Back-to-back comparisons are when you drive different cars close together. It helps you notice what’s really different about each car because your impressions are fresh.
The Kia EV9 is an all-electric family SUV. The hosts mention it because it’s a good reference point for comparing how EVs drive compared to other cars they tested.
The Subaru BRZ is a small sports car that’s meant to feel fun and responsive. They bring it up with “a stick” to emphasize how different it feels from the electric cars they drove right before it.
The Lucid Air is a luxury electric sedan. They mention it because it’s another EV in their test lineup, and they’re comparing how each one drives and feels.
This segment discusses Formula 1’s current era versus the Schumacher-era style of racing, and how hybrid/battery rules change the viewing experience. It also sets up a conversation with Katharina Nowak about her perspective as head of F1 Miami.
Michael Schumacher is referenced as the defining figure of an earlier F1 period, associated with intense weekend hype and a style of racing fans describe as more straightforward. The transcript contrasts that era’s excitement with today’s rule-driven strategy complexity.
Modern F1 cars have a hybrid system that stores energy in batteries. The teams decide when to “charge” the battery using braking/energy recovery and when to use that stored energy for acceleration.
In hybrid F1 cars, the battery isn’t just “there”—it has to be managed. Teams plan when the car should save energy and when it should spend it to go faster.
Tire choice and tire management are central to F1 because tire wear and temperature strongly influence grip and lap times. Teams plan stints around how quickly tires degrade and how that interacts with pit stops and race conditions.
Pit strategy in F1 is the timing and sequencing of pit stops, including when to switch tires and how to respond to track position and traffic. It’s tightly linked to tire wear, safety cars, and race pace, so it can be as decisive as outright speed.
Pit lane is where the teams work on the cars during the race. You can sometimes walk around there before the race, but once the race begins, it can be better to watch from TV.
“Flag drops” refers to the moment the race officially begins when the starting flag is shown. It’s a common motorsport phrase used to mark the transition from pre-race activity to live racing.
In Formula 1, media members often watch races from a dedicated media room with multiple TV feeds. This setup can make it easier to follow on-track action, replays, and timing information compared with the noise and distractions of the grandstands.
The Ford F-150 is a pickup truck made by Ford. It’s commonly used for both everyday driving and practical tasks like hauling or towing. The podcast mentions it because it’s the base truck family that includes more off-road-focused versions.
Hyundai is a car company that’s also involved in racing. In this segment, it’s brought up because Hyundai’s leadership is connected to endurance racing plans.
Topic
World Endurance Class racing
This is about endurance racing, where cars run for long periods and teams manage drivers and strategy. It’s different from Formula 1’s typical race format.
“Drive to Survive” refers to the Netflix series “Drive to Survive,” which helped dramatically grow mainstream interest in Formula 1. It’s a media-driven concept: storytelling can convert casual viewers into fans by explaining rivalries, teams, and the sport’s behind-the-scenes dynamics.
Miami GP is short for the Miami Grand Prix, an F1 race held in Miami. The speaker explains that running it takes a lot of planning because the stadium hosts many other events too.
FIA stands for Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, the governing body that sets the rules and safety standards for many motorsport series, including Formula One. Mentioning FIA highlights that the event must comply with international regulations beyond just the race itself.
Concept
world class motorsports racing event
They’re saying the main goal is to put on a top-tier racing event. That typically includes making sure everything runs smoothly and that the track and safety meet the high standards F1 requires.
Runoff is the space next to the track that’s designed to help if a car goes off the racing line. It’s a safety feature, and in F1 the FIA has a lot of rules about how it should be designed.
Track design refers to the layout and features of a racing circuit, including safety elements and how the course is presented visually. Here, the speaker emphasizes coordination with Formula 1 and the FIA on changes, while also controlling specific aesthetic/safety elements like runoff areas.
In motorsport, a hospitality experience refers to premium guest services and viewing access designed to control how attendees move through the venue and what amenities they receive. The speaker contrasts clients who want a private, minimal-contact experience with fans who want to roam the entire “campus,” showing how event design supports different customer journeys.
They’re talking about changing ticket options so fans don’t have to buy for the whole weekend. Single-day tickets make it easier for more people to attend without committing to all three days.
They’re talking about the Miami Grand Prix weekend—what it’s like for fans and how the event gets built up and taken down. They also mention how F1 travels to different places around the world.
F1 weekends are like a traveling production. It’s not only about the race track; the teams and organizers have to move all their gear and setups to the next city.
Cadillac is a major American car brand, and the hosts are talking about it getting involved in Formula 1. That kind of entry can bring more hype because it’s a big name joining the sport.
Apple is mentioned as a major partner helping more people watch and follow Formula 1. They say Apple is doing more than just broadcasting—it’s also improving how fans can find info and maps.
Broadcast rights are the permission companies get to show a live event on TV or streaming. The hosts are saying Apple got the rights in the U.S., which helps more people watch F1.
A track map overlay is a visual layer that shows race-track layouts and related information on a digital map interface. Here, it’s used as an example of how Apple is enhancing fan tools for each F1 track.
“Sold out” means there aren’t any tickets left to buy. They’re saying ticket demand is higher than last year and they expect the Miami race to sell out soon.
A high-performance SUV is a family SUV that’s also meant to drive more like a sports car—faster and more fun, not just comfortable. The goal is to keep it practical for daily life while still feeling quick and confident.
Rear-facing car seats are the safest setup for young kids. They’re important when picking a car because you need enough space and the seat has to fit and install correctly.
The Bentley Bentayga is a very high-end luxury SUV. Even if someone doesn’t love the looks, it’s still considered a “cool” choice because it’s built to feel premium.
The Audi RS Q8 is a fast, performance-focused Audi SUV. The hosts mention it as a practical “best fit” option and also say they like the interior and overall style.
The BMW X6 M is a high-performance BMW SUV. The hosts like it because it feels great to drive, and they think it makes strong sense financially if you’re buying used.
Residual value is what the car is expected to be worth later. If a car has a strong residual value, it tends to keep its value better, so you lose less money over time.
Buying a used vehicle changes the math versus buying new, especially for expensive performance SUVs where depreciation can be steep early on. The hosts discuss a budget for a used purchase and how that affects which models make the most sense.
