The Las Vegas Grand Prix has been one of the most electric events on the Formula 1 calendar, and 2025 was no different. The party energy was present again under the neon lights of the Strip, and with all the action on and off-track, Las Vegas never fails to deliver a jackpot of a weekend.
There was plenty of on-track drama, as Max Verstappen stormed to victory while the McLaren pair suffered a shock disqualification post-race, and the Mercedes duo moved up to claim a fantastic double podium. But those weren’t the only stories from this epic Grand Prix weekend – so here are some magic moments you should know about.
Mercedes joy as Pin wins F1 ACADEMY title
F1 ACADEMY took centre stage during the weekend – and with good reason. Not only was it the first time that the season finale of F1 ACADEMY was held in Sin City, but the title fight went right down to the wire, with the champion only decided in the final race on Saturday afternoon.
In the end, it was Mercedes’ Doriane Pin who clinched the 2025 crown over Ferrari’s Maya Weug. The Frenchwoman’s fifth-place finish in Race 2 was enough to seal the deal after an emphatic victory the day before. One of the standout moments of the entire weekend came after the chequered flag, as her Mercedes and PREMA families poured into the pit lane to celebrate her incredible achievement.
Wearing special edition ‘P1N’ shirts, the team surrounded their new champion with hugs, cheers, and more than a few emotional moments. George Russell, Kimi Antonelli, and Toto Wolff were all there to congratulate her too, turning the pit lane into a sea of Silver Arrow smiles. Pin perhaps even inspired the garage – as Russell and Antonelli went on to secure a heroic 2–3 finish later that evening after starting fourth and seventeenth respectively.
Terry Crews the taxi driver
F1-obsessed TV and movie star Terry Crews has slipped into the world of motorsport seamlessly over the past few years. From guest appearances to interviewing drivers – Crews has had plenty of viral grid moments, but this may have been his best one yet.
He had the honour of chauffeuring Verstappen, Lando Norris, and Russell to the podium in the iconic Las Vegas cooldown car – this year’s being a bright-pink life-sized LEGO 1950s Cadillac. And, as if Verstappen’s day couldn’t have gone any better, he gave Crews a cheeky nudge for a certain sing-along… and of course, Terry delivered.
Ever the performer, Crews treated the trio to a full recreation of his legendary White Chicks moment, serenading them with “A Thousand Miles” by Vanessa Carlton. Combined with the drivers serving in their LEGO glasses, this was cooldown for the ages if you ask us.
Driving with Disney
Las Vegas quickly became the happiest place on earth as Mickey and Minnie Mouse arrived in the paddock following F1’s recently announced collaboration with Disney. And they didn’t come alone – Goofy and Donald Duck were also spotted making the rounds, much to the delight of drivers and fans alike. Mickey and Friends greeted the drivers ahead of the parade – while Franco Colapinto was so besotted seeing Minnie that he proposed! Congratulations to the happy couple.
The magic didn’t stop there, as ahead of lights out, the Disneyland Band and Disney star Adrian Lyles joined forces to deliver a stunning performance of the United States national anthem. To top it all off, Mickey helped bring a little Disney magic to the Strip with a spectacular ‘Fantasmic!’-inspired water and drone show at the Bellagio Fountains, set to a blend of the classic theme and the F1 title sequence. We want to add it to our playlist ASAP!
Minister Bottas
Is there anything he can’t do? Future Cadillac driver and king of the side-quest Valtteri Bottas was a very busy man over the Grand Prix weekend. In addition to his duties as Mercedes’ reserve driver, he somehow found time to take on a brand-new role: ministering a wedding at LEGO’s pop-up wedding chapel.
Of course, he took to the responsibility naturally. Weddings are already unforgettable, but being married by Valtteri Bottas? For this F1-loving couple, that’s a story they’ll be telling for the rest of their lives.
LEGO and Hello Kitty welcomed to the grid
F1 ACADEMY have been making friends, and they came out to play in Las Vegas! LEGO continues to shake up the world of racing, as it was announced in Vegas that LEGO Racing will be joining the F1 ACADEMY grid for the 2026 season, with up-and-coming Dutch driver Esmee Kosterman competing for them.
Aside from the unveiling the new 2026 entry, LEGO got busy. F1 ACADEMY podium finishers were handed beautiful LEGO bouquets, the aforementioned pink LEGO Cadillac appeared trackside, and LEGO even got romantic when they set up a pop-up wedding chapel for loved-up fans wanting to tie the knot, Vegas-style.
Hello Kitty strutted her way through the paddock after being unveiled as a new partner for the series, as she celebrated the release of the new collaborated merch line. She hosted the Hello Kitty Fanzone, met drivers up and down the grids, and even waved the chequered flag after a chaotic F1 ACADEMY Race 1 on Saturday. Not a bad debut weekend for Kitty!
Elvis-fest
It wouldn’t be a race weekend in Las Vegas without the Elvis impersonators. As has become tradition, a whole lineup of Elvises greeted teams, drivers and guests at the paddock entrance – jumpsuits, sunglasses, sideburns and all. At this point, it wouldn’t feel like Vegas without them!
A moment for the Las Vegas looks
Since its popular 2023 calendar return, Vegas has inspired plenty of special liveries, race suits and of course, helmets. This year was no different, with plenty of teams and drivers marking the special weekend with levelled-up looks.
There were striking special liveries from Williams, Sauber, Racing Bulls and Alpine – with each design leaning into the spectacle of the city, using various reflective details, chrome, or neon accents. Under the floodlights they looked nothing short of spectacular.
Celebs filled Vegas
Drawn to the biggest motorsport show on Earth, there were almost too many celebrities in the Las Vegas paddock to keep count! Firstly, A-list couple Beyonce and Jay-Z were both treated to a hot lap of a lifetime with Hamilton, who reached 320kph (200mph) when driving a Ferrari supercar around the street track.
Actress Cynthia Erivo, fresh off the release of a new Wicked film, stopped by the Williams garage to rate some of the drivers’ singing, enjoy a hot lap with recently retired Jenson Button, and hop in Carlos Sainz’s car.
Music was everywhere this weekend, as fans enjoyed entertainment from Louis Tomlinson, Kane Brown, Steve Aoki, VAVO, T-Pain, Dillon Francis, ZEDD, mgk and Shaggy. Plenty of performers were taking in the atmosphere this weekend, with rappers Travis Scott, Rei Ami, and Dave, singers Leona Lewis, Tems and Victoria Justice, and producer and good friend of Norris and Verstappen Martin Garrix all present in the desert.
Elite sports stars clearly couldn’t get enough of the racing on Saturday. Four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson was on the grid, while golden couple Tara Woodhall-Davis and Hunter Woodhall, Golden State Warrior Jimmy Butler, gold medal gymnast Sunisa Lee, tennis star Taylor Fritz and partner Morgan Riddle, World Cup-winning footballer Blaise Matuidi, and five-time NBA champion Magic Johnson were all seen at the Grand Prix.
There were even more movie and TV stars enjoying the action, none more so than F1 The Movie’s Damson Idris, who probably felt right at home on the grid. Avatar’s Sam Worthington helped David Coulthard out with the post-race interviews, while Jeremy Renner, Nina Dobrev, Mark Wahlberg, Ben Affleck, Neal McDonough, Paul Wesley, Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Logan Lerman, Madelaine Petsch, and The Summer I Turned Pretty stars Sean Kaufman, Minnie Mills and Chris Briney left us all starstruck.
Gordon Ramsay even found time between cooking for those lucky enough to attend F1 Garage hospitality to catch some of the weekend’s entertainment. How many celebs did you spot at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit?
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