This past weekend the Formula One spectacle returned to Las Vegas for the sophomore run, and delivered for racing fans in every way possible. Mercedes-AMG made a fabulous return to the podium by making an unexpected one-two English punch with George Russell taking the checkered flag and his teammate, seven time world champion Lewis Hamilton, taking second. Ferrari also made headlines by claiming a podium spot with Spaniard Carlos Sainz coming in third.
But the biggest winner of all was the undoubtedly Max Verstappen, who, with two races still remaining in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, claimed his fourth drivers’ championship. With the title he’s joined the evermore elevated ranks of Hall of Fame drivers with four championships that includes only Juan Manuel Fangio, Alain Prost, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel and the aforementioned Hamilton. It’s fair to say the flying Dutchman has at least entered the GOAT conversation.
On the top-floor viewing area one can watch drivers sprint by on the second-longest straight of any F1 race in the world, screaming past at speeds north of 220 mph.
It was a fabulous race from beginning to end featuring plenty of passing and shifting of positions, with Hamilton moving up from 10th while Russell dominated the entirety of the 50-lap race. Although Russell led from his pole position to the checkered flag on the Las Vegas Strip Circuit, second place was swapped no less ten times between five different drivers.
We had the honor of watching the race from one of the best viewing situations in the city: the Bellagio Fountain Club. The purpose-built structure runs along in front of the famed Bellagio fountains, offering guests a truly peerless gastronomic experience you’re unlikely to find anywhere on the planet—be that at a sporting event or anywhere.
Leveraging MGM’s ridiculous pool of culinary talents, the Vegas consortium attracted a rogues’ gallery of Michelin-star hands including Mario Carbone, David Chang, Yannick Alleno, Alain Ducasse, Michael Mina, Bryan and Michael Voltaggio, Akira Back, Bricia Lopez, TJ Steele, Nancy Silverton, Christina Tosi, Olivia Tiedemann and more. Even Mark, Donnie and Paul Wahlberg passed out Wahlburgers.
And these chefs did not just design the menu, they were there right in front of you cooking up their dishes firsthand for guests to enjoy. We had Wolfgang Puck serving us melt-in-your-mouth short rib, and at another point Japanese superstar Masaharu Morimoto carved up a tuna two feet in front of us with the help of the eminent Jean-Georges Vongerichten, whose Prime steakhouse we ate at the night before enjoying one of our best dining experiences of 2024.
Witnessing John-George and the Iron Chef slicing up tuna and handing spoonfuls to us directly was a sashimi experience we will not soon forget. There was a caviar table with flutes of champagne we stopped at every time we passed by. Servers from Oysters XO walked around with tool belts filled with shellfish and a dozen different toppings, mignonettes and hot sauces.
Of course the bars were also stocked with top-shelf spirits. Perhaps best of all, the top-floor staging area offered an extraordinary view of the drivers racing by on the second-longest straight of any F1 race in the world, screaming past at speeds north of 220 mph. All which helps justify the heady $14,000 price tag per seat.
Naturally, there was a litany of celebrities attending as impressive as any A-list event. Luminaries seen strolling the Bellagio Fountain Club included Spirit of the Week subject Chris Stapleton, Aaron Paul, Seth Rogen, Coco Jones, Eva Longoria, Big Boi, Cedric The Entertainer, Canelo Alvarez, Rory Mcllroy, Eddie Huang, Jenny McCarthy, Jazz Chisholm, Mark Vientos, Starling Marte, Dexter Fowler, Francis Tiafoe and more.
The festivities were not just contained to Saturday night, of course, the entire weekend was overfilled with nonstop entertainment such as Dom Dolla hosting his Thursday night party at LIV in the Fontainebleau, before again performing above the pitlanes at ‘LIV on the Grid.’ On Friday night, Diplo and the Chainsmokers amped up the sold-out crowd at Maxim’s Ultimate Raceweek party at The Wynn’s XS nightclub.
Chef John-George and the Iron Chef slicing up tuna and handing out spoonfuls was a sashimi experience we will not soon forget.”
But naturally the climax of the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend spectacle was the race itself, from the moment Boyz II Men sang the National Anthem to the closing ceremonies when Russell, Hamilton and Sainz all met at the Bellagio Fountain Club’s Winner’s Stage to celebrate their triumph—their likenesses projected on the iconic Fountains behind them, while exploding fireworks lit up the night sky. The pomp and ceremony, nevermind sound and fury seemed fitting for such an event. It’s safe to say we’re already booking hotels for 2025, and seeing if we can charm the MGM team for access to the Bellagio Fountain Club for another round.