The Audi RS e-tron GT is an electric performance car made by Audi. It’s designed to be fast and fun to drive, using an electric motor instead of a traditional engine. The podcast mentions it as one of the options people consider when comparing high-end electric cars.
Powertrain is basically the car’s “go” system—how the engine/motors and gearbox work together to move the car. They’re saying Audi’s setup feels especially strong.
Infotainment is the car’s screen and apps—like music, maps, and phone connection. They’re saying Audi’s system is easy to live with and functions well.
“Niggles” means small problems that keep popping up. They’re saying these kinds of issues could be annoying, especially if you rely on the car every day.
Rear-facing car seats take up more room than forward-facing ones. The host is saying that in these SUVs, you may not be able to fit a rear-facing seat behind you if you also need to slide the front seat back far enough.
They mention owning a Mercedes-Benz GLS, so their comments aren’t just theory. It matters because they’re talking about whether these SUVs have enough room for family needs.
Planned obsolescence means the product is designed so it won’t last forever or becomes expensive to keep running after a while. With cars, that can mean repairs that are hard or costly, especially for parts that only the dealer can fix.
Concept
leaseholder-focused ownership
This is the idea that some cars are easiest (or cheapest) to live with during the first lease period. After that, repairs can get more expensive, so it matters when you plan to own the car.
Air suspension uses air-filled bags instead of regular springs. It can make the ride smoother and adjust height, but if something breaks, the repair bill can be very high.
Climate control is what keeps the cabin warm or cool. The speaker is saying the system can be hard to repair unless you go through the dealer, which can make it costly.
The Porsche 911 is a famous sports car from Porsche. Here it’s being used as a personal example of a car that the owner says stayed reliable with few problems over a decade.
The Porsche Cayenne is Porsche’s SUV. The speaker is saying it’s generally reliable and feels like a premium choice, but that there are so many around their area that they can start to look alike.
The BMW X5 is a popular luxury SUV. In this segment, it’s being discussed as a top choice, but the speaker says the second-row space isn’t great compared to what you might expect.
The Nissan Armada is a large family SUV with three rows of seats. The hosts are basically debating whether it’s worth liking even if people don’t like how it looks.
The Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman is a very fancy, long limousine version of a Mercedes. It’s the kind of car associated with VIPs and chauffeur service, not a normal daily driver.
“Size creep” means cars keep getting bigger over the years. The point here is that today’s SUVs are so large they can make other cars look tiny by comparison.
The Porsche Panamera is Porsche’s sedan with a sporty feel. The hosts mention it because, in the photo, it helps show how an SUV can dwarf other cars in a garage.
The Ford Mustang is a sports car made by Ford. It’s known for its classic styling and for being smaller than many modern vehicles. That’s why it comes up when people talk about how older “pony cars” used to feel on the road.
F1 is Formula 1, a famous kind of race with open-wheel cars. Here it’s mentioned because the guest likes hearing about EVs and racing together. There’s no deep car tech explained in this moment.
Concept
Petrodollar agreement
The “petrodollar” idea is about how oil has often been bought and sold using U.S. dollars. The hosts connect it to why oil has been so influential in the economy. It’s part of the bigger argument about energy policy.
Avis is a well-known rental car company. They bring it up because the conversation is about rental cars and how people are renting them—either from big companies or from individual owners.
Turo is a peer-to-peer car rental marketplace where owners rent out their personal vehicles to others. Instead of renting from a traditional fleet company, you typically book a specific car listing (with its own mileage, pickup rules, and insurance terms).
Peer-to-peer car rental means renting a car from a regular person who owns it, using an app or website. It can be cheaper or more convenient than renting from a big rental company, but the rules can vary by car.
They rented a Tesla Cybertruck to review it. It’s Tesla’s electric pickup truck with a very unusual, angular design, so it’s a popular choice for people who want to try something new.
They’re talking about spotting a Range Rover and wanting to rent one. A Range Rover is a luxury SUV from Land Rover, known for being comfortable and feature-rich.
Term
Supercharge five leader motor
They’re talking about a supercharged engine. A supercharger helps the engine make more power by pushing extra air in, so it can feel quicker.
LIVE
Bloomberg Audio Studios, Podcasts, radio News. I'm Hannah Elliott and
I'm Matt Miller.
This is Hot Pursuit.
Coming up on today's podcast. We have the new head
of Miami Formula One, Katerina Novack, with us, and I'm very curious to hear hear what she has to say.
This is the fifth fifth year for the race, so it's kind of a big deal. First race on American soil,
and Matt Scott issues So think we can ask Skatterina about that.
Yeah, I have issues with that one. But I'm excited
to go down to Miami. You're gonna go to Miami.
I'm going to bring my entire television production crew to Miami because we're doing my live show from Miami as well as you and I are recording our podcast from Miami.
So it's it's kind of like a big deal, like New York goes out. Yeah, so I'm looking forward to that. Plus, Hannah,
I gotta say, I have driven a slew of cars that have given me really interesting back to back comparisons.
So is this about EV's.
So it kind of is about EV's in a sense.
On the one hand, I drove the key of EV nine again, which you know is a fantastic appliance. But
right after that the Subaru BRZ with a stick and I felt like, you know, they couldn't be on more opposite ends of the spectrum for two vehicles. Then I
drove the Lucid Air, as you know, and right after that I got into the BMW I seven, so an electric seven series, and the comparisons between like those two pairs, I think we're we're really incredible. So we can talk
a little bit about that.
Oh, we got to talk about that. And we have
been promising a nail bag session for a few weeks, so I think we should get to some mail from our readers, because we really do appreciate hearing from you guys.
Yeah, we absolutely do have to go through. I'm behind
on so many of my emails and it'll be great to catch up on that, and hopefully we can get people to write in more and give us some ideas for things to do on the podcast, people to interview on the podcast, cars to drive for the podcast, and you know, we can complain about the fact that there aren't enough stick shift automobiles.
Yeah, always constantly.
So the thing is, so we're going to talk to the head of F one Miami, right and I need to, I think, temper myself because I realized I was on a prep call with Matia Bnoto's team from Audi. He's
the AUTI team principle used to be with Ferrari obviously forever, and I started complaining about F one to his team and I thought, I'm way too emotionally invested in this.
