Overview
Formula 1 weekend in Melbourne has long blurred the lines between sport, fashion and spectacle — and in 2026, beauty is firmly back in the race. MECCA is returning trackside at the Formula 1 Qatar Airways Australian Grand Prix with a full-scale Beauty Pit Stop — a pop-up beauty garage inspired by the lightning-fast pit stops that keep cars race-ready.
2025's MECCA MAX Beauty Pit Stop Activation.
Set up in the Melbourne Junction precinct at Albert Park and open to fans of all ticket types, the activation reimagines the mechanics of race day for humans instead of cars. Think less tyre changes, more touch-ups: race-goers can drop in between sessions for complimentary express eye services designed for speed, impact and endurance — the kind of glam that can survive sun, crowds and 58 laps of racing.
The Pit Stop format is deliberately fast-paced. Rather than lingering makeovers, it's about quick turnarounds and high-performance results — a concept that mirrors the rhythm of the race itself. Alongside the express services, a curated edit of MECCA MAX products will be available to shop trackside, including a limited-edition Formula 1-inspired eye set created exclusively for the 2026 Grand Prix.
This marks the third consecutive year MECCA has gone trackside at the Australian Grand Prix, but the scale and ambition of the Beauty Pit Stop has grown with each return. Last year's activation proved a crowd favourite, offering shaded reset zones, complimentary touch-ups and bold, race-ready colour — and this year's iteration leans even harder into the idea of beauty as part of the event experience, not just an afterthought.
With Melbourne's Grand Prix consistently attracting one of the highest proportions of female fans on the global Formula 1 calendar, the Pit Stop also reflects a broader shift in how major sporting events are being designed — not just for spectatorship, but for participation, self-expression and culture beyond the track.
The MECCA MAX Beauty Pit Stop will run throughout the Formula 1 Qatar Airways Australian Grand Prix, from March 5–8, 2026. Consider it your quickest stop of the weekend — no booking required.
Images: MECCA | Groblox