MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — For the Miami Grand Prix, someone is in charge of all the strategic planning and the budget. Someone else oversees the construction of 163 temporary buildings needed for a Formula 1 race weekend. Someone else designs the seating areas and keeps track of food and beverage needs. Someone else makes sure that the rich and famous have everything they need and want, from the right drink to the right kind of throw pillow.
These jobs make the race happen.
And in Miami, they’re all being done by women.
It’s something that the Miami Grand Prix believes sets its race apart. In a sport and a circuit still dominated by males — there hasn’t been a woman behind the wheel for a Formula 1 race since 1992 — it will be difficult this weekend to find an element of the event that isn’t overseen by a woman.
“I’m so proud,” said Katharina Nowak, the Miami race's vice president of business operations. “The amount of talent, whether male or female, that we have in that room, it just makes you want to be better. Every day, we push ourselves to just continue to maintain the standard at which we all expect to be working at, which just pushes everybody to be better for each other because no one wants to let anyone down.”
There are men on the masthead for the race's local overseers: Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross owns the race, Tom Garfinkel is the managing partner and Tyler Epp is president of the race that takes place at the Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium campus. From there, many other top Miami roles are held by women, including:
— Nowak — only 28 years old — reports to Epp as the race's second-in-command and oversees all strategic plans, the budget and 17 internal departments. She also speaks four languages.
— Natalie Clark is the senior director of event operations, overseeing the process of building, loading in and loading out, which means she tracks what every truck is bringing onto the campus and where it goes.
— Sydney McClain is the senior director of events and food and beverage, meaning she creates virtually the entire fan experience on the 250-acre campus.
— Melanie Cabassol is vice president of hospitality and curated experiences, meaning she creates the atmosphere for premium clients — a list that in past years has included the likes of LeBron James, Patrick Mahomes, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.
“I’ve worked at other places before, and it hasn’t been that I’m sitting around a conference table and a majority of women are driving different initiatives within this business,” McClain said. “So, it is very unique. It’s very exciting. And I think that we owe a lot of that to the female leaders that have been here, been in our shoes before, and that have helped pave the way for us.”
The race, now in its fourth year, is part of a diverse series of events at the Hard Rock campus. It's primarily the home of the Dolphins, who have their training facility adjacent to the stadium. It also plays host to Miami Hurricanes football, concerts, soccer — the Club World Cup later this year and the FIFA World Cup next year will hold some matches there — and the Miami Open tennis tournament. The F1 race alone has generated more than $1 billion in economic impact in its first three years.
The women leading the Miami race aren't alone in their fields. At F1, the chief commercial officer is Emily Prazer and, until late last year, Sacha Woodward Hill had been there for nearly 30 years as the chief legal officer.
But Miami stands out, said Susie Wolff, the managing director of F1 Academy — an all-female developmental racing series.
“I think it’s something which we can all take quite an amount of pride in, that the sport has shifted in such a way that it’s now the case that it is not regarded as something unusual,” Wolff said. "I don’t see it as unusual. I think is a testament to the progress we’ve made.”
This week in Miami takes the other 51 weeks on the calendar to prepare for. Eight months of planning, three months of executing the plan and then one month of it all actually happening.
Part of Clark's job, along with overseeing 245 tent structures and 110 generators and 35 miles of plumbing infrastructure — all of it temporary and hidden — also is to work with architects and construction companies who execute what she draws up for a plan.
“I think when I was younger in my career, I got a little bit of, ‘Who is she? Why is she in the meeting? Why does she have these construction plans?’" Clark said. “And what happens over time is they hear you speak, your confidence, and once people understand that you are a master at your craft, there’s less questions being asked.”
Cabassol leaves nothing to chance in her job. She's in charge of the most luxurious spaces on the campus, the Palm Club, the Casa Tua Trackside Club and the 72 Club. The original blueprints for those spaces were her vision. Every glass, every bottle of Champagne, every element of those spaces gets her approval.
They call her group a "white glove team,” VIP service for VIP guests. She even manages a secret road of sorts on the campus — Palm Alley, they call it, a palm tree-lined path that drops off some of the world's richest people 10 feet from the entrance. Inside the club, there are the strictest of rules: no entourages, no private security, the VIP and one guest only. No cameras, no media.
Cabassol and her group know the likes and dislikes, what kind of food, what kind of drink, every guest will want ahead of time by dealing with the VIPs' own teams. If there is a Palm Club guest who doesn't like another Palm Club guest, they even have a plan to keep those people away from each other. Everybody must enjoy themselves, no matter what.
She makes it work. So do Nowak, Clark, McClain and many others.
“What has happened here is they've brought the right people together to create, the right team to execute the vision," Cabassol said. "I guess I would say I’m proud to represent women in this space, but I’m even more proud to be a part of the team that recognizes and elevates talent that collaboratively work together in this environment.”
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
FILE - Drivers get ready for the start of the sprint shootout ahead of the Formula One Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps racetrack in Spa, Belgium, Saturday, July 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert, File)
U.S. President Donald Trump says Iran has proposed negotiations after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic as an ongoing crackdown on demonstrators has led to hundreds of deaths.
Trump said late Sunday that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports mount of increasing deaths and the government continues to arrest protesters.
“The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night.
