Max Verstappen\u2019s gaining on me. I can see it in the way his single-seater Formula 1 race car rides my slipstream on the straightaway, trailing closely behind to boost his speed. Before I know it, he\u2019s not following\u2014he\u2019s flying.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As we near a hairpin turn, Verstappen attempts to overtake me but overcorrects for the corner. His wheels lose traction, the car spins out, I pump my fist in triumph\u2014before McLaren driver Lando Norris whizzes past us to the victory podium. A defeat like that warrants another lap, or two, or five. Luckily at F1 Arcade, Las Vegas\u2019 newest racing playground, more than 80 simulators are ready to feed that need.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Liz Norris, vice president of launch strategy and communications for F1 Arcade, helped open London\u2019s first location in 2022. The experiential hospitality brand has since opened U.S. outposts in Boston, Washington, D.C., Denver and Philadelphia. When Las Vegas\u2019 21,000-square-foot version at the Forum Shops at Caesars opens on October 17, it\u2019ll be the largest F1 Arcade in the country.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Here are five reasons why it\u2019s the ultimate adrenaline rush for racing fans.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1.\u00a0It\u2019s the closest you\u2019ll ever get to the track.\u00a0<\/p>\n
F1 Arcade spared no expense in designing a simulator that could put fans in the driver\u2019s seat of a real-life racing experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThese sims are built specifically for us in consultation with Formula 1. This is what a driver would feel when they are practicing without the G-force on,\u201d Norris says. \u201cYou will get up to speeds of over 200 miles an hour. You will feel their full motion. If you go off the actual track, you will vibrate. You can even flip the car, and you will feel that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The steering wheels are modeled after real F1 wheels, and the eight in-game tracks are based on real speedways like Austin\u2019s Circuit of the Americas or the Las Vegas Strip Circuit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe beauty is, you can\u2019t do this anywhere else,\u201d Norris says. \u201cWe have all of this as our own design. The game is ours as well,\u201d she says. \u201cThis isn\u2019t stuff that you can play on PlayStation.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
2.\u00a0It\u2019s for every kind of race fan.\u00a0<\/p>\n
F1 Arcade is social gaming at its finest. The sims\u2019 dual screens allow competitors to monitor their driving while spectators root them on in the race. You can race against AI or friends on five difficulty levels, from beginner to elite, which gives seasoned drivers full control\u2014no assists, no traction control.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Norris says F1 Arcade is many people\u2019s first introduction to Formula 1, and the space isbuilt with that in mind. There\u2019s also reaction-based reflex games to play if you don\u2019t want to get behind the wheel. Attention to detail is everywhere, from the chandeliers that resemble racetracks to the walls featuring tire marks.<\/p>\n
Children ages 7 and up can race, but after 7 p.m., F1 Arcade becomes a 21-and-older venue, with DJs spinning nightly. Head-to-head races start at $26, and race points you accumulate can even lead to prizes, such as being entered to win a Grand Prix ticket.\u00a0<\/p>\n
3.\u00a0The food and beverage are\u00a0worth a pit stop.\u00a0<\/p>\n
F1 Arcade takes its dining and drinking just as seriously as its driving. Lauren \u201cLP\u201d O\u2019Brien of Netflix\u2019s Drink Masters, created a globally inspired beverage menu of signature F1 cocktails and mocktails. The arcade also boasts an impressive dining menu, featuring burgers, flatbreads, ahi tuna tartare and flat iron steaks. Take it out on the Strip terrace for an outdoor dining experience with an unbeatable view.<\/p>\n
4.\u00a0The greats respect it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Norris says F1 Arcade has also naturally attracted pros like Mercedes Formula 1 reserve driver Valtteri Bottas, McLaren\u2019s Lando Norris (an investor) and the stars of the F1 movie. \u201cOne of my favorite days of work was when Brad Pitt came into our London location,\u201d she says. \u201cHe was with Damson [Idris] and they raced against each other. And they loved it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
5.\u00a0It\u2019s the home base for F1 watch parties.<\/p>\n
As Formula 1\u2019s Grand Prix in Austin kicks off on October 17-19, F1 Arcade will host watch parties, starting at $59 and with unlimited sim racing before the event begins. It\u2019s a place to watch the race, compete with friends and make new memories with your F1 family.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fact that we are a venue for F1 all year round, we\u2019re seeing the growth of the audience, and we love that,\u201d Norris says. \u201cThis is where people who are either big fans, or just getting into it, can be part of a tribe.\u201d<\/p>\n
F1 ARCADE Forum Shops at Caesars, 725-724-3131, f1arcade.com<\/a>. Monday\u2013Thursday, noon\u2013midnight; Friday & Saturday, 10 a.m.-1 a.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-midnight.<\/p>\n