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In 2024, Andrew Harris achieved F1 Fantasy immortality by beating over 2.6 million teams to claim his first Global League crown. An aspiring actuary from California, Andrew's love of statistics inspired him to develop the game's first successful cost cap building strategy that allowed him to run powerful teams in the final weeks of the season.
To celebrate Andrew's victory, he and his father attended the Las Vegas Grand Prix as guests of Formula 1 in the Paddock Club. While not on the original list of options for his prize, Las Vegas stood out to Andrew and he successfully petitioned F1 to attend one the calendar's most unique races. "It was a complete surprise, and I’m glad I pushed a little to see if there was any flexibility because it landed me the exact Grand Prix I was hoping for", Andrew told FanAmp in an exclusive interview.
Andrew's Paddock Club access included the all-new Grand Prix Plaza, which offers unique karting and F1 history experiences to fans year round as well as the Trackside Tavern, a rooftop bar overlooking the pit lane with stunning views of the start/finish straight. "The Paddock Club also had many simulators where you could drive a Formula One car around the Las Vegas circuit. I tried them a few times on Thursday and Friday. It was fun driving around the track at high speeds, and it was much trickier than I expected"
A big perk of the Paddock Club is the daily pit lane tours, which brought Andrew closer to the action than ever before. "I was able to see the teams work on the cars inside their garages, watch crews open the garage for the day, and even see the safety car up close."
F1 Experiences always provide luxurious dining options for their guests and Andrew's father might have enjoyed this benefit more than the pit lane. "He joked many times that he was there for the food while I was there for the race. There were stations with fresh sushi, carved meats, gourmet sandwiches, made-to-order pasta, and a wide selection of desserts including pastries and chocolate treats."
You never know who you could bump into in the Paddock Club. Andrew shuttled to the circuit with Zak Brown and members of the McLaren team, rubbed elbows with IndyCar driver and F1 commentator, Conor Daly, and chatted with Felipe Massa's longtime race engineer, Rob Smedley, about career advice as someone who wants to break into motorsports. "Rob Smedley encouraged me to keep reaching out, applying for positions, and continuing to get my name out there."
As for the action on track, the Paddock Club provided many unique vantage points for Andrew. "For the race I was on the front stretch above the Alpine pit watching the action unfold from an elevated view. The Trackside Tavern also had many large screen televisions, so even when I was eating or when the F1 Academy Race was affected by rain, I could still enjoy the action in comfort."
Watching his favorite race in the Paddock Club was the perfect capstone to an unforgettable season for Andrew. "Closing out my chapter as the 2024 Global League Champion by attending the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix felt surreal. Winning the league was already a major achievement for me, but experiencing a Grand Prix in person added a sense of completion to the whole journey".
What's next for Andrew? For starters, he continues to dominate fantasy racing, claiming P4 in the Russell's Rivals Mini League and also taking P1 in GridRival's Fantasy NASCAR game. He remains active in the F1 Fantasy community while looking for work in motorsports to bring him even closer to the sport he loves.
Want exclusive interviews and analysis, tier lists, lineups, and expert advice to dominate your Formula 1 Fantasy league? Look no further than The Fantasy Formula, the premier F1 Fantasy show and community. Tune in all year for the best tips, tricks, and more!
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