Fans flock to Strip as Las Vegas F1 weekend revs up

The first day of the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend brought thousands of people to the Strip, though not everyone was there to spectate.

“We’re here to try and make as much money as possible,” said Daniel Reinhart, a 30-year-old street performer and Las Vegas resident who came to the Strip on Thursday dressed in a Bluey costume.

“It’s definitely the most popular kid’s character in the world right now,” Reinhart said of the cartoon blue heeler.

Reinhart was posted outside of the Flamingo with his friend Kode Rushing, 36, who donned a homemade Bumblebee outfit based on the character from the popular “Transformers” franchise.

Reinhart and Rushing didn’t say how much they were charging per photo. But they said they were also there to marvel at the spectacle of the race.

“It can be good money,” Rushing said. “At times.”

The third annual Las Vegas F1 event, which culminates in Saturday’s 8 p.m. race after practice and qualifying sessions Thursday and Friday, brought legions of racing fans to the Strip Thursday. Many of them, who were decked out in F1 gear, were taking in the sights and sounds of the race weekend, which included the F1 cars screaming down the track during practice Thursday night.

The race itself is a 50-lap contest that takes place on a 3.8-mile circuit mainly comprised of public roads including Las Vegas Boulevard, Koval Lane and Harmon and Sands avenues.

On Friday and Saturday, roads within the circuit are set to close at 3 p.m. and are planned to reopen at midnight Friday and at 2 a.m. Sunday after the race Saturday night.

‘Definitely a lot of people’

The Bumblebee outfit took a lot of foam and hot glue to construct, Rushing said. Equipped with stilts to make him more than 7 feet tall, Rushing said the outfit was handcrafted with foam, glue and other materials he gathered from the internet.

“There’s definitely a lot of people,” Rushing said, adding he and Reinhart frequently visit the Strip in their costumes to try and earn some side cash. “It brings in good revenue for our town.”

Like last year, the upward escalators on the Strip near the Flamingo and elsewhere near the track were shut down to prevent non-paying spectators from interrupting foot traffic to gain a free view of the event.

But perhaps for an extra fee, Rushing joked, he would entertain putting someone on his shoulders to give them a sneak peek.

“Wanna get on my shoulders?” Rushing said to one passerby.

‘We love F1’

Paula Harding, 58, and Tammy Peltzer, 52, parked at the Sahara Las Vegas on Thursday and rode the Las Vegas Monorail to where their seats were for the first day of the F1 weekend.

The friends, both from Las Vegas, became Formula One fans after watching the popular Netflix series “Formula 1: Drive to Survive.”

The friends wore matching Ferrari jackets.

“We were so excited when we heard F1 was coming to Las Vegas,” Harding said. “We watch every race now, so when F1 comes to Las Vegas, yes we’re going to be here. To me, these drivers are athletes, so it’s amazing to watch what they do.”

Peltzer said part of the reason she became an F1 fan is that it’s a worldwide sport.

“It’s exciting to be able to follow drivers and teams from all the different countries,” Peltzer said. “We love F1.”

‘Quite the scene’

In town from Texas with his wifeand other family members, Hilario Sanchez, 39, hesitated when asked who his favorite F1 driver is. His wife, Rosalba Campos, did not.

“Max Verstappen,” Campos said as the couple stood outside the Flamingo while race cars zoomed past every few seconds on the Las Vegas Boulevard track.

Sanchez said the sights and sounds of F1 weekend’s first night provided “quite the scene.”

“We’ve been walking a lot today, but it’s a cool thing to see this here in Las Vegas,” Sanchez said. “My wife wanted to come to Vegas and we though it would be cool to see Formula One here.”

F1 superfan

Alex Ford, 24, from Dallas, got into town Wednesday with his parents. Ford, an insurance broker who was wearing a Haas F1 Team ballcap, might be described by some as an F1 superfan.

“I think there’s drama that goes along with Formula One that attracts people,” Ford said. “People were able to see some of the internal politics in the sport and the media attention that it gets. I think a lot of that interest from people in America comes from “Drive to Survive.”

Ford said he believes F1’s popularity in the U.S. has “plateaued” a bit in the past couple of years, but he thinks there is still plenty of room for the sport to grow in America.

“America is still a huge market for F1 and that’s why all of the new races are going to American cities,” Ford said. “I’m sure this is great for the local economy here in Las Vegas. It’s a cool environment, but it is a lot of walking.”

He said his group has a room at the south end of the Strip at The Signature at MGM Grand overlooking the paddock area.

“It’s going to be exciting to have the race (Saturday) on TV, but also be able to watch some of it live below,” Ford said.

New York F1 superfan takes in Vegas

For New York resident and F1 superfan Sylvia Brindis, Thursday was a lot to take in, but for her, Saturday can’t come soon enough.

Brindis arrived in town earlier Thursday with about a half-dozen friends and fellow F1 enthusiasts. The group has tickets to attend Saturday’s race, which is a dream come true for Brindis, who said she was once the organizer of the largest F1 club in New York.

“Las Vegas itself is the most grandiose of indulgence,” Brindis said, adding that it’s her first time attending the race in Las Vegas. “I love street circuits. I can’t think of a more iconic one than this one.”

Brindis said she has since handed the organizing reigns to another superfan, but said the online meetup page at its apex had more than 5,000 members. Throughout the F1 season, Brindis and others would head to a local bar, sometimes as early as 6 a.m., and said the spot eventually became so overrun with fans that neighboring bars began offering F1 showings, too.

The rest of her party, also from New York, was excited to take in Sin City. For some, it was their second time coming to the Grand Prix.

“If you were to say, like, what city would be the best city in F1 to drive in America? It would be Vegas on the Strip,” said friend Kyle Monson, who came for the event last year.

Brindis said she was anticipating cooler weather but was still surprised by the chill in the air at about 7:30 p.m. Thursday evening, when the temperature hovered just above 50 degrees.

Saturday’s high is expected to be 63, with an afternoon low of 48, according to the National Weather Service. Given that, Brindis said she and her friends may find for ways to stay warm during the race.

“It’s gonna be cold,” Brindis said. “I’m hoping that I can find a blanket that I can bring into the event.”

Contact Casey Harrison at charrison@reviewjournal.com. Follow @casey-harrison.bsky.social on Bluesky. Contact Bryan Horwath at bhorwath@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BryanHorwath on X.