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In Vegas, when the circus comes to town, it’s hard to tell who’s performing. Drivers. Fans. Influencers. And now, Ford Motor Company, gearing up to make a triumphant return to Formula 1 in 2026.
Why else would the world’s most elite racers descend on this glittering mirage of bad decisions in the middle of the desert? The track itself feels like the only show in town, because it literally overtakes the town. As one of the final races of the season, it’s the spectacle buzzing through blackjack tables and Uber drivers on The Strip: teams locking in standings, drivers cementing legacies, fans witnessing history. All of it set against the most outrageous backdrop possible.
But for all the pomp, circumstance, and grumbles from angry locals about road closures, Vegas refuses to fade into the background. Sin City is the wild card in the Formula 1 deck. Chaos is just part of the deal. It’s still Vegas, after all.
If you’re a Vegas person, you get it. If you’re not? Well, it’s like trying to explain a magic trick. You just have to see it for yourself.
Let me tell you firsthand: F1 in Vegas is a spectacle like nothing you’ve ever seen—a high-octane circus that makes the Super Bowl’s media frenzy feel almost quaint (I can now say I’ve been to both). Influencers draped in couture. Celebrities flanked by entourages. DJs like Zedd and Deadmau5. Athletes from every arena: NFL legends, Olympic gold medalists, and even the occasional Netflix reality TV star casually sipping sage-infused energy drink margaritas. Venture capital tech bros in vests brushing shoulders with billionaire captains of industry. Martin Brundle on the grid, being Martin Brundle. Brad Pitt was somewhere in the mix, filming his officially-authorized Jerry Bruckheimer Formula One movie. Europeans. So many Europeans. Men in Stetsons who own auto parts stores. Sylvester Stallone, probably lurking in a VIP suite, avoiding the clout chasing, as only a living legend should.
It’s a carefully curated fishbowl of ambition and attention, all in the name of highly sophisticated cars hurtling past 200 MPH in a blur of lights down The Strip, one of America’s most iconic streets.
Not an ounce of exaggeration: I saw Mr. Beast and Seth Rogen in the same room as we mingled before our hot lap briefing. Mine? A heart-pounding ride with Frankie Muniz—yes, Malcolm in the Middle Frankie Muniz—who pivoted his career to the tarmac after Hollywood. He introduced himself as a NASCAR driver when I sat shotgun in a Ford Mustang Dark Horse, then said he’s racing in the Daytona Truck Series in February.
He asked me my fastest speed ever, promised we’d beat it, and then hit the accelerator to take me on a blistering 150+ MPH spin. At one point, with the kind of wild-eyed grin only a professional adrenaline junkie could pull off, he said, “We’re only doing 70% of what this can do.” I geeked at that and started yelping like a kid on a roller coaster as he gave it more throttle.
In hindsight and on camera, my hysterics seem pretty cringe. N00b move, I guess. Video or it didn’t happen? OK. Receipts:
Red Bull Racing + Ford and the Drive to Define the Future of F1
Anyway, let’s talk about the people behind these multimillion-dollar racing machines.
For Visa Cash App Red Bull F1 Team drivers Yuki Tsunoda, 24, and Liam Lawson, 22, the Vegas Grand Prix is an endurance test with its own unique variables: Flipped schedules after coming to the States from Europe, team preparation, media commitments, and city’s relentless nocturnal pulse make it just as much about survival as success. Because of the race’s 10PM Pacific start time, they have to flip their body clocks and live like vampires.
And, when you keep vampire hours, sometimes things get weird, because, uh, well… it’s Vegas. Yuki was almost denied entry into the United States at McCarren Airport, because the United States Immigration Officer didn’t believe he was actually an F1 driver. It was a whole big thing.
And while the Vegas spectacle unfolds in the present, Red Bull Racing is already setting the stage for its future. In 2026, Ford will return to Formula 1 for the first time in over two decades, teaming up with Red Bull Racing to create next-gen hybrid power units under the banner of Red Bull Ford Powertrains. It’s a bold move—American muscle meets cutting-edge engineering—and a fitting flex for the Michigan automaker’s legacy in motorsport. With 10 F1 championships already under its belt, Ford’s return raises the question: How much more hardware can the team bring back to Dearborn?
When you think about it, 2026 isn’t so far away. Time flies when you’re pushing 220 MPH.
I spent some time with a few folks from Ford over the weekend, and let me tell you—they are hyped. Call it passion, call it pride, but whatever you call it, it’s contagious. Their excitement reflects Ford’s storied history in the sport and their determination to shape a new era of F1. It’s a move that could shift Red Bull’s dominance to even greater heights.
There’s strategy behind this partnership, too: Ford’s focus on F1’s 2026 pivot toward hybridization aligns with its broader business goals, including an expected 40% year-over-year growth in global hybrid sales, driven by models like the F-150, Maverick, and key European vehicles.
Amid all this, I caught up with Yuki and Liam just days after their arrival in Vegas. The race itself became a memorable one: Mercedes’ George Russell dominated from lights out to the checkered flag, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen clinched his fourth Formula One championship—a feat that solidifies his place as “4x Max.”
