Page 35 - SHARP September 2022

WANT TO
WATCH
FORMULA 1
IRL? STEP
Just how expensive are we talking?
The price varies depending on the race, but expect to pay around $7,000 per person for a seat in the Paddock Club. In Montreal, tickets sold out within days.
INTO THE
Any celebs?
PADDOCK
Celebs! Yes, just like us, they’re also curious to see what all the F1 hype is about. LeBron James, Matt Damon, Pascal Siakam, Pharrell Williams, Tom Brady, Naomi Campbell, Kit Harington, Keanu Reeves, Venus and Serena Williams, Heidi Klum, and so many others were all spotted at F1 races this year.
CLUB
AUTO
WE TRIED THE FULL VIP EXPERIENCE AT THE CANADIAN GRAND PRIX WITH ASTON MARTIN’S F1 TEAM, AND IT WAS GRAND
By Matt Bubbers
WHEN THE GLOBE-TROTTING CIRCUS OF FORMULA 1
arrives in any city, the Sunday race is the hottest ticket that weekend, and the teams’ exclusive Paddock Clubs are the best seats in the house. With flowing champagne, small plates, and an open bar, it’s like being at an exclusive garden party — one that happens to be trackside at what is, right now, probably the hottest sport on the planet. (It’s also where you’re most likely to rub shoulders with the celebs who always show up on race day.) If you want to watch an F1 race IRL, instead of on Netflix’s Drive to Survive docu-soap, the teams’ Paddock Clubs are the way to do it.
How to score a ticket?
In most cases, you’ll need an invite to get into a team’s Paddock Club. So either get in tight with your local Aston Martin, Mercedes, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, or McLaren dealer, or have your company sponsor an F1 team.
But is the food decent?
In Montreal, it was so good we’d go there even if there wasn’t a race: dry- aged côte de boeuf with crispy prosciutto, handmade truffle and mascarpone cappellacci, grilled lobster salad, and so much more.
Which races should I hit?
Montreal is always one of the highlights of the 22-race season, but it happens in June. From Canada, the closest races left on the calendar this year shake down in Austin and Mexico City, both in October. Next season, Las Vegas is hosting a Grand Prix for the first time and, like everything in that city, it promises to be a spectacle.
And if that doesn’t work?
In some cases, as with Red Bull, tickets to the team clubs are sold to the public. There’s also a larger non-team-affiliated Paddock Club, but it misses out on cool perks like behind-the-scenes garage tours and interviews with the drivers.
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SEPTEMBER 2022 • GUIDE 35