Formula One fever—fueled by the success of Netflix’s documentary “Drive to Survive,” Brad Pitt’s blockbuster “F1” and a string of U.S. races—is spreading beyond the track to high-end real estate.
Luxury condo developers have been adding car simulators, some F1-branded and others not, into new projects as a marquee amenity, giving residents an adrenaline rush and a slice of the sport at home. The niche perk is especially prevalent in South Florida, which hosts the annual F1 Miami Grand Prix in early May.
At Porsche Design Tower Miami, for example, the clubroom is outfitted with two sleek Porsche simulators, which are equipped with more than three dozen international racecourses—including every stop on the Formula One circuit.
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Alan Wildstein, who owns car dealerships in Florida and Michigan and lives in a penthouse in the building, is a self-described race car aficionado and said that the simulators are a “very nice perk.”
“I have my friends over, and we head to the clubroom with wine and race on the simulators late into the night,” he said. “The club room is always open, so we can use them 24 hours a day.”
Wildstein noted that he races on a variety of different tracks, but has his favorites, including Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Florida, which he has raced on in real life before. “The simulator actually feels like being on the track,” he said.
The Estates at Acqualina in Sunny Isles, Florida, near Miami Beach, features an F1 simulator on its subterranean amenity level, which also has a bowling alley, a movie theater and an ice-skating rink. Produced by the simulator production company Wave Italy, based in Verona, Italy, the race car is loaded with more than a dozen courses, including the Imola Circuit in Italy and Circuit Zandvoort in the Netherlands.
James Zaratin, the general manager of the Estates, said that the car is one of the development’s most popular amenities.
“We sometimes organize resident races on weekends, which have been very well received and are spirited events where everyone is engaged,” he said.
Resident Lourdes Patron Trueba, a retired banking executive, and her husband, Juan Antonio, a former finance executive, are race car enthusiasts, and Trueba said that the simulator was an attraction when they were home shopping more than three years ago.
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“For a moment, you really feel like you’re on the track,” Patron Trueba said. “We have five adult daughters who visit with their husbands and always make it a point to book a time and use it.”
Related Group is betting big on F1 with two forthcoming Miami developments featuring simulators as a highlight.
Viceroy Brickell Residences, set to deliver units in January, will have a virtual reality lounge with an F1 simulator and a golf simulator, located off its lobby.
Nick Perez, president of condominium development for Related, said that the space will also offer a bar, couches and a television, encouraging residents to linger. “I can’t emphasize enough how big F1 has become in Miami among people of all genders and ages,” he said. “The simulators give us a point of differentiation.”
Perez noted that the project’s sales center already has the simulator and has been a “huge draw,” which has brought in prospective buyers.
The other Related Group project, W Residences Pompano Beach, slated for completion in 2029, will offer an F1 simulator in its lounge. Echoing Perez’s statements, sales director Sivan Koster said that the amenity has been a magnet for prospects.
“We did an email campaign specifically on the simulator, and the response we got was more than we got with any other email,” she said. “People were really excited about it.”
For the future owner of the $150 million penthouse at Rivage Bal Harbour—set for delivery in early 2028—the thrill of life as a race-car driver will be a private indulgence. Spanning 22,000 square feet indoors and an additional 11,000 square feet outdoors, the penthouse will come with a Formula One simulator that can be customized to reflect the buyer’s team of choice, such as Aston Martin Aramco and Oracle Red Bull Racing.
Yansy Checa, a broker with Douglas Elliman who represents the project, said that the amenity will cost north $100,000.
“Racing culture is huge in South Florida, and an F1 simulator is something we think is a worthwhile investment and will set us apart from our competition,” she said.
Florida’s builders aren’t the only ones trying to lure F1 fans.
At Elm-Ledbury, a luxury rental building in Toronto’s Garden District, residents can climb into an F1 simulator in the sports lounge, featuring a force-feedback steering wheel that mimics every turn and bump of the track. Ryan Funt, the vice president of marketing at Fitzrovia, the developer behind the property, said that renters can personalize their racing by picking from 16 cars, 12 international circuits and several difficulty levels.
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Justin Wang, who works in fashion, moved into the building in August with his wife, Krissie Cheng, a student, and said that the simulator was a “big” reason why he chose to rent there.
“I like to invite my friends to the sports lounge, and we take turns competing on it,” he said. “It’s a great way for us to bond and gives us the thrill of being on a racecourse.”