Miami sun.

While it’s always special to see race cars whizz by, it was especially cool seeing the MCL60 and Lewis Hamilton’s MP4-23A, the car he won his first World Drivers’ Championship with, do so without catch fencing in the way. Fans were within feet of these machines as they raced along the straight only to whip around 180 degrees and peel out.

The highlight of the car portion was hearing the raw power of the older Formula 1 cars. As if on cue, the deafening sound of Ayrton Senna’s MP4/6 and its V12 engine prompted everyone around me to look each other in the eyes while they laughed and dug for ear protection to not make the same mistake twice. Legacy F1 fans always talk about the glory days of loud cars on track, and this was the gateway drug.

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Talk about star power

Adding to the experience, and even piloting the amazing cars, were the stars of McLaren and F1 more broadly.

No F1 activation ever gets off the ground without the current drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, as well as McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown and Team Principal Andrea Stella. Rounding out the Formula 1 roster was Mika Häkkinen, Bruno Senna, and Emerson Fittipaldi.

IndyCar Team Principal Tony Kanaan threw on a race suit to represent the Arrow McLaren Team during the showrun, putting Hunter-Reay’s car through its paces. He was followed on Thursday by the full IndyCar driver roster—Pato O’Ward, Christian Lundgaard, Nolan Siegel, and Hunter-Reay—who spent time chatting with fans and autographing everything you could imagine.

Then there were famous faces of the F1 paddock, like Martin Brundle, who narrated a grid walk with Brown, and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.

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Doing it for the fans

All of these different elements coming together for a free fan event is a huge treat, particularly when you look at the cost of F1 tickets, but what really made a difference was how every fan was treated. Simply put, the environment felt casual, like you were hanging out with McLaren rather than looking in from afar. Fans were able to stand within feet of the faces they see on TV every week and even ask for autographs. And they were able to hang around for a grid walk and time on simulators without feeling rushed out the door. The space also stayed open throughout the race weekend so fans could watch the race together. It’s certainly a fun and comfortable alternative to watching from home.

At the end of the day, a fun activation with action that rivals the official race is certainly excellent fan service. McLaren has hosted this type of event before, so I hope to see the trend continue at more and more races on the F1 calendar. Keep your eyes on our race weekend guides so you can be the first to know when they do.