I don't know why, but it just makes me so him happy that they have this d system.
Yeah, Andrew, the one who says you're not a you're not a fan of.
F one, I know, but I was thinking, like, literally last.
Week you said he didn't like it, you only like Moto GP. But then when you get on the call,
you actually do care.
Well, I care because so I was. So I was
going through Benodo's resume, and this guy is fascinating because he's an Italian guy that I think grew up in Switzerland and then he went to school in Bologna and he right away went to work for Ferrari in like ninety five.
So he was there for the Genus.
He was there for the Schumacher years also, so he was there for when F one was awesome. For when
it was like all you could think about all week and you'd wake up like to watch qualifying and like it.
It just mattered so much, and it was like Moto GP.
It was gripping and the racing was ten tenths all the time. They were giving everything they had in every corner.
And to compare that with today when they like slow down to recharge the batteries, it just gets my blood boiling.
I don't know why.
For someone who says that he does he's not into it, you're very into it. I think he's not a bad thing.
I think I'm just Also, it's my age, right, I'm like one of those old guys that throws his shoe at the TV because I don't understand this generation. And
I'm sure the kids today, the kids are like, oh, it's it's so much more interesting because you've got many different strategies, not just the tires and the pit strategies, but also you know, the battery strategy just adds to the like three D Chess kind of scenario. But for me,
it's like I want these guys to drive as fast as they can, as hard as they can the whole time and never have to worry if they're gonna like be able to find a charging station. Like, it doesn't
make any sense to me at all, but maybe because because of my age.
Well you should really ask Katerina about this when we get on with her, because I know that she grew up watching Shoemacher Race, so she was watching around the same era that you're describing in I know she's a real race fan as well, So I will be very interested to hear her take on it, because I'm sure she has one you know a lot of people do, of course, and she's Austrian. She's also Austrian too, so
she you know, she's coming from this long, long standing European sensibility that you're describing.
Yeah, I can't wait to get her take on it.
But of course, as the head of F one Miami, like, she's obviously gonna be drinking the cool way. Yeah, she
has to be on the team, even if, even if she really secretly hates the new rules and the new setup, she can't publicly say that.
Well, how did mister Bonodo's team respond to your ranting?
They were like offended and everybody on the whole call.
They were like five people from his team on the call, and we had four people from Bloomberg on the call, and it was like everybody everybody was and everybody was like thirty or less right, So they were all thinking like, oh man, yes, guy gasket exactly exactly.
Well, I mean, what can you do. You're entitled to
your opinion. But I'm actually very curious to see a
race because I haven't really you know it, live in real life this year and see if you can really talk.
So you know, I'm going to leave before the race.
I'm going down to Miami on Wednesday, and.
Then you're doing a hardcore thing. You're doing a turn
and burn exactly.
So I'm gonna do with you. I'm going to do
a bunch of work and then I'm getting on a late flight Thursday night to come back to anchor my show from New York on Friday. But I was talking
to I was talking to some people from Citadel. We're
gonna interview Scott Rubner. He's kind of a big deal,
went from Goldman Sachs City. Yeah, but I was I
was telling him like, it doesn't matter that I missed the race, because even if I were going to the race, I would I would love to be there, and I would love to get you know, walk down Pitt Lane and and you know, rub elbows with the people that are in F one race. But when it starts, like
when the flag drops, I want to be in a quiet room in front of a TV anyway, like I don't want to be Yeah.
Well, yeah, I agree. And we've talked about this before.
A lot of the media, myself included, who do watch the races, who had the chance to attend races. Half
the time you are in the media room watching on TV screens because it's quiet and you can focus and you can see what happens. I mean, that's just the
truth of it. So yeah, I don't think that's wrong.
I don't think that's wrong. It's like baseball, you hear,
you kind of get a lot more out of it sometimes when you're watching on the screen.
It's different in different sports, right because in basketball, basketball and TV I'm not really interested in at all. But
when I get to go on the rare occasion that I can afford Knicks tickets or someone generously gives them to me, it's the best. Like watching those guys. Yeah,
it's amazing.
I know, I agree, But I think Basketball is way better live way, but I love it. And tennis. What
do you think about tennis? Better live or better on TV?
Both are fine. Like tennis, I love to watch either way.
On on TV, you get the benefit of you know whoever it is, Billy Jean King or John McEnroe, Chris Evert Lloyd, like giving you the play by play, which is awesome in person. Obviously you have the emotions of
the crowd that can move you as well as the people on the On the like, the US Open is so much fun to go.
To so much. That's a that's a bucket list thing.
I really I'm not even I'm a casual tennis fan, but I have been to the Open and it was awesome.
And yeah, I think either way tennis.
I mean a lot of sports, like even if you're not a huge fan. I'm not I'm not a big
golf fan, but I've gone to the Master. I've been
lucky to have to go to the Masters on a future coot. Yeah, and it's it's never been so fun.
I mean, like you get totally you get totally immersed in it and you'll find yourself like checking the scores on the way to and from the course and you can walk the course at the Masters with your favorite golfer, like it's not over so overcrowded that you're stuck behind the lines all the time. So that's like, that's like
one of those bucket list sporting events too. I really
want to go to the t T Race on the Isle of Man. I've heard that's that's my ultimate book
at list.
Yeah, we should. We should get that on our schedule.
We should podcast from the Island Man.
We should do that. By the way, I was talking
with Dan Barbosa a little bit earlier today and he said, you're down to go to the Raptor Rally in October, And I'm down to go to the Raptor Rally in October and do it. Yeah, apparently like there will be
other people there, Danny Riccardo might might be there, and we could do our podcast from there.
Oh, let's do it. This could be our Lament for
the year instead of Lamon, we do the Raptor Rally.
True, but well, I don't think we should skip Lamar though.
No. Well, I mean, if we have to, sir, we
want Lamon to We want everything.
I was talking. I'm down a couple weeks ago. Jose Munos,
the CEO of Hyundai, came into the studio in New York, and you know they're going into World Endurance Class racing, so he invited us to Lament already. You know, if
we if we need a team with which to tag along.
We've had a couple people ask if we're going to Lamon and I always say, I don't know, maybe we should.
