In November 2024, one of my and Haydn’s dreams came true when Williams Racing reached out with the opportunity to join them in Las Vegas for the upcoming Formula 1 Grand Prix. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that included, flights, accommodation, and Paddock Club passes for the entire weekend. Winning this prize was a 1 in 200,000 chance so to say we couldn’t believe our luck is a huge understatement.
Tuesday 19th November – Arrival in Vegas
Before we even arrived at the track the atmosphere for the weekend was set into full swing. London Heathrow Airport was dotted with Formula staff and team crew all in uniform. Once we got on board the flight, we witnessed these colleagues saying hello to each other and preparing for their long weekend of work ahead. Haydn and I were buzzing with the excitement of being involved in this world in a way that we could have never imagined.
The flight landed in Vegas, and we were greeted by Stephen, our host for the weekend and our chauffeur. They were dressed in William’s gear and guided us to a large SUV again branded with the team’s logo – it all felt very official and we were made to feel like true VIPs. Once in the vehicle, the special treatment didn’t stop as we were gifted multiple bags of Williams merch and, most excitingly, our Paddock Club passes! We’ve watched YouTube videos with celebrities and the wealthy showing off these sleek boxes containing the passes, but I never thought we’d be holding our very own.
Naturally, Haydn and I tried to play it very cool but as soon as we got to our hotel room, we did a full try-on haul and unboxed the passes together. Our hotel room was paid for, and we got to stay at the MGM Grand which is the hotel that a lot of the Williams Racing team stays at. Being in the same hotel as the team was a cool experience as we were able to interact and see them in team kit throughout the trip which was so immersive. I don’t even have the words to describe the sheer size of the hotel, I think it might be bigger than any UK shopping centre I’ve ever been to. The place had multiple restaurants, a casino, conference rooms, event spaces and 6,852 rooms across 30 floors!
Wednesday 20th November – Meeting Jenson Button
The time difference in Las Vegas, which is 8 hours behind the UK, is the most significant we’ve ever experienced during our travels. This, combined with the F1 being a night event made it really difficult to adjust. On the first day of the trip, we were awake early, in fact, we were up so early we were already sitting eating breakfast in Denny’s by 8am.
After breakfast, we walked up and down the strip taking in the sights and wandering through casinos and malls. This really is one of the most unique and iconic cities I’ve ever seen. It’s bold and loud in a completely different way to cities like New York. One thing that is particularly great about being back in an American city is the plethora of fast food and snacks available. For lunch, I got to enjoy my favourite, Chick-fil-A, a packet of Cheetos and a Starbucks, my very own holy trinity.
In the afternoon we headed over to the Williams Racing Fan Zone! This was located at the Brooklyn Bridge near the New York, New York hotel which was just across the road from ether we were staying. Once at the fan zone Stephen introduced us to more members of the Williams team and we got to get involved with all the activities going on. Haydn set an impressive lap on the simulator, and we tried our hand at the reaction machine which tests how many different illuminating buttons you can hit within a set amount of time.
The best part of the day though was by far meeting racing legend Jenson Button! First, a Q&A was hosted on stage at the Williams fan zone and then we were taken ‘backstage’ for a private meet and greet. Being able to chat and ask questions was so cool and of course, we took a photo to capture the memory.
Thursday 21st November – FP1 & 2 from Paddock Club
Perhaps the most iconic day of the trip was Thursday. This was our first opportunity to experience Paddock Club, and I woke up early, full of excitement like a child on Christmas. Before that though we had another special Meet & Greet organised for us – this time with team principal James Vowles! Knowing how busy a team principal must be during a race weekend we were honoured that James to the time to pull up a chair and have a chat with us. We got to ask lots of questions about operations back at Williams and the logistics of an F1 weekend.
After the meet and greet, we headed for a quick bite to eat before getting ready for Paddock Club! Planning my outfits for the weekend was a big deal and I was super excited to be dressed and ready for the event. Stephen took us over to the shuttle bus area to access Paddock Club. I don’t know what I expected but it exceeded all expectations. We scanned our passes at the turnstiles and were given a wristband for the night and then we were there! We were inside the Paddock Club! There was music playing, fancy food being prepared at lots of different chef stations, chocolate fountains, cheese boards and welcome drinks being offered.
As guests of Williams, we not only had access to the “general admission” areas of the paddock but could also go into the team’s hospitality suite. There we were greeted by staff like VIPs, offered drinks and shown to a table. The suite itself was beautiful with racing merch and décor everywhere and screens to make viewing all the racing action inside possible. Before the start of the action on track, we ordered a couple of drinks and went to check out our view.
WOW! The view from the paddock club is so iconic! Directly above the pit lane and located on the start/finish straight it’s truly one of the best seats in the house. It was an absolute honour to be stood on the balcony overlooking the track like this and I was giddy at the thought of watching pit stops with this bird’s eye view. The first practice session started, and we watched as the team principals and crew took their seats on the pit wall. Being able to smell petrol, see the cars pull out of their pit boxes and hear the buzz of wheel guns was any F1 fan’s dream!
