Apple’s March 4 media event could be hiding a surprise for Formula 1 racing fans — and Vision Pro owners in particular. A widely read Apple commenter suggests the “Apple Experience” could show off immersive F1 racing on the Vision Pro headset.
Immersive F1 racing on Vision Pro
The timing is hard to ignore, according to John Gruber on his blog Daring Fireball. He floated an intriguing possibility: Apple could use its March 4 Apple Experience event to announce and possibly demo fast-and-furious immersive Formula 1 viewing on Apple Vision Pro. This wouldn’t come out of nowhere. Apple became Formula 1’s exclusive U.S. broadcast partner last October, a major deal that signaled the company’s serious ambitions in live sports.
The March 4 wrinkle stems from a reader tip about the calendar. The 2026 F1 season kicks off in Melbourne, Australia on March 8 — just four days after Apple’s event, which is set for 6 a.m. PT on March 4 and will be held simultaneously in New York, London and Shanghai.
Gruber is upfront that this is pure speculation rather than insider information. But he notes the timing seems “worth noting” and unlikely a pure coincidence.
Apple is already in the immersive sports game
Apple has been quietly building out its immersive sports capabilities on Vision Pro (read our review: The M5 Vision Pro is still the ultimate entertainment device). This season, a limited slate of Los Angeles Lakers games has been available with immersive viewing on visionOS. That’s some early proof Apple is committed to bringing live sports to life in ways a traditional TV simply cannot match.
Immersive Video itself has been around since 2024, initially debuting with a scripted short film before expanding to music content and select sporting events. F1 seems like a natural and spectacular next step for the format — the speed, the cockpit perspective, and the roar of the paddock are exactly the kind of experience immersive video was made for.
What Apple has — and hasn’t — said
Photo: Apple
Apple has built up F1 racing content on Apple TV, in addition to the Oscar-nominated F1: The Movie with Brad Pitt. The iPhone giant previously said further details on its F1 production plans and “new ways to enjoy F1 content” across its products would be coming in the months ahead.
That vague promise leaves the door wide open for a March 4 announcement, even if nothing is guaranteed.
A packed event either way
Even setting the F1 angle aside, the March 4 event looks potentially significant. Observers widely expect Apple to announce several new products. They could include iPhone 17e, MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, an eighth-generation iPad Air, and a 12th-generation iPad. Rumors also came up about a new low-cost MacBook powered by the A18 chip, a refreshed Studio Display, and possible updates to Apple TV and HomePod mini.
Whether or not immersive F1 makes an appearance on March 4, it feels like Apple will bring the full Vision Pro treatment to Formula 1 soon enough. For fans of both Apple and racing, that’s an exciting prospect.
David Snow, an expert on Apple hardware and software, writes on a variety of technological and cultural topics for Cult of Mac. They include Apple news, technology buying guides, and features about computer setups and Apple TV shows and movies.
With 30 years of experience covering technology and other subjects, he has written and edited for numerous print and online publications, including CMP Media, TechTV.com, CNET, Wired News, Red Herring magazine, Law.com, The National Law Journal and Law Technology News magazine. Among other roles, he served as executive editor of the Law.com network of websites and editorial director, technology, for ALM Media.
Snow graduated with a B.A. from Syracuse University with majors in magazine journalism and psychology. While there, he worked as a reporter for The Daily Orange newspaper and associate editor of Equal Time magazine.
Founder of the blog At the Waterline, he can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) via @atthewaterline and on Mastodon via @dsnow.