Iran did not acknowledge Trump’s comments immediately. It has previously warned the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has accurately reported on past unrest in Iran, gave the death toll. It relies on supporters in Iran cross checking information. It said at least 544 people have been killed so far, including 496 protesters and 48 people from the security forces. It said more than 10,600 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests.
With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.
The Latest:
A witness told the AP that the streets of Tehran empty at the sunset call to prayers each night.
Part of that stems from the fear of getting caught in the crackdown. Police sent the public a text message that warned: “Given the presence of terrorist groups and armed individuals in some gatherings last night and their plans to cause death, and the firm decision to not tolerate any appeasement and to deal decisively with the rioters, families are strongly advised to take care of their youth and teenagers.”
Another text, addressed “Dear parents,” which claimed to come from the intelligence arm of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, also directly warned people not to take part in demonstrations.
The witness spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing crackdown.
—- By Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Iran drew tens of thousands of pro-government demonstrators to the streets Monday in a show of power after nationwide protests challenging the country’s theocracy.
Iranian state television showed images of demonstrators thronging Tehran toward Enghelab Square in the capital.
It called the demonstration an “Iranian uprising against American-Zionist terrorism,” without addressing the underlying anger in the country over the nation’s ailing economy. That sparked the protests over two weeks ago.
State television aired images of such demonstrations around the country, trying to signal it had overcome the protests, as claimed by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi earlier in the day.
China says it opposes the use of force in international relations and expressed hope the Iranian government and people are “able to overcome the current difficulties and maintain national stability.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Monday that Beijing “always opposes interference in other countries’ internal affairs, maintains that the sovereignty and security of all countries should be fully protected under international law, and opposes the use or threat of use of force in international relations.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned “in the strongest terms the violence that the leadership in Iran is directing against its own people.”
He said it was a sign of weakness rather than strength, adding that “this violence must end.”
Merz said during a visit to India that the demonstrators deserve “the greatest respect” for the courage with which “they are resisting the disproportional, brutal violence of Iranian security forces.”
He said: “I call on the Iranian leadership to protect its population rather than threatening it.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman on Monday suggested that a channel remained open with the United States.
Esmail Baghaei made the comment during a news conference in Tehran.
“It is open and whenever needed, through that channel, the necessary messages are exchanged,” he said.
However, Baghaei said such talks needed to be “based on the acceptance of mutual interests and concerns, not a negotiation that is one-sided, unilateral and based on dictation.”
The semiofficial Fars news agency in Iran, which is close to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, on Monday began calling out Iranian celebrities and leaders on social media who have expressed support for the protests over the past two weeks, especially before the internet was shut down.
The threat comes as writers and other cultural leaders were targeted even before protests. The news agency highlighted specific celebrities who posted in solidarity with the protesters and scolded them for not condemning vandalism and destruction to public property or the deaths of security forces killed during clashes. The news agency accused those celebrities and leaders of inciting riots by expressing their support.
Canada said it “stands with the brave people of Iran” in a statement on social media that strongly condemned the killing of protesters during widespread protests that have rocked the country over the past two weeks.
“The Iranian regime must halt its horrific repression and intimidation and respect the human rights of its citizens,” Canada’s government said on Monday.
Iran’s foreign minister claimed Monday that “the situation has come under total control” after a bloody crackdown on nationwide protests in the country.
Abbas Araghchi offered no evidence for his claim.
Araghchi spoke to foreign diplomats in Tehran. The Qatar-funded Al Jazeera satellite news network, which has been allowed to work despite the internet being cut off in the country, carried his remarks.
Iran’s foreign minister alleged Monday that nationwide protests in his nation “turned violent and bloody to give an excuse” for U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene.
Abbas Araghchi offered no evidence for his claim, which comes after over 500 have been reported killed by activists -- the vast majority coming from demonstrators.
Araghchi spoke to foreign diplomats in Tehran. The Qatar-funded Al Jazeera satellite news network, which has been allowed to work despite the internet being cut off in the country, carried his remarks.
Iran has summoned the British ambassador over protesters twice taking down the Iranian flag at their embassy in London.
Iranian state television also said Monday that it complained about “certain terrorist organization that, under the guise of media, spread lies and promote violence and terrorism.” The United Kingdom is home to offices of the BBC’s Persian service and Iran International, both which long have been targeted by Iran.
A huge crowd of demonstrators, some waving the flag of Iran, gathered Sunday afternoon along Veteran Avenue in LA’s Westwood neighborhood to protest against the Iranian government. Police eventually issued a dispersal order, and by early evening only about a hundred protesters were still in the area, ABC7 reported.
Los Angeles is home to the largest Iranian community outside of Iran.
Los Angeles police responded Sunday after somebody drove a U-Haul box truck down a street crowded with the the demonstrators, causing protesters to scramble out of the way and then run after the speeding vehicle to try to attack the driver. A police statement said one person was hit by the truck but nobody was seriously hurt.
The driver, a man who was not identified, was detained “pending further investigation,” police said in a statement Sunday evening.
Shiite Muslims hold placards and chant slogans during a protest against the U.S. and show solidarity with Iran in Lahore, Pakistan, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
Activists carrying a photograph of Reza Pahlavi take part in a rally supporting protesters in Iran at Lafayette Park, across from the White House, in Washington, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Activists take part in a rally supporting protesters in Iran at Lafayette Park, across from the White House in Washington, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Protesters burn the Iranian national flag during a rally in support of the nationwide mass demonstrations in Iran against the government in Paris, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