All right, those are my f one concerns. When we
come back, we'll talk with Katerina Novak from Formula one in Miami.
ILLOK, a little bit about your background. We know the
Austrey a bit a little bit and sounds like you were growing up right during a great era for people who are listening, who know this is your first year now at the Helm the Big Boss. How did you
arrive at this position and did you always think you'd be involved in motorsport?
Definitely did not think I was always going to be motorsport.
I in high school realized my passion for working in events, and it was really just from all the internships I had done in high school and so that I knew I wanted to do events. And then after college, the
Super Bowl was heading to South Florida and to Miami, and I, you know, grew up in South Florida. So
the fact that super Bowl was coming to hard Rock Stadium, which is, you know, the stadium I grew up with, you know, it was like one of those moments where I was like, I have to work for the super Bowl.
It was I remember being like such a passion of mine that it was like, I'm going to no matter what, I'm working the super Bowl. And so I actually passed
up two full time offers to stay in Chicago and moved back to Miami and just made it my passion and my mission to work for the super Bowl. Ended
up getting an internship on the events team to work for the Super Bowl, and in that first year, my first project was the super Bowl Owners Party. So it
was like literally dream dream come true. First job out
of college, like working for the super Bowl and you know, helping support the execution of the super Bowl Owners Party.
I mean, could not have gone better. And then just
continued to work at the Dolphins organization until Formula one came on the calendar, and at that point I knew I wanted to work for this global sport. I didn't
know too much about motorsport at the time, you know, I was I was just mentioning. But I spent a
lot of my summers in Austria, and so every summer I spent in Austria, I had, you know, spent time with my cousins and my uncle and they were massive F one fans. And my uncle is actually the person
who introduced me to Formula one, always running around for our gear, always sitting on the couch watching the races over the weekend, and so I knew what it was.
And so when we announced the fact that the Mimmi Grand Prix was coming to hard Rock Stadium, I was like that, I'm super interested and I want to learn more.
And of course it was also at the time We're Drive to Survive was just absolutely exploding, and so I jumped on that bandwagon and started understanding the sport more so.
As I was growing up, I was familiar with it, but really didn't have the understanding to be able to appreciate it. And now, of course all I do every
day is is Formula one in motorsports, So it's it's come kind of full for me.
That's unbelievable. I mean, your rise to the top is
pretty incredible, which I think is really a tribute to you must have a lot of besides the hard work natural ability to to lead this. This is a huge job,
you know, it's it is.
So kind I can ask it. I can't think of
anything that is this big, like in terms of the sprawl and the amount of fires that you must have to put out until you get to the Olympics, right, because it goes across the entire town. It's so much
more than just a Dolphins game or even the super Bowl must have been.
Yeah. Look, I think the super Bowl in its own
right is absolutely massive and takes over an entire city, much like much like we do to a certain extent.
I think, you know, the hardest part we talk about obstacles and fires that we put out. I think the
most challenging piece of this is that you know we are Our venue is hard Rock Stadium, and hard Rock Stadium in its own right, it's also a massive global entertainment destination that hosts major events around the year. And
so we're actually celebrating the fortieth anniversary this year for Hardrock Stadium, and it we have more events this year than we've ever had in last forty years. Well, so
our obstacles and our challenges and the fires we put out is how do we build the you know, temporary city that we build up for three days across this campus.
Uh and do that in a way that doesn't disrupt everything else that we do here at hard Rock Stadium.
So it's a it's a balancing act really of like balancing priorities between you know, what's coming up next at hard Rock Stadium and how do we make sure we can make it all happen. But all credit goes to
the incredible operations team that we have here at hard Rock Stadium. I really couldn't imagine doing it without them.
How many people are on that team on.
The event operations team alone, Yes, we've got We've got five full time bodies just on event operations for South Florida Motorsports. So that's our hard k Like that's the
Mimy GP side of the business. There's an entire state
operations team on top of that, then then runs the entire stadium and they kind of come together to join team.
We've got about seventy plus people that just work on the Miami GP full time year round, and then we span to the rest of the enterprise and are lucky enough to pull on that resource throughout the year. But
really after you know, the last two weeks of March we actually host Miami Open ATPWTA tournament here, So once that is over, you really start to feel like April first comes around and I just feel the entire support of the entire organization coming to support the GP and everyone's got a role for the race and we're all leaning in at one hundred percent to make sure that we execute a world class event.
Yeah, I can't imagine you get any sleep because you have to deal with logistics, hospitality, ticketing, obviously, race direction, you know, safety, fan experience, on site execution. You're dealing
with Formula one management, FIA, team sponsors, local authorities, VIP Like, I guess the list just doesn't end. How do you
how do you organize all of that?
You know, there are there are lists, a long list of key stakeholders that we that we manage. You know,
I think the the in the most you know, simplistic way, we try to make sure that there is one human being accountable for one task. And that sounds silly, but
higherarchy in this type of format when you're running this type of event doesn't work well, or at least that's what we've learned, and so it's not about hierarchy. Everybody
is on the same page and on the same team, and our goal is to make sure that we have individualized each task and roll into a certain department. So
I've got a total of eighteen departments under me that help execute a function of the race. So I don't
have a bunch of layers in between that. It's just
I have a sporting department that they take care of all sporting elements. I've got a guest experience element and
they take all care of all of that. I've got
a partnership. You know, you function out every single accountability
for the race, and that way, when I when you need something, you know exactly who's accountable for that type of for that type of role, you pick up the phone and you solve your problems rather than having to go through a bunch of layers of communication. I think
simplifying the communication and simplifying the accountability is really is really the easiest way to execute that because you don't need a bunch of layers that complicate the message, and you just honestly want to get to execution mode as quickly as possible.
That makes so much sense. Are you, you know, your
first year in are you thinking in terms of how do we want to make the Miami race very distinct from the race in Austin, the race in Vegas? Are
you thinking in those terms or are you thinking in terms of you leave in your own mark on the race?
Tell us a little bit about like the vision or your vision.
Yeah, you know, I've seen I've been a part of the Miami GPE since the beginning, and so it's been interesting to see from you know, the different roles I've had within the organization, how the race has established itself.
