Why Vegas becomes F1’s celebrity magnet: ‘Perfect marriage of speed and glamour’

This article is part of the “Beyond the Track” series, a dive on the surrounding scene, glamour and culture that makes a Grand Prix.

LAS VEGAS — One of the traits that sets Formula One apart in global sport is its glamorous appeal.

From the yachts and extravagance of Monaco to the big-money events like Singapore and Abu Dhabi, F1 races have long been where people want to be seen.

And with the Las Vegas Grand Prix, that appeal has reached another level.

The organizers of the race have embraced that from the very beginning. They quite literally rolled out the red carpet last year, placing one right after the paddock gates for the paparazzi and TV cameras to grab whatever time they could with the biggest names appearing at the race.

“I’ve always said it’s the perfect marriage of speed and glamour in Las Vegas, and I’m going to continue to believe that,” Renee Wilm, the CEO of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, said last month.

“You couldn’t think of another place in the world, putting aside Monaco, where you could have this level of hospitality and bring in this caliber of celebrities to enjoy everything that Las Vegas has to offer.”

The list of talent that attended the race in Las Vegas last year was lengthy: the names included Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Brad Pitt, David Beckham, Paris Hilton, Cara Delevingne, Shaquille O’Neal, Usain Bolt, and Rod Stewart.

A similar turnout is anticipated this year. Some of the early confirmed names to attend include Gordon Ramsay (who hosts his own VIP garage kitchen this year), Snoop Dogg, Ice Spice, Paul Mescal, Sylvester Stallone and Emily Ratajkowski. The list will grow far longer the closer it gets to the race.

Television chef Gordon Ramsay prior to the Las Vegas Formula 1 Grand Prix at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit in Nevada. (Photo: ANP via Getty Images)

The task of overseeing the talent list for the race belongs to Kenny Utler, the head of digital and social for the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

“My job entails curating a good mix of influencers and celebrities to come to the race, and given our proximity to Los Angeles, it does make my job a little bit easier,” he said. “But we want to curate a great mix for the weekend, to come in and enjoy the race, and obviously create this sense of FOMO for the world to watch.”

Utler explained that the Las Vegas Grand Prix works on outreach to potential celebrities in the month leading up to the race but said there are “an overwhelming amount of inbound requests” for talent to attend. “It’s about finding that right balance between the actors, the musicians, and then the influencers,” he said. They’ll also work with their teams to plan any content capture as required.

Plenty of preparation goes into ensuring those working with talent have all the information they require before attending, particularly in an intricate sporting world like F1, and catering to their specific requirements.

“A lot of the time, they’ll want to do a security advance and explaining all of the differences between the paddock and the Paddock Club, and what they can experience between a grid walk and all the different F1 experiences,” Utler said. “It’s a fun job to go through all of that with them, and then once they get on site, their face just lights up. Going through all of that with them, and then seeing them on site makes all of it worth it, seeing what they can experience within the world of Formula One is an exciting thing.”

Utler and his team will often ask the celebrities they deal with if they have a favorite team or driver and would then reach out about any potential experiences they could offer, such as garage tours or a hot lap in a supercar. Particularly in Las Vegas, there is a desire to make it a memorable first experience.

Runner Usain Bolt and actress Lupita Nyong’o tour the grid before the start of the Las Vegas Formula One Grand Prix in 2023. (Angela Weiss / AFP via Getty Images)

“Especially here in Vegas, I think having gone to so many different Formula One races, I think we just take it up a notch with all we have to offer,” he said. “If you go look in the paddock, we have a sushi chef on site. We have a neon garden. I think the celebrities here can experience a step above what they can at other races.”

The red carpet in Las Vegas last year exceeded Utler’s expectations. “It started at 5 p.m., and we thought it was going to be kind of slow through the whole day — it was slammed,” he said. “We’re expecting the same on Saturday night.” The drivers and team principals will make an appearance on the red carpet between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. before the talent then features from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. It’ll give time to get on the grid before the race starts at 10 p.m.

While nothing will overshadow the sporting spectacle — last year’s race on Saturday night was one of the best of the season — the celebrity pull that Las Vegas can assist can help F1 gain a broader cultural relevance.

“It’s big,” Utler said. “I think we’re definitely trying to become an entertainment and marketing global superpower, right? The team that we have in place has really done a great job of mixing the world of music and entertainment into the world of motorsport. And it’s only getting bigger.”

Emily Prazer, the chief commercial officer at the Las Vegas Grand Prix and F1, thought proof of that growth came from the interest of big names to not only be seen at the race but to get a chance to watch practice and qualifying as well.

Singer Rihanna, rapper A$AP Rocky and DJ Steve Aoki look on in the Ferrari garage during the Las Vegas GP in 2023. (Dan Istitene / Formula 1 via Getty Images)

“The lists we have, not just around Saturday night or being seen on the grid, is really, really significant, which I think is the biggest testament to where we are as a sport,” Prazer said. “There now is actual interest in watching the cars go around the track, and it’s not just about those moments. It’s that they literally want to come and watch and hang out. I think that’s really, really cool.”

Of the current F1 grid, Lewis Hamilton is the driver with the most relevance outside the confines of the sport, carving out his own off-track profile. To see the sport he has dedicated his life toward and conquered racing in Las Vegas is something he finds impressive.

“It’s so cool, I grew up watching movies about Vegas, and going out here on the Strip, it’s just such a great addition to the calendar,” he said. “It will only get better as we go through the learning phase each time we race here.”

Although he said that “more eyeballs on the sport is not a bad thing,” he thought there was also a need to keep it accessible and show that F1 is “not so far out of reach for people that work very hard for their money but maybe can’t get to a race.” Hamilton was involved in a community day arranged by the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Wednesday, meeting with local school children who got to experience F1 from the inside for a few hours.

While accessibility and community outreach have been a greater focus for Year 2, Las Vegas will always stand out compared to other races due to its celebrity appeal. A Saturday night prime-time race in one of the big entertainment capitals of the world will always bring some added sparkle and excitement.

“It’s always fun,” Utler said. “It’s definitely never boring in the world that I’m in. It keeps you on your toes. It’s a fast-paced environment, but it’s fun, and I love it.”

He teased there were “some things up our sleeves in terms of who will be rolling in through those paddock turnstiles. I guess just stay tuned!”

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(Top photo of Paris Hilton at the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix: Angela Weiss / AFP via Getty Images)