Between the practice sessions, we were lucky enough to get a garage tour from a team member called Dale. He took us down into the VIP section of Paddock Club and gave us all the insight inside William’s garage. I think this was my favourite part of the experience because it not only felt like we were being given access to team secrets but were also a part of it all. I was swept up in the action and loved watching the crew at work on the cars.
Then we had time to get a meal, which was unsurprisingly delicious and full of flavour. The chef at the station prepared the sauce in front of my eyes and I enjoyed the chocolate fountain and fresh fruit for dessert. The entire experience was indulgent from start to finish.
The second practice session was just as enjoyable as the first. After the action on track was finished, we walked to the other side of Paddock Club which overlooked the media pen. From here we had a great vantage point of drivers giving interviews and the sphere. The view was great, and we took a moment to soak it all in. As a parting gift from the Paddock Club, we got ANOTHER bag of merch, we were super excited as this included a team shirt and a signed cap! The generosity we were shown throughout the weekend was unbelievable and we are so grateful to have had this experience.
Friday 22nd November – Qualifying from Paddock Club
Skipping to the good bit – we got to Paddock Club for opening and hung out outside the turnstiles to watch the drivers arrive. The drivers and other members of the teams use VIP turnstiles but still arrive at the same place as Paddock Club ticket holders. This meant that if you hang out at the right time you can see every celebrity, team member and driver arrive at the track.
Once we’d gone through the turnstiles, we were lucky enough to get wristbands for a track tour. Stephen had told us that it was difficult to get these, so we hadn’t put much thought into trying to get them, we just so happened to be in the right place at the right time. For the track tours guests are loaded into customised flatbed trucks with a side rail to hold onto. They’re the same type of truck used in the driver’s parade. This was one of Haydn’s highlights from the entire experience, it was an amazing way to immerse ourselves in the track and get a taste of what the drivers will be navigating during the weekend.
Since we’d gotten to the track earlier today, we had time to explore more of Paddock Club. We ventured up to the rooftop where we were stunned to find an ice rink, a disco floor with a DJ, a bar and more delicious food stalls. Best of all the view from this height was incredible with nearly 360-degree views of the full circuit. We headed back to the Williams hospitality suite and enjoyed another delicious meal with fantastic wine! The day before Haydn had taken part in a reaction time challenge and won! His prize was a worn, signed pair of Alex Albon race gloves which was incredible.
Then we enjoyed the final practice session and settled in for qualifying. Whilst it wasn’t a great weekend for Williams it was still incredible to appreciate the sheer speed of F1 cars down the straight. As the top 3 parked up in front of their boards, we went up to the rooftop to take in a view of the drivers getting out of their cars. We then watched the post-qualifying interviews on the big screen from the rooftop. Another goody bag was handed to us as we left with more merch and a miniature helmet which was by far my favourite gift from the trip – it looks so adorable in my office and is a fantastic reminder of the insane experience we enjoyed.
Saturday 23rd November – Race Day from Paddock Club
The main event – Race Day! The previous 2 days at Paddock Club had been a whirlwind but we tried hard to take it all in and be present in the moment. Like the day before we headed to Paddock Club for opening so we could maximise our time at the venue. Having learned that we could driver watch and celebrity spot from outside the turnstiles we decided to see who we could spot on race day and so didn’t go through the turnstiles for almost an hour after we arrived at the track. Our efforts weren’t in vain as we saw celebrities like Mr Beast, drivers like Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton as well as recognisable faces from the teams.
Despite Paddock Club being an entirely different environment from any we would ever typically find ourselves in, by the third day we felt weirdly adjusted. We took our welcome drinks in the hospitality suite and took a seat at our table as if this were the norm. By this point we’d gotten to recognise a lot of the team so we greeted each of them and had a chance to chat. Then we grabbed dinner, I ordered a glass of wine and we took a seat to enjoy the pre-race build-up.
One of the best parts about having access to Paddock Club was that we could take part in pit lane walks! This is an opportunity to get up close to each of the team’s garages and see the crew and work and the cars being prepped for the race. We went to the last pit lane walk before the race, which Stephen recommended as this had the best atmosphere. The coolest part was that as we approached the Williams’ garage the team opened up the barrier and allowed us to step inside – I’ve never felt so much like a celebrity than I did in this moment.
Then we went back to the balcony outside the Williams Hospitality suite so that we could claim our spot against the barrier for the very best view. From here we could see the drivers head out for the driver parade and the grid lane come alive, we even got to see Martin Brundle! We watched the opening ceremony and as the drivers got into their cars I was practically buzzing with excitement.
20 cars went out for the formation lap and lined up on the grid. The lights came on and then it was time to go racing! Being able to see the lights go out and the cars set off with my own eyeballs was insane, easily the coolest moment of my life so far. We then got to enjoy 50 laps with one of the most unforgettable views. Haydn and I didn’t take photos during the race as we wanted to be in the moment and I’m so glad we did it this way as now these are core memories that I’ll remember forever.
At the end of the race, the podium was set up directly opposite our balcony which gave us the most incredible view. We watched the trophies be handed to Russel, Hamilton and Sainz and then the champagne was sprayed!
Overall, this was by far the most incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experience that I’m truly grateful for. I don’t know what Haydn and I did to deserve a win like this but we’ll cherish it forever. We can’t thank the Williams Racing team enough for letting us be their guests for the weekend!
