The Ultimate Formula 1 Experience
About 90 miles into my big birthday ride I slowly roll into 10 Speed Coffee at Pedaler’s Fork covered in salty sweat and struggling.
I’m still 25 miles from home and wondering why I chose to do such a long ride on my birthday when I could’ve been relaxing.
As I devour a chocolate croissant and drink my coffee I get a phone call from my contact at Pirelli, a client of mine.
After some pleasantries, he asked me if I would like to attend the upcoming Formula 1 race in Austin, Texas, as a special guest of the brand. I waited for a catch. There wasn’t one.
In just a few short weeks I would be going to my first F1 race in VIP style - a happy birthday indeed!
Sorting out last-minute travel and accommodations surrounding an event as popular as F1 was not without its challenges.
With the rising popularity of the sport - largely thanks to Netflix’s Drive to Survive series - and the ticket carryover from 2020 when the Grand Prix was canceled - the race was expected to bring in hundreds of thousands of fans (400,000 to be exact and the largest GP ever!) from around the globe over the course of three days.
This meant limited availability for flights, hotels and rental cars, and what was available would cost a premium.
Thanks to Brandon - my friend, coworker and travel companion for the weekend - everything came together as we boarded our flights to the Lone Star State.
Pre-Racing Around Austin
We spent Thursday evening and Friday sorting out our passes and exploring some of the sights, eats and drinks throughout Austin.
Thursday dinner (tacos and beer) at Lazarus Brewing Company was excellent - there was even a group of cyclists who arrived after an evening ride confirming we went to the right place!
Coffee on Lake Austin at Mozarts, a visit to Mellow Johnny’s, a stroll down South Congress, pit stop at Revival Cycles, drinks at the coffee/bike/beer-and-wine shop The Meteor and dinner at Velvet Taco with some friends kept us entertained and well-fed throughout Friday.
When Saturday arrived we were ready to get to the track and experience the Aramco United States Grand Prix first-hand.
Security was no joke as we were required to scan our passes anytime we went in/out of the paddock.
Our Paddock Club passes gave us access to the Pirelli suite above pit lane, which was the same area as the other series sponsors, race teams and VIPs so no shortage of celebrities, pseudo-celebs and high net worth individuals - the people watching was next level!
The Pirelli suite was positioned above fellow Italian’s Scuderia AlphaTauri at the north end of pit lane so we’d have a prime view of the start/finish line and first turn. As we checked in we were given a rundown of the activities we’d have a chance to partake in over the next 48 hours.
Mario Isola, Head of F1 and Car Racing - Pirelli (Left)
In addition to the unlimited food and drinks we’d have the opportunity to walk down pit lane, experience a “Photo Safari”, a technical discussion with Mario Isola (Head of Formula 1 and Car Racing for Pirelli), a guided track tour and more.
Suffice to say we had an epic weekend ahead of us!
A Walk Down Pit Lane
As we made our way downstairs for the pit walk we passed a mockup of the 2022 F1 car.
The larger, lower-profile 18-inch Pirelli tires and completely revamped aerodynamics made for a stark contrast to the 2021 car, all done in an effort to improve the quality of racing.
Walking down with us was a representative from the Alpine F1 Team carrying two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso’s helmet and steering wheel. The helmet was cool but the steering wheel was the real eye-catcher.
First off, it was much smaller than I expected.
Later in the day I would get to try one of the F1 simulators, which was a blast, but it also gave me a chance to realize how small they are as my hands dwarfed the wheel.
The sheer number of knobs, dials and controls was equally as surprising. I was well aware of the different adjustments at the driver’s fingertips but seeing everything jumbled together in person gave me a deeper appreciation for what these guys are able to do throughout a lap.
Each one of those dials is capable of making a range of adjustments to the car with each tweak being tracked and analyzed by the team engineers on-site and back at HQ a half-a-world away.
We weren’t able to get too close to the garages but we were able to see the teams’ pit wall control and communication stations, each designed to track every aspect of the race on the bank of displays - car performance, impending weather, TV broadcast, radio communications and anything else you can think of - nothing goes unmeasured.
Our stroll down pit lane coincided with the teams getting warmed up and practicing their pit stops.
Each crew stretched and warmed up like any other professional sports team.