And so in the last eight months in this seat, I've started to look at that in a different way to say, Okay, how how do we want to display ourselves to the audience that we have, not only like on site on race weekend, but also globally when it's broadcasted to all the all the territories. I think for us,
it's about showing up authentically as possible for Miami. I
think that's what people expect of us, and it's something that we've stayed true and year in, year out, like since year one, we've highlighted Miami in its own way.
And so you know, year one, we I think, you know, got a lot of comments about our fake marina that we added into the campus with the real yachts and the fake water, and it's just awesome to see, how, you know, something that we would have just just dreamed about, you know in year one, about bringing that in to highlight Miami the different way and to experience a race, like an event in a different way, especially motorsports events.
So I think for us, like the way that I think about us as the Miami GP now and also going forward is in a couple of ways, like our priority number one is to deliver a world class motorsports racing event, right like that is at it's pinnacle. That
is what we're doing.
What about the track? How about the track? Has that
changed since you took over and how much input do you have on you know, what the track looks like, you know, the runoff the design versus what F one and FIA put into it.
Yeah, so the track hasn't changed. We we were very
very satisfied with the track that we have and of course work together with Formula one and the FIA on any changes that they may see fit for us, and we work together with them in partnership on track design.
We absolutely do control that. So the aqua runoffs that
you guys see on TV with the Miami script and uh, you know the palm fronds, that's that's absolutely our doing and we've done that since year one. Honestly, in terms
of changing that, we've thought about it, but it's so true to our brand colors and who we are. And
you know, it's actually funny that you asked that because I went around, you know, at a couple of races in the fall and sort of started asking people like, when you think of the Miami gram Prix, what do you think of? And the answers I kept coming get
kept that I kept getting was they think of palm fronts.
They think of aqua, pink and white, which is incredible because there's exactly our colors, and they think of sun, they think of the beach, and they think of boats, yachts and water. So it's just it's it was really
fun to see how that kind of all transpired and the feedback I was getting. But you know, to answer
your question two about you know, the things how we're thinking about positioning ourselves it's world class racing. Number two
is becoming and staying true and authentic to Miami and showcasing that and everything that we do. And then the
last is showcasing a touch of luxury and everything that we do right, Like, it doesn't matter where you're sitting in, what product you're in across the weekend, you will have a luxury experience in one shape or one shape or another in terms of how you experience a motorsports event.
So those are kind of the three things that we've really honed in on this year that is a bit different than how we've done in the past. And now
when we think about how we execute anything, it's like, Okay, what three pillars does it fit into? Like are we
focusing on the racing element, the luxury part, or the Miami part. And then ideally we're always trying to make
sure that it fits into all three categories.
What's the balance between making this truly a high end luxury experience and also making it accessible like to quote unquote normal race fans. Obviously there is some balance to
be had, and maybe luxury looks different in different ways.
Talk a little bit about that.
Yeah, look, I think for us, most importantly, it's the it's listening to the consumer and what the consumer wants, right, And so you're absolutely right that there is a balance, because there is a consumer that wants to literally never walk through a ga path and just come in, walk into their hospitality experience is see the race and leave and never be seen by a single person, right, So me, it's me, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's that would be me too.
But you cater to that type of client, and then of course you have you have the other complete opposite at scale that just you know, wants to come and experience everything, roam around on our entire campus and enjoy it at that for a price you're talking about. So
one of the things we did about last year was we started single day tickets, which was general just listening to feedback from our fans about the fact that they might not want to come all three days and a one day ticket at a much affordable price might be something that they're really interested in. And so we have
seventy five dollars tickets for Friday for you to come and experience the race, and then of course we scale that up all the way and we have a ticket price for everything in between that. So it's a fine balance.
But then even for that seventy five dollars ticket, you know, you're sitting in a grand stand on our campus, You've got you get to experience the entirety of our campus.
You know, at other grand prix, it's very it's very common that you're actually only sectioned into a zone within the racetrack, And it was very important for us from the beginning that you've got an experience where you can It's almost like Disney World. You can walk around everywhere,
and every type of zone you walk into gives you a new identity, a new experience, new entertainment, new programming, new food and beverage, all that kind of stuff. So
from our perspective, it was all about kind of balancing that but also touching adding luxury touch points through through it all.
I want to come and for the I mean, I'm happy to watch the race on TV. Hannah and I
always talk about the fact that when we do races, we just want to see from the flag drop until the flag at the end. I just want to see
the best view. But I want to come to see
I want to try all the food, I want to see all the concerts you put on. I want to
see the celebrities there. I want to see the art installations.
I want to like go shopping at the brands that are active, like I would want to do. Three days
wouldn't be enough for me. I would want to come
for a week. Do you guys leave some of that
stuff in place? Like I can't get to every restaurant
in just a few days. So does it does it longer?
Does it start early and linger later?
You know, I really wish that that was the case, because you know, I drive around as we're building up now on a nightly basis, and I'm seeing the like magnitude of this build and I, you know, I think to myself, like there's a there's another level of crazy going on here that we build this all up for three days and we take it all down. So while
I wish that we could goes back to Hardrock Stadium and the venue that we have, and you know, four weeks after this Grand Prix will be completely loaded out and we will transform this campus back to a FIFA venue for World Club World Cup Games this summer. So
while while I wish we could leave it up, unfortunately that's not quite the case here at hard Rock Stadium.
It's brutal, brutal the time, brutalized online the circus moving is brutal.
Yeah, but you know what, I think a little bit of that is also just programmed into the form of the world of Formula one, Right you think about that that that's really the case everywhere at twenty four races around the world. You know, some of them obviously have
permanent facilities, but a lot of them don't. And you know,
the teams pack up all their kits in their garages and their cars and their team hospitality and they you know, transfer to the next So it's a it's really the just the logistical operation that Formula one is. It's it's
it's it's an impressive beast.
Do you feel like this year there are extra eyes on the race at all because it's the first race in the US on the calendar, and also we have like an Americ quote unquote an American team. Obviously we
had team has but Cadillac joining is like, you know, for to some extent, although Cadillac would argue with that because we have out out you know too. I mean,
are there is there extra hype this year? Because of
these new entrants or or not necessarily is.
This we we definitely felt an uptick in demand and hype this year than we have seen compared to last year.
