Inside the Las Vegas Grand Prix: DJs in the pit lane, Flo Rida at 5pm… and $50k tables to party with George Russell

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, bringing with it a who’s who of names from across the celebrity spectrum.

Where else but Vegas would you see Brad Pitt ‘fainting’ on track immediately after qualifying, or Aston Martin setting up a DJ booth in the pit lane to get their crew through the late finish line.

In the hospitality area above the teams’ garages, Adele wandered around on a night off from her Caesars Palace residency, while John Legend played a private gig for the lucky few hosted by McLaren.

Amid the madness, Max Verstappen was crowned world champion for the fourth season in a row, but for thousands of attendees the race was merely a sideshow.

Mail Sport went behind the scenes at the star-studded Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix to get a taste of the action, both on and off the track…

After the race, George Russell and his girlfriend Carmen partied with Swedish House Mafia

While the Sphere dominated the skyline, the F1 race around Vegas was once again a sight to behold

It’s 2 a.m. and George Russell has just walked into XS Nightclub, hand in hand with his glamorous girlfriend Carmen Montero Mundt.

Wearing his now signature double-breasted jacket, he has crossed the finish line just ahead of his rivals to claim his fifth Formula 1 win.

The Briton was due to fly home straight after the race, but – still dressed in his racing overalls – admitted he would not make the flight and planned to party with his team. After all, there is no better place for it.

And so, instead of going to the airport, he shouted “Viva Las Vegas” on his team radio and hopped in a car to The Wynn, where Sports Illustrated was holding their “Circuit Series” post-race party.

Inside, Swedish House Mafia played until the wee hours, and tables on the dance floor, it was reported earlier this week, were going for $50,000 each for those who had some spare cash and were up for the party.

Russell headed to the bar to get drinks for his technicians, then stepped into the DJ booth himself to send the crowd into a frenzy at the star-studded bash.

George Russell leads the drivers through the first corner of the race on Saturday evening

Russell poses (L) with his engineer Marcus Dudley and his girlfriend Carmen at XS Nightclub

Vegas put on a show with the podium as Russell, Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz finished 1-2-3

In Vegas, however, it doesn’t have to be 2am for the party to start. Rewind a few hours to 5 p.m., a full seven hours before the lights go out at the track in Vegas.

The location is Hilton Grand Vacations‘ hospitality area along the track, and Flo Rida has just stepped on stage to warm up a sold-out crowd.

In hotels around the city, fans pay top dollar to attend 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 Trucks CEO Mark Wang, a self-confessed F1 diehard, who first attended a race in 1979 and is one of the few to have seen both the 1982 Las Vegas Grand Prix and the heavily modified edition of attended this year. down the Strip.

For the second year in a row, Hilton has a two-level hospitality space in a prime trackside location – and Wang reveals the importance of race week to the company.

Before the race, Flo Rida warmed up the crowd in the Hilton Grand Vacations hospitality area

Hundreds of F1 fans partied along the circuit before, during and after Saturday evening’s race

Paris Hilton was among the star-studded guests roaming the F1 paddock in Vegas

It was a huge evening for Max Verstappen, who was crowned world champion for the 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.

‘The nice thing about this event is that we give our members and our guests the opportunity to experience Formula 1 for the first time. Many have never experienced it and we bring them so close to the race track.

“They get to see and listen to the sounds, the color, the sheer speed of these great drivers and what they can do.”

Wang explains that Trucks have adjusted their catering space from year one to year two, as have many other businesses around the Strip after the 2023 teething problems.

The clubhouse has been raised for a better view of the course, more TVs have been installed to give a more complete view of the action and improved catering for the paying guests.

“There’s simply no other place like it 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 and waved the checkered flag as Russell crossed the line

Gordon Ramsay – a big name in Vegas – poses for a photo with famous DJ Steve Aoki

Rory McIlroy (right), one of the best golfers in the world, left his own sport for F1 in Las Vegas

Red Bull mechanics hoist Verstappen up after another incredible season of Formula 1 racing

Back at the circuit, the paddock is teeming with VIP guests. A red carpet has been laid and an employee wearing headphones waves a whiteboard at photographers to let them know who will arrive 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 taste (taste), there’s a celebrity 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 on the track, and at the end, Sylvester Stallone waves them home with the checkered flag. There really is no end to the madness in Vegas.

Bruce (left) and Michael Buffer announced the drivers at the race track before the action started

Mercedes superstar Russell receives the applause from the crowd after his victory in Las Vegas

Supermodel and DJ Hilton kisses her husband Carter Reum on the grid before the race

Rock star Jared Leto wore a striking white jacket as he strolled down the grid on Saturday night

For Red Bull, the evening was the culmination of a year of hard work, as Verstappen sealed his fourth title in a row 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 Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher’s record of seven.

For the Vegas Grand Prix, it was a huge task to be able to crown the 2024 champion on the Strip, and they are hoping for more of the same in 2025.

Although it’s fair to say that whatever happens – or doesn’t happen – on the track, there will be a great party off it too.