Formula One fans will get the chance to experience Grand Prix Plaza starting next month.
The 39-acre plaza, which includes the Las Vegas Grand Prix pit building, will open March 29 to the public for the first time outside of race days, offering three ticketed attractions.
The trio of options include the interactive 4D exhibit F1 X, the live karting attraction F1 Drive, and the food and beverage and merchandise-focused F1 hub.
“Grand Prix Plaza represents a significant investment in the future of Formula 1 in Las Vegas,” Emily Prazer, president and CEO of Las Vegas Grand Prix Inc., said in a statement. “These new attractions will offer unprecedented access to F1, giving many fans their first up-close look at a Formula 1 car before stepping into a racing simulator or even karting on a portion of the Las Vegas Strip Circuit.”
Grand Prix Plaza will open from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m.- midnight Friday and Saturday. The plaza will close for the season in late summer to prepare for the Las Vegas Grand Prix. A reopening date after the 2025 race for the attraction will be announced at a later date.
Event customizable event spaces with access to the three attractions are available to be rented year-round, across the building’s three levels and rooftop, including three new private event spaces the Turn 1 Lounge, Cool Down Room and GPP Garage.
Tickets for the attractions start at $26.50 and vary between each attraction, with local discounts offered on the attractions and merchandise purchases. Each experience will be individually ticketed and is available for purchase ahead of time at grandprixplaza.com or can bought on-site at the plaza.
“As part of our steadfast commitment to Las Vegas, we are thrilled to offer significantly discounted pricing to locals so that Grand Prix Plaza is an easily accessible community asset all year long,” Prazer said. “Grand Prix Plaza is one of the jewels of F1 in North America, and we know it will provide access and experiences that will grow the sport’s fan base.”
F1 X
The interactive attraction, broken down into three sections, will take fans on a tech-focused journey featuring artifacts and classic F1 cars and allow fans to design an F1 car and see how it fares on track.
Learn: The holographic Becoming F1 portions will allow fans to see first-hand how an F1 team works, with car designers, engineers, analysts, pit crew members and drivers displaying how teamwork plays an important role in motorsport. This portion of the attraction will also give customers a history lesson on the 75 years of F1 featuring key items, cars and gear that help make the sport grow into what it is today.
Create: Visitors will create their own F1 team and car, including team name, colors and log, with a group and integrate that into an F1 simulator to see who performs best on the track.
Experience: The last piece to the F1 X attraction is the experience, where visitors will compete in hands-on challenges. Those include the Pit Wall Challenge, where fans will make decisions on when to pit and change tires and on other aspects in a simulation. Guests will get to compete in the Pit Stop Duel, where they see who can carry out the quickest tire change. And they will race their custom-created F1 car in a simulator on the Las Vegas Strip Circuit in a 4D driving experience which includes realistic visuals, sound effects like wind, vibrations and the smell of burning rubber.
F1 X is open to all ages, with prices starting at $59 for locals and $79 for visitors.
F1 Drive
F1 Drive gives fans the opportunity to race around the track around Grand Prix Plaza in F1-inspired karts. Drivers will start out in the pit building and race around the 1,650-foot track, with up to 20 racers competing at a time.
The track features 31 turns and neon-lit straights, with drivers able to hear realistic engine sounds from previous races and receive live team radio updates, lap insights and overtaking strategies. The F1 karts are equipped with Drag Reduction System (DRS) and Energy Recovery System controlled by DRS logic and boost buttons. The karts also feature an advanced LED steering display.
Drivers will get to celebrate their placing in a race on a winner’s podium, with a photo opportunity included.
F1 Drive is open to guests 12 years of age and older, with tickets starting at $30 for locals and $37 for visitors.
F1 Hub
F1 Hub features racing simulators along with food, beverage and merchandise opportunities.
F1 Sim allows guests to race in state-of-the-art driving simulators that combine motion technology and audio-visual effects to fans the feel of driving a real-life F1 car.
F1 Hub also features the flagship F1 store, which is designed like an F1 garage, offering official F1 gear and exclusive Las Vegas Grand Prix items and customizable merchandise.
Local residents will receive a 10 percent discount on items in the store.
The dining space dubbed Fuel & Fork will offer guests food options such as pizza, burgers and other entrées and desserts. Cocktails and premium beverages are also available for purchase with notable race moments being played on large screens to keep guests entertained while they grab a bite to eat or have a drink.
F1 Hub is free and open to all guests ages 12 and older. Those who want to experience the F1 Sim can purchase tickets starting at $26.50 for adults.
“These new experiences are as close to an F1 race one can get without being a professional driver,” Jonathan Linden, who is co-CEO of Round Room Live and producer of The Formula 1 Exhibition, said in a statement. “This is the largest-scale F1 exhibition we’ve debuted in North America, and there was no better place to do it than the home of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or new to the grid, this is an inside look at what makes F1 a global phenomenon — with plenty of thrills along the way.”
Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.