I think it's your credit goes to Formula one and how they've continued to you know, boost the sport in the United States. We see, you know, the success that
the Apple movie had, and uh, you know, we see it in our attendance numbers that you know, more and more of our attendees are not only like from the US, but also from the state of Florida. So while and
all these things like, they're all adding to generate more excitement around the race. So we're very excited to be
the first American race on the calendar and to welcome everyone back from a four from a four week break of course adds to that level of excitement from everyone that wants to like just get back to racing, right.
So I think from that perspective, we're expecting a really big weekend, But it doesn't really change our plans in anything that we're doing, because ultimately we start planning right after the GPS over for the entire year. We've been
executing our plans now for the last couple of months. So,
you know, I think all of the additional levels Cadillac, the you know, Apple coming on board, their activations, and how they're investing in this sport, all of those pieces all add up to just like an increased level of excitement and demand in the US for Formula one.
Yeah.
We actually we were going through our mail bag here and one of the people who rode in, Bill C.
I'll just call him, says that this is the first year that he's interested because Cadillac and Audi are involved, and he's watched Drive to Survive and he previously was into IndyCar and he said that they are doing great with Fox. But you remind me, and Bill reminds me
that Apple is making this more accessible to any everyone than it ever has been in America at least. Do
you work closely with them? I mean, are they also
going to be working around the clock for these three days to broadcast as much as they can from Miami.
Yeah, So we've got a great relationship with them. They've
jumped in since that, you know, the news broke that they were going to take over the broadcast rights in the United States, and it's been really fun to see how they're leaning in on more than just you know, Apple TV. I think I'm not sure if you've you've
checked Apple Maps lately, but they've started updating track maps for every track and so ours super cool. Ours just
went live a couple of days ago, and you can actually see an updated, like up like overlay and track like track map of everything that we're doing this year, which is just incredible. So it's been really fun to
see how they're continuing to bring in more of their entities and more of their business platforms to continue to help amplify their their partnership and investment in Formula One.
That's so cool. Can you give us any insight into
how ticket sales are doing compared to last year?
Yeah, I mean we are expected to be sold out here in the next couple of days, so we are tracking and pacing above where we were last year, which is really exciting. But again, it just continues to speak
to that level of demand and excitement we're seeing for Formula one racing in the United States this year, so it's all been really encouraging. I think part of that
also has to do with the fact that I think we're heading into now our fifth year of hosting this Grand Prix, and there's a level of establishment that we've now kind of hit in not only the F one calendar, but also within the industry and also within just the local self florid of community. So it's you know, we're
we're now a major staple on the calendar, but also within all the other events that happened to Miami. You know,
everyone's aware that the Miami Grand Prix is back first week in May. So it feels it feels good. We're
a week, i think almost six days out now from opening gates, and it feels it feels good.
I have to say, this is the first time I've ever gotten goosebumps looking at Apple Maps. I just opened
it up, Catherine, and it is so cool to like, you zoom into the hard Rocks Stadium and there's the track and it shows you. It illustrates every turn, it
shows you where your arena is, the F one fan zone.
Yeah, that is awesome. It's super cool. It's it's it's honestly,
it's just been interesting to see how they, you know, can app actually amplify what they're doing with all the other business platforms. I mean, it's it's there's more coming.
I'm sure that we don't even know about yet. So
it's just exciting to see how they're going to continue to lean in.
It's for a fan, so sorry, but this is so helpful because like if I'm in the lofts and I want to go to like the hard Rock Beach Club, or if i want to go to like the audi uh.
Fantasy, like you're seeing, you're seeing all the all the bits and pieces of the campus. Now you know exactly
what's what's going on.
Yeah, that's so cool. Sorry, Annah, Yeah, that's fine.
I I I know we have the letter letter run loose.
But my last question for you, Katerina was where are you going to watch the race? Are you going to
be up at a tower somewhere or like down walking around putting out fires?
You know, hopefully there are no fires for me to put out on race weekend. That means everything's going smoothly
and we're able to enjoy and watch the race. My
my mom will be here and my uncle will be here who actually introduced many years ago. So I plan
to watch the start of the race with them and then probably have to get back to some meetings with with all the you know, key stakeholders we have here at the race, but I plan to watch the start of the race with them.
We can't let you go without asking you who you're rooting for. I mean, obviously uncle is part of the
t so I'm guessing you're still a.
Fer fan now, you know what, I root for everybody. Honestly,
I think I think as the you know, as a promoter, you just want to see all of the teams just like love what we're doing here. And you know, every
single team has given us so many compliment and has just been like embraced what we do here. So it's
just been it's been really fun to see how they enjoy what we execute for them and welcomed us into into their kind of crazy circus. So all around, all around,
big fans of all of them.
Well that's a very diplomatic answer. Thank you so much
for joining us, Katerina Novak ahead of F one Miami Grand Prix. We'll see you in a week.
Thank you.
Excited to see you guys soon.
That was Katerina Novac, the head of Mimy F one.
Let's go to break and when we come back, we'll hear about Matt's latest trials and tribulations of driving a very random assortment of ours. Welcome back to Hot Pursuit.
Now we want to dive into some listener emails. Thanks
for emailing us, for writing in. Let's get to it.
We Well, I just say we have a ton of emails, and I first want to say that we appreciate every single email that we get, like I read all of them, and I try and respond to Yeah. Well no, I
read everyone. Obviously, I try and respond to as many
as I can. I have to catch up a little
bit here, and that's why I think it would be cool.
That's why I thought it would be cool for us to do this mail bag vision, so I can catch up live, you know, on the podcast, so to speak.
One of the coolest, or to me, most interesting emails that we've gotten recently is from a guy I don't know if I should say his whole name, I'll say Thomas W.
Yeah.
Tom W wrote in from Buffalo and he says, you know, he drives a lot for work and he's been listening to our podcast on these drives. He also has two
kids who are the same age as mine. So he
has two boys, five and two. I have two girls,
five and two. Maybe they can someday get together. But
he's looking for an SUV, high performance SUV that will work for like his job and his life at home.
He's going to have to put car seats I imagine rear facing, because he loves his kids just as much as I do. And so that's the first big issue,
right putting Well well wait.
