Miami had Travis Kelce and Kendall Jenner, Austin had the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, and Las Vegas had… well, everyone.
The Formula 1 circus returned to the party capital of the world last weekend, and brought with it a who’s who of names from across the celebrity spectrum.
Where else but Vegas would you find Brad Pitt ‘fainting’ on the track immediately after qualifying, or Aston Martin setting up a DJ booth in the pit lane to get their crew through the late finish.
In the hospitality above the teams’ garages, Adele wandered around on a night off from her residency in Caesars Palace, while John Legend played a private gig to the lucky few being hosted by McLaren.
Amid the madness, Max Verstappen was crowned world champion for the fourth straight season – but for thousands of those in attendance, the race was a mere sideshow.
Mail Sport went behind the scenes at the star-studded Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix to sample the action, both on and off the track…
The 20 F1 drivers head to the first corner of the 2024 Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix
After the race, George Russell and his girlfriend Carmen partied with Swedish House Mafia
With the Sphere dominating the skyline, F1’s race around Vegas was a sight to behold once again
The time is 2am, and George Russell has just strolled into XS Nightclub, hand-in-hand with his glamorous girlfriend Carmen Montero Mundt.
He is wearing his now-signature double-breasted jacket, and has just crossed the finish line before his rivals to claim his fifth victory in Formula 1.
The Brit was due to fly home immediately after the race, but – still dressed in his racing overalls – admitted he wasn’t making the flight and planned on partying with his team. After all, there’s no better place for it.
And so, instead of heading to the airport, he screamed ‘Viva Las Vegas’ down his team radio, and hopped in a car to The Wynn, where Sports Illustrated held their ‘Circuit Series’ postrace party.
Inside, Swedish House Mafia DJ’d until the small hours, and tables on the dance floor, it was reported earlier in the week, were going for $50,000 a pop for those who had a bit of spare cash and fancied the party.
Russell headed to the bar to get the drinks in for his mechanics, and then stepped into the DJ booth himself to work the crowd into a frenzy at the star-studded bash.
George Russell leads the drivers around the first corner of the race on Saturday night
Russell poses (L) with his engineer Marcus Dudley and his girlfriend Carmen in XS Nightclub
Vegas put on a show with the podium, as Russell, Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz finished 1-2-3
In Vegas, though, it doesn’t have to be 2am to get the party started. Rewind a few hours to 5pm, a full seven hours before lights out on the track in Vegas.
The location is Hilton Grand Vacations’ hospitality area alongside the track, and Flo Rida has just stepped on stage to warm up a sold-out crowd.
In hotels around the city, fans are paying big-money to get into pre-race parties and this is no different, with an open bar and gourmet food to enjoy alongside the music.
The man behind the idea is HGV CEO Mark Wang, a self-confessed F1 diehard, who first attended a race back in 1979 and is one of the few to have been at both the 1982 Las Vegas Grand Prix and this year’s much-changed edition down the Strip.
For the second straight year, Hilton have a two-tier hospitality area in a prime position alongside the track – and Wang reveals the importance of raceweek to the business.
Before the race, Flo Rida warmed up the crowd at Hilton Grand Vacations’ hospitality area
Alongside the track, hundreds of F1 fans partied before, during and after Saturday night’s race
Paris Hilton was among the star-studded guests wandering around the F1 paddock in Vegas
It was a huge night for Max Verstappen, who was crowned world champion for a fourth time
‘It’s definitely one of our biggest weeks of the year,’ Wang – who honeymooned with his wife at the Belgian Grand Prix – told Mail Sport.
‘What’s so neat about this event is we’re giving our members and our guests the opportunity to experience Formula 1 for the first time. A lot have never experienced it, and we’re getting them so close to the race track.
‘They get to see and listen to the sounds, the color, the sheer speed of these amazing drivers and what they can do.’
Wang explains that HGV have tweaked their hospitality area from year one to year two, like many other businesses around the Strip after teething problems in 2023.
The clubhouse has been raised for better views of the track, more TVs installed to help give a more complete view of the action, and improved catering for their paying guests.
‘There’s just no other place like this in the world,’ he adds… and he’s right. For better or worse, Vegas is the most unique stop on the F1 calendar.
Sylvester Stallone joined the party to wave the chequered flag as Russell crossed the line
Gordon Ramsay – a huge name in Vegas – poses for a photo with renowned DJ Steve Aoki
Rory McIlroy (right), one of the world’s best golfers, swapped his own sport for F1 in Las Vegas
Red Bull mechanics hoist Verstappen aloft after another incredible season of Formula 1 racing
Back at the track, the paddock is teeming with VIP guests. A red carpet has been laid, and an employee wearing a headset is flashing a whiteboard at photographers to let them know who’s arriving next. You could be forgiven for thinking you were at the Oscars or the Grammys.
Paris Hilton and Michael Douglas are followed by Barstool’s Brianna LaPaglia and Josh Daniels. Whatever your Flavor (Flav), there’s a celeb for you.
Gordon Ramsay, Terry Crews, Seth Rogan and Paul Mescal. Michael Fassbender, Tommy Hilfiger, Snoop Dogg and Emily Ratajkowski. The list goes on.
At the start of the race, Bruce and Michael Buffer announce the drivers onto the track, and at the end, Sylvester Stallone waves them home with the chequered flag. There is, truly, no end to the madness in Vegas.
Bruce (left) and Michael Buffer announced the drivers onto the race track before the action began
Mercedes superstar Russell takes the applause of the crowd after winning in Las Vegas
Supermodel and DJ Hilton kisses her husband Carter Reum on the grid before the race
Rockstar Jared Leto wore a bold white jacket as he strolled along the grid on Saturday night
For Red Bull, the night turned into a culmination of a year’s hard work, as Verstappen sealed his fourth straight title and catapulted himself further into the conversation about the greatest drivers of all-time.
Heading into 2025, he will once again be the favorite as he chases down Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher’s record of seven.
For the Vegas Grand Prix, it was a huge scalp to be able to crown the 2024 champion on the Strip, and they’ll hope for more of the same in 2025.
Though it’s fair to say that whatever happens – or doesn’t happen – on track, there will still be one hell of a party off it.