Round 3. Miami. 33°C, 97% humidity, and a constant threat of tropical rain.
This time the Parc Fermé crew rolled six deep. The usual suspects - Lydia, Ollie, and Jazz - were joined by wildcard Alice and two additional recruits: Christina, an occasional PF shooter, and Jesse, a fresh face on the team. Plus, our honorary member and F1 Academy’s social admin, Frankie.
Wednesday: Ice Cream, South Beach, and Shake Shack #1
We kicked the week off in Little Havana, shooting with AMEX and their F1 Academy driver Nicole. First stop, an ice cream shop run by the most joyful mother-son duo. The air was thick with sugar, music, and colour. Just across the street, locals spend slow days drinking Cuban coffee over endless games of dominos. Miami at its best.
Next up, a photoshoot in South Beach with the 2025 rookies. Sun, sand, and soaking from a rogue wave. After drying off, team lunch and some quick edits, we were on our way back to Little Havana for the last shoot of the day. A lively PUMA event with F1 Academy and Ferrari drivers Maya, Aurelia, Charles, and Lewis. Casual.
Back at base, the rest of the crew had arrived in Miami. We hit the mall for a little team bonding - an aggressive game of table tennis and our first Shake Shack of the week. The beginning of a beautiful routine.
Thursday: Media Slay and Red Carpets
Day one at the Hard Rock Stadium. Cameras were rolling, media duties were flying, and the team was decked out in Parc Fermé caps like the on-brand pros we are. Lydia, Ollie, and Jazz ditched the paddock for the premiere of Formula 1: The Academy - red carpet, big names, flashing cameras, and a first look at episode one. A glam end to the day… followed by a not-so-glam midnight wrap-up.
Friday: Split Squad
The self-declared A Team - Lydia, Ollie, and Jazz - were up with the sun and back on track. The B Team - Alice, Christina, and Jesse - had a slightly breezier start, shooting a Female Quotient event with an ocean view. Not bad. We regrouped for lunch at the circuit, then tackled the afternoon’s FP2 session together. Dinner? Shake Shack, again. At this point, it was basically tradition.
Saturday: Pole Positions, Panel Talks, and (You Know Where)
Qualifying kicked off the day with a standout moment: Chloe Chambers on pole at her home race, and later, Doriane took the win in the first F1 Academy race of the weekend. That evening, Lydia swapped her usual spot behind the camera for a seat on stage - speaking on a panel about her career and photography in motorsport. The rest of us (and Frankie, obviously) went to - you don’t even need us to say it anymore.
Sunday: Rain, Cheesecake, and Not Lydia’s Birthday
The final race day was hit by a tropical storm. The F1 Academy feature race was postponed, but spirits stayed high. We wrapped up edits in the afternoon, packed our bags, and swapped out Shake Shack for a quirky little Mexican spot by the sea. Jazz learned the difference between tacos, enchiladas, and quesadillas (we’re proud). Then the pièce de résistance: we surprised Lydia with a fake birthday celebration. Why? Because she deserved one. A cheesecake taco arrived with a candle, a very enthusiastic waiter named Bruno sang Happy Birthday, and the boss was suitably mortified, in a good way.
We watched the sunset and walked off dinner with a moonlit beach stroll. Miami magic.
Monday: Jorts and Goodbyes
Monday hit like only a post-race Miami morning can — slow, sunny, slightly dazed. We rallied for one final brunch at Pura Vida (10/10), rehashed the week, and caffeinated accordingly. Before going our separate ways, the girls and Jazz made a ceremonial trip to the mall and emerged with matching jorts. A fitting end to the trip, and maybe the start of a new Parc Fermé uniform.
A week of great work, good people, and a frankly alarming amount of Shake Shack. Miami, you were chaos — and we loved it.
Next stop: Imola. Let’s go.