This amount of preparation is warranted knowing they’re responsible for handling powerful Dino Paoli wheel guns (that are also quite loud!) and tossing on/off heavy wheels in a matter of seconds.
As we ventured back up for lunch we looked out the backside of the suite where we could see the Pirelli tent where all of the tires were staged for the weekend.
This bird’s eye view allowed us to see how hundreds of tires we prepared and staged for the teams as well as the various tests that were done analyzing the performance of the tires.
No detail was left to chance and no stone unturned as tests for pressure, temperature, wear and more were conducted.
Going on a Photo Safari
When it was time for our “Photo Safari” we loaded into vans and made our way toward the track.
To get there we needed to drive through the often unseen part of the paddock that provided a glimpse into the logistical behemoth that is F1.
All around us were dozens of branded crates and containers for the teams, each with the purpose of transporting some of the most expensive and technologically advanced racing parts throughout the world.
While it’s not nearly as sexy as the cars themselves, getting to see some of the logistics that are involved behind the scenes was fun.
We also got to see some of the Formula 1/ESPN broadcast setups with the likes of Will Buxton, Martin Brundle, David Croft, Paul di Resta and others.
Our position for the safari was on the inside of Turn 19, mere feet from the retaining wall. Being that close to the track gives an entirely new appreciation for the speed and handling these cars are capable of.
From the long sweeping right-hand turn below the tower to the off-camber left of Turn 19, the way these cars rip by is like they’re on rails, decelerating from ~180 mph to make the turn and then getting back on the gas again.
And the sound, oh what a perfect mix of power and efficiency, unlike anything I’ve heard.
Battle for Pole Position
Oftentimes the race against the clock can be more enthralling than the race itself with teams and drivers throwing everything they can in search of the coveted pole position.
Mexican driver and fan favorite Sergio “Checo” Perez was on provisional pole and that result was met with raucous approval by the fans.
Checo’s seat atop the standings would be short-lived as he was passed by six-time U.S. Grand Prix winner Lewis Hamilton and eventually his Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen who claimed his first pole position at the Circuit of the Americas.
Watching the cars rip around track at speed and then standing over them as they came into the pits for adjustments was incredible and got us even more excited for the racing that was to come.
Guided COTA Track Tour
On the morning of the race the vibe around the track was mellow but the excitement was building.
Our final VIP experience was a guided lap around COTA on the back of a flatbed trailer.
Just like the drivers do during their pre-race parade, we made our way around the 3.426-mile circuit as fans cheered and track marshals waved their flags.
1997 Formula 1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve was our guide for the lap, sharing his expert insight about the track and the upcoming race, as well as regaling us with racing stories of his own.
This made for one of the most exciting laps around a race track I’ve ever had. Almost as exciting as riding on the back of a superbike around COTA!
Lights Out and Away We Go
With everything we’d done it was hard to believe we still hadn’t gone racing!
When the time came, we had a prime viewing spot to watch the teams make their last-minute preparations along the start straight.
This also included the herds of celebrities and their entourages posing for pictures and shooting videos alongside their favorite drivers.
Dax Shepard, Kristen Bell, Shaq, Chris Bosh and Megan Thee Stallion - who had an awkward interaction with F1 reporter Martin Brundle - were all spotted making their way through the grid, each eliciting cheers from the fans as they appeared on the many jumbotrons throughout the track.
When the lights finally went out and the pack sped off up the hill to Turn 1 it was surreal seeing and hearing the roar of 20 turbo-charged cars combined with the screaming of thousands of diehard race fans.
The next 56 laps were filled with high-speed passes, delicious food, well-timed undercuts, cold drinks, unfortunate retirements, incredible desserts, and of course, champagne as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took his first USGP victory, extending his championship points lead to 12 in the process.
Beyond the Checked Flag
I spent the final 25 miles of my birthday ride energized from the anticipation and excitement of attending my first Formula 1 race, no longer relying on the sugar and caffeine to propel me home.
To say that the weekend exceeded my expectations would be an understatement. As a life-long fan of the sport I never thought I would experience Formula 1 in this fashion, let alone at my first race ever, but I’m grateful I did.
A massive thank you to Pirelli for this opportunity. Full disclosure, Pirelli is a client of mine at Next Level. Everything mentioned in this post is my own personal opinion and does not reflect the views of Pirelli or Next Level.