Before I jumped in a Ford Explorer and drove across the Mojave myself, I caught a glimpse of the Vegas F1 experience through their eyes—two young stars carving out their legacies in the high-stakes, high-speed world of motorsport. Reflecting on my time in Vegas, the pre-race chaos felt a little more human after my conversation with Yuki and Liam, who are as beloved for their fresh takes as they are for their talent—broing out, chowing down, and navigating the absurdities of F1 life with charm.
The future of the sport? It’s in good hands—so long as those hands can hold a burger as well as an F1 steering wheel.
Yuki Tsunoda: “Living the Dream” (and Dreaming of Burgers)
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Yuki tells me he’s “living the dream” when I ask about his Vegas experience so far. I wanted to talk to him about Sin City’s iconic food scene—or at least, whatever his jam-packed schedule would allow. His culinary highlight so far? A steakhouse classic last year.
“Last year, I went to Peter Luger. The steak there was amazing,” he told me with the enthusiasm of a man who knows good beef.
But when it comes to West Coast royalty—In-N-Out Burger—Yuki’s bucket list remains unfulfilled. Despite multiple trips to Vegas, he’s never made it to the famed drive-thru.
I start telling him about how the In-N-Out secret menu works. After I explained the magic of a Double-Double Animal Style with chopped chilies, the Red Bull PR contact running the interview holds up her phone with a picture of it. Yuki’s eyes lit up seeing it. F1 leans into decadence and elegance, and as far as burgers go, it’s not exactly either.
But boy, when it hits, it hits.
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“How many calories is it? 800? That’s a good post-race meal.”
He insists it’d have to be a post-race meal.
“If I eat that before, I’d throw up during the race.” Then, in true Gen Z form, he jokes. “It’d be good content if I filmed myself eating during the race.”
As for downtime, Yuki had one shining Vegas moment in 2023—a lucky streak at the blackjack table that turned his initial bet into something much bigger.
“I won six times in a row, but my friends lost immediately, so I shared my money. Still, I ended up winning 40 times my initial bet.”
A blackjack champion and a generous one at that. Beginner’s luck or just another skill in Yuki’s repertoire? You decide.
He refused to tell me how much he won, shaking his head.
“No, it wasn’t massive. The initial bet wasn’t that huge.”
I felt a bit ungentlemanly even asking.
Liam Lawson: Team Purist, No Animal Style
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While Yuki dreams of In-N-Out, Liam Lawson is already a seasoned veteran of the West Coast staple. He drove to Vegas from Orange County on this trip. But his order is as precise as his racing apex.
“My order is a Double-Double, no tomato, grilled onions, fries, and a Dr Pepper. But Animal Style? That’s just overkill. My girlfriend gets it, and it’s like… cheese and sauce with a side of fries.”
Even the soda, Liam says, hits differently:
“I don’t really like Dr Pepper that much anywhere else, but from In-N-Out? It’s unreal.”
“It’s like extra spicy Dr. Pepper,” I say.
“Yeah, it’s so good.”
Beyond his burger takes, Liam shared a glimpse into his pre-race mindset. Superstition? He’s got one, and it’s all about how he enters the car.
“I always get in from the left because the motor used to be on the right in karts. It’s just habit now.”
But unlike Yuki’s embrace of chaos, Liam prefers simplicity in his pre-race routine.
“I don’t want to end up with five different rituals where, if I forget one, I’ll sit there thinking, ‘Oh my god, I’m going to have a bad race.’”
Still, it’s not all discipline for Liam. Asked what he’d love to see in Vegas, he lit up at the idea of catching Coldplay in the Sphere:
“I’d want to see Coldplay in the Sphere—their shows are really bright and cool, perfect for it.”
Life in Reverse: Surviving the Vegas Schedule
Vegas flips the script on a driver’s finely tuned routine. Since the race happens at 10PM PT, drivers and teams sleep all day to be at their peak performance at night. Yuki summed it up perfectly:
“You’re going to sleep when the sun rises and waking up when it sets. It’s the opposite of usual, and it really messes with your brain. You just try to survive.”
Jet lag adds another layer to the challenge. Yuki’s solution?
“Drink a Red Bull, hope it gives you wings, and push through.”
Push through. I like that. That describes Day Three of almost every Vegas trip.
And that’s exactly where Red Bull comes in clutch, helping you push through.
For the record, I forgot to ask him his favorite flavor. After the weekend, mine is the Winter Iced Vanilla Berry flavor. Just look for the pale-blue cans.
OK, let’s pull the curtain on this three-ring circus.
Look, in Vegas, like in racing, you don’t win by playing it safe. You double down. You go all in—at the tables, on the track, or, in Red Bull Racing’s case, teaming up with Ford to build the future of speed.
Now, pass the Double-Double. Animal style. Add chopped chilies and raw onions—because some things deserve a little extra.
And hey, I’ll happily eat what they don’t.