The F1 Experience in Las Vegas: Cool, But Not $59 Cool

Key Points:

• F1 X costs $59 and is a hands-on, interactive museum attraction with aesthetic appeal.

• I loved the 4D race experience & museum - I learned a lot.

• Some interactive activities were a bit "underbaked" or more likely to appeal to kids.

Few events in Las Vegas are more polarizing than the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which debuted in 2023 on its current circuit.

Admittedly, F1 has been nothing more than a mild annoyance to me.

I'm not a huge follower of the sport, and the traffic issues caused by the annual track setup/teardown aren't ideal.

That said, I placed a bet on last year's race (to make it interesting, obviously), tuned in, and have to say... It's a fun watch, and a great worldwide advertisement for Las Vegas as a destination.

I recently visited Grand Prix Plaza to check out F1 X, an interactive, museum-like attraction with artifacts, fun facts, cool visuals, and activities - some cool, some "gimmicky".

F1 X Cost & Logistics

Grand Prix Plaza is open annually from January to early October (they shut down in the months surrounding the race), and it's free to visit.

Free things to check out include the merchandise shop and Fuel & Fork restaurant & bar.

A couple of F1 cars are on display in the free areas, too.

Fuel and Fork broadcasts race replays (and the occasional live event) on Sundays, and I was a bit surprised to see a full bar and folks in the restaurant watching something that had already happened.

Bar pricing is similar to what you'd find on the Strip, with $20+ cocktails, $12 wine, and $10 canned beer.

Now to the paid attractions. Grand Prix Plaza has 3 different experiences.

F1 Simulators: A video-game-like experience, the simulators allow you to get behind the wheel of a Formula One racecar for $10.

I skipped this, but they looked fun.

F1 Drive: A go-kart experience, F1 Drive puts you behind the wheel of a car that goes up to 30 mph on a 22-turn track.

An 8-minute single race costs $37, 2 races are $69, and 3 will set you back $109.

From my vantage point of the outdoor portion of the track, it looked pretty sweet... but certainly not cheap.

F1 X: The Formula One Experience costs $59 and is an interactive museum experience (meaning, you're getting your hands dirty).

This is what I tackled. I figured a little education would do this F1 novice some good.

Note, too, that there are bundled ticketing packages that combine F1 X with go-karting for a slight discount ($89 for F1 X + 1 race, or $135 for F1 X + 3 races).

F1 X Review

F1 X takes a tad over an hour, and it's guided, so you'll be with the same group as you move through the exhibits.

Some aspects of the experience were cool, insightful, and visually appealing, while others felt a bit more "surface level," or like they'd appeal less to adults and more to younger kids.

Let's start with what I liked.

The Good

As a nerd, I appreciate a good museum, and this is that.

The first exhibit was a massive room with cars, suits, and helmets, plus some awesome factoids.

As someone who knew very little about F1 coming in, it was fun to see/learn about the engines, tires, and other car components.

There's a 0% chance my lanky 6' 4" ass is fitting in this thing, btw.

Like, WTF are you supposed to do with this steering wheel? It looks like Bop-It on steroids.

The Pit Wall lets you put on headphones and listen in on the crew/driver communication of 5 different teams during the previous Las Vegas Grand Prix, while seeing the car's digital gauges.

The audio synced up with video from the driver's perspective, which was really cool.

My favorite part of F1 X was the 4D video that puts you in the driver's seat of a car racing in the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

The 3D video is awesome; the chairs move to simulate the car's motion, and you'll experience other sensory elements (but I won't ruin the surprise).

At the tail end, there are some fun photo ops that are decidedly awkward when by yourself.

After my first awkward photo shoot, I decided to sit this one out.

Lastly, everyone from check-in to our guides was spectacular. They went out of their way to share information, and I could feel their passion for the job and the sport itself.

The Lackluster

While there's plenty to like, some of the interactive activities felt surface-deep, forced, or even a bit childish.

The pit-stop experience tasks you and your small group with changing a tire. The task is explained, and each participant straps on 2 pairs of gloves and safety goggles after signing a digital waiver.

The group then completes a few tire changes to see how fast they can do it.

The task amounted to one person loosening a single nut with a drill, 2 people removing the old tire and replacing it, and then the driller tightening the nut to secure the new tire.

There was nothing overly complex about the task, and it felt a bit like "filler content".

Another exhibit tasked you with designing your own F1 car on a large touchscreen. You could go "off-script" or use one of their templated designs.

I pecked around for a few seconds, got bored, and selected the Wynn Resorts design.

I'm sure an 8-year-old boy would love this. But I am a 41-year-old man and was ready to move on quickly.

That said, Sally, an adorable 80+-year-old in our group, was having the time of her freaking life and designed many, many cars, holding me hostage in the design studio, much to my chagrin.

Everyone's design is projected onto a blank car at the tail end of the experience, which was kind of cool.

This was one of Sally's many designs.

Throughout the museum portions of the F1 Experience, which I enjoyed, were interactive stations that were pretty "blah" too.

This one asks you to pick a suit, stand in front of a camera, and it dresses you up in it digitally. You can move around, and "digital you" mimics your movements.

Another tested your reflex timing at the starting line. The goal is to push the red button as fast as you can after the starting lights go out.

There was also a station where you could design your own helmet. I legitimately struggle to imagine anyone older than 12 would spend more than 15 seconds here.

That sounded mean. I didn't mean it that way. I swear.

Verdict on the F1 Experience in Las Vegas

$59 for an adult ticket is steep, especially if you're an F1 novice like me.

I'm glad I did it, but if you're not a "die-hard", you're probably safe skipping it.

That said, cool visuals, artifacts, and fun facts are abundant. I learned plenty, and the experience will definitely make the race more fun to watch.

I'd love to see them replace or "deepen" some of the filler content (car design studio, tire change)... or maybe I'm an outlier. Who knows.

The guided format is also a bit of a bummer. You can't move at your own pace and are forced to move from exhibit to exhibit with your group, whether you're ready to move on or not.

It's a bit awkward when you've had enough and are fighting off yawns as Sally is over there designing her 18th car. At the same time, you don't want to look ready to move on, because you feel guilty about rushing Sally... so you just keep pecking colors, glancing up to see if she wrapped it the F up yet.

Quite the dilemma.

Attractions like this should be self-directed, with employees milling about to help. That lets folks spend time on what interests them while brushing past what doesn't.

The go-karting is likely the most compelling offering, and I can't wait to give it a shot, but damn, it's expensive, starting at $37 for a single 8-minute race.

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