Wait, wait, just a second, wait, just a second. You
skipped over the best part because he also said, like Hannah, I'm a millennial. I enjoy running, and I appreciate the
finer things in life. So having real wooden, real leather,
and frameless windows are also important things. Okay, go ahead, right, Well,
that's get skipped over. These are very important. No, you're
right man.
But and also that he's tall like both of us. Right,
he's six foot two, which is about the same height as me, and so he's going to have the same problems I imagine that I have. He has a list
of SUVs that he's looking at, and they're all great, right, the Aston Martin DBX, the Bentley ben Tega as ugly as it is, still is cool. The Porsche Khai en GTS.
I think that's probably the bench mark for high performance SUVs.
He's also gotten out.
I disagree with that. I really disagree with that. You
driven every one, every one of these. Yes, of course
I wouldn't put the Cayenne.
All right, let me just finish the list here and I'll say so, Yeah, Audi R s Q eight, which is what I mean. I think it's the most stylish
one on the list. The Mercedes Benz g L E
sixty three MG, and the BMW X six M. Now
let me ask you, of that list, which one do you think should be the standard Hannah for me?
I'm here, I'm here. I'm taking this in very very soon. Now,
I think the Lamborghini is the benchmark. And I've said
that twice the price of all these, say, just for the rec I'm just saying for the record, now, I actually would strongly consider the dB X or the X six M, maybe leaning toward the X six M. Actually,
all things considered, drive law, feel, price value, residual value, I would probably give the edge to the xix M.
I think I would not. So we should also say
he wants to spend about one hundred grand on a used vehicle, right, which I think is a sensible amount, and he could probably grab any of these for that.
To me, the ky Enne or the Audi rs Q eight make the most sense. And in terms of style,
I love the Audi. I love the interior.
I was just gonna say the Audi is the probably the least stylish.
Oh, I like I really, I really like the way it looks. I think it's to me it's the either
that or the Aston Martin are the best looking vehicles on here. But the difference between those is that the
Audi has an interior you can actually use all the time and like the enfotainment system will work, and it's the Audi. The powertrain is amazing on the Audi as well.
Yeah, I mean the Audi and the Cayenne aren't really that different. No, the thing about the Audi is it
is so calmon. They are really forgettable. And to me,
the BMW is actually a little bit more distinctive, a little more interesting. It's got an edge, it's got a
point of view. That is what I would And I
think I need to check this because I'm just seeing this for the first time, but I think the residual values on the X six M are probably stronger then for well, for sure the Acid Martin and the Bentley.
Yeah, loses a lot of money. Well, I don't know
about the DBX. I know that the sports cars and
the GT cars lose a lot of money as soon as you buy them. But I think you're also bound
to have niggles like issues with the DBX that you don't want to have you if this is your work vehicle as well. The BMW, to me, I'm just not
I love BMW cars across the range. Every time I
get in one, and I'm in one right now, I saiventh for the week, and it's it's really rewarding, but I just don't think that they stand out to me beyond the kienne Is. I mean, it's gonna tick pretty
much every single box. It's gonna work perfectly all the time,
and I don't think you could possibly regret it. The Audi,
I just love the way the infotainment, the dash comes down into the console. But what I was going to
point out earlier is that if you want to put rear facing car seats in the seat behind you tom and then put your seat all the way back, You're never gonna be able to do that. There's just not
enough room in these, So you have to either make the choice between front facing car seats, which I wouldn't recommend for your two year old or a stylish two row high performance suv because there just isn't enough room in the second row in any of these.
Now, Matt, this is interesting because don't you own a g L E.
I have a GLS and that's why.
We have a GLS and we exactly want we Yeah, we haven't even touched this Mercedes bins and in the past three minutes of talking about this question, it's I think I think that's interesting.
Well, to be so, from from my perspective, I just don't know because I haven't driven a g L E sixty three. I'm sure that they're amazing vehicles, but my
experience with Mercedes has been they will like take an arm and a leg and you're first born as soon as you show up at the dealership. Like you know,
I think a lot of these high end vehicles, I don't want to single out Mercedes Benz, but they tend to have a planned obsolescence so that they work perfectly for the for the first leaseholder. And then you've got
an air suspension that's thousands to fix. If you need
to change the brakes, that's going to be thousands of dollars.
In mind, the climate control is unfixable by the people at the Mercedes Manhattan dealership, which is, you know, a company owned store. So to me, they're just so complicated
that it's just it's too much of a headache. Whereas
I don't know about the Cayenne, but with my nine to eleven, I had it for ten years and never had one single mechanical issue like it worked or electrical.
It worked perfectly the entire time. And I think Portia
has that reputation for reliability that is worth the premium.
And then.
Yeah, I don't have an experience Audi for many years, but I'm sure I feel like they also are going to be pretty expensive when you take them the dealership.
That's why I think the Porsche really wins out for me.
Yeah, I understand that I'm not going to quibble with you on your statements about the Kyene being reliable and you know, well made and fast and drives great, et cetera, et cetera. I think for me, why I give the
BMW the edges again, just because it looks a little bit more distinctive, it has a point of view the Cayenne, and I get that I'm very, very biased because of where I live. I live, and I drive through Hollywood
and West Hollywood and Beverly Hills, and it's it's a lot of Cayennes and they really all blend together. To me,
the BMW is a little more distinctive. But also it's
got a little bit of a chip on its shoulder.
And maybe you don't want that. Maybe you don't want
that edge. You know, people people have things to say
about beam or drivers. Maybe you don't want that. But
I think it's cool.
Yeah, Well, I mean I haven't. I don't think i've
driven the X six either, so but you know, obviously I think the X the X five. You could make
the argument that a BMW X five is also the benchmark in you know, xury SUV's. It's good, but there's
just not a lot of room in the second row.
I mean, even a range rover doesn't have enough room in the second row. If it's not the long model
to put a rear facing car seat behind a driver's seat and move your driver's seat all the way back.
It's just tough to find that in a two row suv.
All right, let's move on to another email, because yeah, so we've got a ton of emails, and one of them, a few of them are making fun of my love for the Nissan Armada. By the way, Tom w check
out the Nissan Armada.
Thank you, thank you readers for taking my side on this, he says.
