My F1 All-Access Weekend: 72 Hours at the Las Vegas GP

THURSDAY

The day started at the famous Wynn Las Vegas Hotel. Despite getting in slightly late on Wednesday, Greg and I had made our way around to nearly all of the pop-ups, bar the ones at the Encore, Wynn and the Venetian. Almost every hotel in Vegas had some nod to the race weekend, whether it was a lone show car in the lobby or a full on pop-up for fans to immerse themselves in the race weekend action.

The Wynn and the Encore went with the latter approach, with both hotels sporting show cars and being home to Lewis Hamilton’s +44 pop-up situated right beside XS Nightclub. At 11:00am, it was incredible to see just how busy the lobbies were with fans hustling about, snapping photos and shopping. After collecting numerous fan interviews and admiring the effort and excitement being poured into the race weekend experience, our team had another very important commitment.

For our Insider series, we were able to secure an interview with Guenther Steiner, who was the former Haas team principal. Steiner has been an integral personality in helping Formula 1 grow the sport’s popularity because of his strong presence in the Netflix series: Drive to Survive. Steiner was hosting a live show in Las Vegas to promote his book, Unfiltered: My Incredible Decade In Formula 1. He’s done 86 different shows and continues to bring people into the sport by showcasing his unique personality and love for racing, so it was an honor to be able to chat about his career and help tell his story to even more fans!

After the interview, Greg headed to the F1 Academy Paddock with American Express for the Thursday track sessions. Amex was an incredible host and was able to bring him into Nicole Havrda’s garage to see her Platinum livery and the F1 Academy suite. The car design looked amazing under the Las Vegas lights.

Greg and the other Amex guests only stayed at the track for a short period of time before meeting back up with me at the ARIA Resort and Casino for the 1850 by Amex event where Aaron Paul was launching his caviar brand The Only. That event was such a surreal experience, and Amex went above and beyond to help the launch event be as successful as possible. Better still, the night didn’t end there!

It seems that Thursday night was a popular choice for launches and openings as next up on the list was the Carbone Riviera opening at the Bellagio in partnership with Resy. There we were able to indulge in some delicious hors d’oeuvres and admire the beauty of the Bellagio fountains as Free Practice 2 was finishing up on track and the day was coming to an end. 

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FRIDAY

Regardless of where the Grand Prix is taking place, Qualifying day is one of the more exciting moments of a Formula 1 race weekend. To kick off the day, Greg and I headed back to the Venetian where we were able to get into the F1 Hub store and check out everything they had to offer. The store itself was massive and the merchandise was some of the best race merch I’ve seen, not to mention the atmosphere and experience in the store was perfected to ensure fans have a seamless shopping day. For more on the F1 Hub store and other pop-ups, check out our thoughts here.

Once again, we were lucky enough to be with Amex for the majority of the day, this time to see what Card Members can expect with their free High Roller experience. Before Free Practice 3 started, Greg and I took part in the exclusive wine tasting experience. If you are a Platinum or Centurion Card Member, there was an opportunity to book a reservation at the High Roller to enjoy a CHANDON tasting experience in the sky. Accompanying the wine were some tasty snacks as well as a very knowledgeable guide who taught us all about the differences between champagne and sparkling wine and what to look for when purchasing a bottle for a special occasion. We timed the High Roller experience perfectly because we were still in the sky as Free Practice 3 started, allowing us to watch the cars speeding down the track under the Las Vegas lights. Everything about that experience was incredible, and it’s something I would recommend to anybody heading to the Las Vegas Grand Prix in future years.

After the High Roller event, I headed to the track to explore the Main Grandstand area as well as to soak in  the atmosphere from the Koval and East Harmon fan zones. The excitement of the cars on track and the overall vibe from the fans was so contagious. It didn’t matter that it was pouring with rain and freezing, because everyone seemed happy to be there. Ahead of the Qualifying start, I was able to duck into the Amex Fan Experience to check out what they had on offer. The Fan Experience area was open to everyone, allowing fans to come in and design their own livery, create personalized driver intros and more! It’s such a great way to pass the time during the breaks in between sessions.

I also headed to the Amex Trackside Lounge, which was a more exclusive viewing spot for Platinum or Centurion Card Members. The lounge is situated right at the start of Turn 1, giving fans an incredible view of the on-track action. Card Members need to book a reservation for this experience and it is recommended to do it as soon as possible as it is highly sought after.

After getting the full run down of all the trackside activities, I headed back to the main grandstand where I was able to just watch the Qualifying session as a fan. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time! There is no better feeling than being surrounded by people who are all brought together because of their same love of the sport. 

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SATURDAY

The moment we’ve all been waiting for… RACE DAY!

After spending the majority of the weekend at pop-ups and with Amex, Greg and I switched gears to doing something very exciting with MGM. The Bellagio Fountain Club was a high-end, very exclusive ticket option offered to fans during the Grand Prix weekend. The viewing location was right on a main straight, located in front of the famous Bellagio Fountains. Included in the ticket price was live DJs and music all weekend long, not to mention an exclusive dining experience with some of the world’s most famous chefs.

To get everyone excited for race day, MGM hosted some media personalities for a very special ceremonial kick-off event that included every chef participating in the Fountain Club experience. I never thought I’d be able to say that I saw Mark Wahlberg doing a shoey beside Wolfgang Puck! If you’re wondering what some of the chefs thought about this experience, check out our full recap here. 

To make sure we were truly encapsulating the fan experience at the race, Greg and I wrapped the pre-race day with some more fan interviews at the Cosmopolitan Hotel. The energy was palpable and it felt like it was amplified by ten in comparison to the other days that we were chatting with people. Their excitement and disappointment was infectious (Lewis Hamilton P20 start!!), so it was the perfect way to get into race mode!

When it came to watching the race, I was very lucky to have been invited by a friend to watch from Club Paris. The viewing experience there was incredible. There were numerous food and beverage options, not to mention that the view of the track sat opposite the Bellagio Fountain Club, allowing us to also see onto the main straight. My favorite part from the race was having the top three finishers drive by in their pink LEGO Cadillac car. Las Vegas never fails to go big with their celebrations and everyone loves to see it!

Spending only 72 hours in Las Vegas for the race was a surreal experience, but it was also one that I would recommend to any Formula 1 fan! Vegas knows how to encapsulate the race atmosphere, turning every hotel, shop, pop up or event into something that is Grand Prix-inspired. It was one of the most fun races I’ve ever attended and the off-track experience feels just as action packed as the on-track experience!

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Looking for more on the Las Vegas Grand Prix?

If you’re attending the Las Vegas GP now or in the future, we highly recommend checking out our other race guides to easily plan your trip and ensure you never miss out on all the activities and events happening throughout the race weekend!

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