Velocity Jamaica’s Formula 1 Watch Party series returns this Sunday, May 3, at 100, Hope Road, St Andrew, at 2:00 pm.

“We’re back and ready for the exciting Miami race,” Raheem Hall, of Velocity Jamaica, told the Jamaica Observer’s weekly Auto magazine.

Like the sport itself, the F1 Watch Party was interrupted by the hostilities currently taking place in the Middle East.

Velocity Jamaica held its first of the series in March for the F1 season-opener in Australia at Usain Bolt’s Tracks & Records, in St Andrew, only to have the Saudi Arabia and Bahrain GPs cancelled over safety concerns.

“We were anticipating the second one to be the Saudi Arabia GP. However, due to the ongoing global tensions that race was cancelled, and hence no watch party,” Hall explained.

Everyone is happy to get back to normalcy and deliver a premium viewing experience to F1 fans starving for action. This will mean discounts for fans wearing their favourite team’s shirt, even more giveaways during the broadcast, including a chance to win a trip to a Grand Prix courtesy of IMCA under their Mobil 1 brand.

Hall has promised a more elevated VIP-style atmosphere at the event due to sponsors CPJ, Jack Daniels, and the recently added Red Bull.

“[P]atrons can come out for the race and the experience. They can also expect a lot more from us, because we’ll be having insane prizes and surprises, as well as live entertainment before and after the show,” said Hall.

Velocity Jamaica has gained a reputation for hosting car events in the past few years, and the group held a test staging of an F1 Watch Party in November 2025.

Hall said they were amazed by the response and support, which gave them the confidence to transition the idea into a full series for 2026. There will be several F1 Watch Party events for 2026 at various locations to best serve the broadcast time of the races for patrons.

— Rory Daley

From left: Jonathan Granston, Justin Campbell, Daniel Fraser, Amaris Hutchinson, and Raheem Hall of Velocity Jamaica. (Photo: Rory Daley)