Speed, Glitz, and Glam: The 2024 Formula 1 Grand Prix at Las Vegas’ Paddock Club

For car aficionados and those who love shiny, sleek things that whiz by at hair raising, ear-shattering speed, there is nothing quite like experiencing Formula 1 in the capital of glitz and glam that is Las Vegas.

F1 made a huge investment in Vegas to establish a long-term presence in the city that never sleeps. The multi-year plan including building the F1 Paddock spanning about 300,000 square feet at a cost of approximately $500 million, makes clear that the ninth island’s landscape has been irrevocably altered, and in so doing has buttressed its reputation as the world’s entertainment capital.

The 3.853 miles F1 circuit with the strip’s neon lights and the new Sphere in full view contains 17 turns. At turns 12 and 14, speeds reach roughly 215 utterly thrilling miles per hour. There were over 300,000 in attendance this year in Vegas watching these maneuvers at the F1. 

When pioneering supercar company McLaren was seeking sponsorship, naturally the process was highly competitive. Ultimately, Mastercard won the beauty contest competition because, according to McLaren’s CEO Zack Brown, “Mastercard ticked every box: innovation, technology, massive consumer reach, diverse sponsorship portfolio and passion.” Since according to Brown, McLaren has “won the world championship in partnering, they’re hoping to win it in racing.” With 13 world championships for drivers and eight for constructors, the hope is for a match made in financial and speed heaven.

The Driving Talent

Clearly this year for McLaren, Ferrari is the team to beat. McLaren has Australian-born Oscar Piastri, who joined McLaren in late 2022. Known for his calmness and composure, Piastri has a truly remarkable presence that few mortals at age 40 possess, much less Piastri’s mere 23 years. This may in part be reflective of his earning $6 million a year. In Piastri’s first season in Formula 1, he scored 97 points and has been considered to be a good value for the McLaren team. 

McLaren’s senior driver is British-born Lando Norris. Currently 25 years old, and correspondingly, earning $25 million per year on a four-year contract, Norris became McLaren’s senior driver at 23. With three F1 Grand Prix wins across six seasons, Norris’ affable nature belies that he’s certainly a force with which to reckon.

The Paddock Club

Without a doubt, the location of the Paddock Club provides the best seats of the house. Right over the garage, guests can see engineers processing data and mechanics plying their trade without heading down to the Pit. Though you will most definitely want to experience the Pit and see the exciting activity up close and personal.

Costs for the three-day package including three nights at the Wynn Hotel and three-day passes for two to the Paddock Club run about $45,000 and includes full bars with top notch mixologists pouring premium liquors, wines and champagnes, excellent food prepared by highly trained staff, and unfailingly hospitable service. The menu of course changes nightly with items such as seared tuna tatami, filet of prime beef, and seared prawns with coconut green curry and many other gourmet delights. That such great food can consistently be prepared over the three-night event and in those numbers is quite remarkable.

One of the most exciting aspects of the Paddock Club is the ability to go down to the Pit and see where all the technical magic happens. McLaren for example has two MCL38s with 30 mechanics working on each one and 40 engineers. Another exciting option for those with a personal need for speed is taking a hot lap with a driver. For those wishing to take the wheels themselves, there are simulators in the Paddock where one can experience the thrill firsthand. It’s a marvelous experience and is far harder than it appears. Also, there are AI photo booths which alters one’s hair color and turns guests into trophy-toting world champions.

There are also pop-up appearances by driving legends. We were lucky enough to see two-time champion Mika Häkkinen, known as “The Flying Finn.” Häkkinen joined McLaren in 1991, winning his first grand prize seven years later in 1998 and his second one in 1999. All in, Häkkinen won 20 Grand Prix across 11 seasons, retiring in 2001.

For those who enjoy engaging in retail therapy in addition to the massive scale that Vegas provides, there are limited time Grand Prix retail activations, both on site and nearby. Off site Abercrombie & Fitch had an inspired collection of McLaren and Vegas ready-to-wear. If your needs include say a pair of custom, ostrich skin Nikes, McLaren, or other custom jackets and street wear, you’ll want to head over to Culture Kings flagship store. Their 75-foot-tall baseball hat display of every conceivable variety is allegedly the world’s largest, and there are thousands more throughout their cavernous 12,000-square foot retail space.

Then of course since it is Las Vegas, celebrities abound. Car maven Jay Leno, badly bruised from a recent 60-foot fall, managed to appear in the good spirits for which he is famous, along with Bradley Cooper, Jared Leto, and Sylvester Stallone and his family among other notables. The entertainment pièce de résistance was the concert of five songs John Legend sang in Mastercard’s suite. And naturally, because The King never, ever dies, Elvis and several of his identical twins showed up as well; I even found one in the Pit waiting his turn for a hot lap.

The Need for Speed

At the end of the qualifiers, McLaren’s Lando Norris was at position six and Oscar Piastri placed at position eight. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was in position two and Charles Leclerc position four.

During the 50 laps making up the Grand Prix Race, comprising a total of 192.599 miles, excitement was in the air and sparks were of course flying. Ultimately, Mercedes’ George Russell came in first and Lewis Hamilton bolted into second, with Ferrari’s Sainz in third position and Leclerc fourth. Red Bull’s Verstappen came in fifth and became a four-time world champion. McLaren’s Norris came in sixth and Piastri seventh, moving up a spot. So beating Ferrari will have to wait for another day and another race. However, given Norris’ and Piastri’s performances, Verstappen may be facing a one-two punch next year.

Whether you’re a dedicated Grand Prix fan or it’s a one-time bucket list item, you’ll want to attend it in comfort and style while enjoying the many exciting offerings at Las Vegas’ Paddock Club. An experience like this, as Mastercard’s Madison Avenue gurus have made clear, is “priceless.”

Julie L. Kessler is a journalist, attorney, and the author of the award-winning memoir: “Fifty-Fifty, The Clarity of Hindsight.” Her work has appeared in several major publications around the world, including The LA Times, The SF Examiner, The Asia Times, The Jerusalem Post, The Vancouver Courier, The Daily Journal and The Honolulu Star-Advertiser, among many others. She can be reached at Julie@VagabondLawyer.com.