He says, Matt, isn't it interesting that you're willing to overlook the styling of this car but you won't buy a car with Frieda Egg headlights, which Tooche Toche. Somehow
I find the Friday Egg headlights on a nine to nine to six even uglier than any aspect of the Nissan Armada. I don't know why.
Well, okay, now I have to also just touch on this email we got from Dean, who has written a novel in which Lincoln's Cadillacs and Rolls Royce's all play parts, but foremost among them is a Mercedes been six hundred pullman.
Did you see this email, Matt?
Is it from Dean Oh, Dean C. You're talking about
Dean C?
Because yes, yes, it's The book is called Right of Your Life, and it's published under our pen name. I
think we can say the pen name, which is Portico Darwin. Yes,
so anybody looking to read a car related book about actually all five New York crime families.
Which you can get on Amazon and Apple.
Yes, I mean I'm interested. I'm interested in cars become characters.
I'm into it as well. I definitely got to check
out and and we've had the emails from Dean before, So Dean, thank you so much for listening, thank you for writing in. Dean C. That is, Dean B. Writes
in to talk about, you know, size creep, which is something that you know, people have been noticing it for a couple of decades now. But he sent a picture
of don't I guess this is his garage.
And he's got Oh my goodness, I'm seeing it.
He's got what looks like a nine to six four or or maybe it's a Carera three point two parked next to a Portia Panamera and the nine to eleven is i mean just dwarfed by the pan America.
It looks like an suv parked by a normal car.
That's what it looks like.
It wild, by the way, you know, the size creep thing.
Sometimes I'll see a classic like pony car, like a Mustang on the street. I mean, they really were small.
I have to mention one other.
J k.
Okay, not the dude from Jamiroquai, but somebody else. He said,
he and his wife joy our show, and they love it when we talk about EV's and F one. And
he was talking about something I said the other day, like, if you're a free market capitalist, which Americans were, you know previously before this current administration, before we became socialists versus protectionists, then what you want the market to choose?
And right now the market is saying, wow, and EV is a pretty good idea. And rather than using my
taxpayer dollars to subsidize your Tesla purchase, and he's saying, hang on a second, your taxpayer dollars have been sensitizing the oil industry for like our entire history. And I
think that's a fair that's a fair point. Obviously, fossil
fuel subsidies are and have been a big cost for this country. But you have to understand what we get
from that as well. And I mean you could say
the same thing about EV's, but we get the dollar as the world reserve currency. I mean, this is all
part of the UH Petro dollar agreement. Maybe maybe we
don't need.
To talk about this is an amazing email. No, it's
a did you did you email JK back?
No, see, I got to catch up on these things, so I'm gonna I'm going to email him back.
Yeah, this is a great email.
I agree, Yeah, I agree, it's an interesting discussion.
Maybe a shout out. Yeah, I mean thanks thanks JK
for this amazing email where it takes us a minute to digest it, but we are digesting it. I would
say that I'm.
Going to go this weekend as I sit and uh and watch Moto GP is in head f there in herez Spain this weekend. So as I watch, starting with
the free practice and heading through to the final race on Sundale, I'll answer all the emails.
All right, well, I'll be in the UK where I'm currently at and I've just had a wonder, Wait, what are you driving?
Their hands Castle? What are you guys driving around?
N MG A rental MG from six cars and it's yeah, yeah, it's it's great. It's actually it was cheaper to rent
a car. We planned to take the train because we
flew into London and it was actually cheaper to rent a car, cheaper and faster, so we did that. But
today we were on a coach tour with Andrew's Coach Tours, which was amazing. It was totally stress free because you know,
driving in the UK with all of their cameras and speed limits is.
Not wrong side of the road and everything.
It's honestly not fine.
Yeah but wait coach. So a coach tour is a bus, right,
it's a yeah.
It's a bus. And we were definitely the youngest ones
on the bus by probably fifteen, fifteen or twenty years and it was awesome. We went with Magnus's mom and
her friend Hillary and saw this old fourteenth century castle.
It was wonderful. On the way back we hit they
were pouring gin and on the bus nice. It was
very British. Yeah, it was kind of great.
That's excellent.
Highly recommend, do you guys.
I mean, I don't know if there's any kind of Turo there, but we've been focused on rental car stocks on the show because Avis has gone through the sun up and down. But and I was thinking, like, I
don't I don't use rental car companies anymore. I used
Turo everywhere I go in America, right, Oh, I've.
I've only used Turo once and that was to rent the cyber truck for a review, and that was a good experience. But yes, yeah, but I've never done it since.
Oh I use it all the time. I just when
I was down in Austin. I you know, every time
I see a range Rover on bring a trailer, I'm tempted.
Even though everyone in the world has bought a used range Rover for cheap and then lost way more money.
On the main, it seems like a nightmare.
It does seem like an but so I so I rented one in Austin. I think it was like a
twenty nineteen full blood range Rover, and now I don't really want one anymore.
You know. Good, So this was a success.
Yeah. Actually I had a fine I had a fine
time with it.
You know.
It had the Supercharge five leader motor, which was okay, but it just it doesn't compare to to my niece on Armada, my nizmo.
That does it. For this week's show, remember to follow
and subscribe The Hot Pursuit on Apple, Spotify, and anywhere else you listen. You can also send us your comments
email us at Hot Pursuit at Bloomberg dot next, and.
Check out Hanna's columns and stories on Bloomberg dot com and on the Bloomberg Business app. Go there for car reviews,
events and stories that you won't find anywhere else. Find
it all on Bloomberg dot com, slash Pursuit, slash autos.
I'm Matt Miller and I'm Hannah Elliott.
We'll be back in your podcast feed again next week
About this episode
Miami GP head Katharina Nowak talks through how F1’s fifth year at Hard Rock Stadium is being built like a “temporary city,” balancing world-class racing with Miami authenticity and luxury touches. She explains her event-ops structure, track changes (mostly brand-driven runoff/aesthetics), ticket demand (tracking above last year, nearing sellout), and Apple’s expanded broadcast/track-map support. The hosts also debate modern F1 rules vs the Schumacher-era style of racing, then shift to a listener mailbag covering high-performance family SUVs, EV/fossil-fuel subsidy arguments, and more driving/rental stories.
Matt and Hannah speak with Katharina Nowak, president of the Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix about the upcoming event. Plus, they answer listener questions.
