The 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix served up neon-soaked drama on and off track: Max Verstappen took the win, both McLaren cars were controversially disqualified after the race, and Mercedes turned opportunities into a memorable 2–3. Away from the racing, the Strip delivered spectacle after spectacle. Here are eight moments you might have missed.
1) Mercedes lifts the F1 ACADEMY crown
F1 ACADEMY’s season finale in Las Vegas went down to the wire. Mercedes driver Doriane Pin clinched the 2025 title over Maya Weug, wrapping up a strong weekend that included a Race 1 victory and a fifth place in Race 2. Pit-lane celebrations saw Pin and the PREMA and Mercedes crews in matching P1N shirts, joined by Toto Wolff, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli — a party that foreshadowed Mercedes’s big night on the main card, where Russell and Antonelli recovered to finish a heroic second and third.
2) Terry Crews drives the cooldown
Actor and fan Terry Crews took over chauffeuring duties in a show-stopping, bright-pink LEGO 1950s Cadillac cooldown car, ferrying Verstappen, Lando Norris and George Russell. Crews recreated his White Chicks moment with a rousing sing-along of ‘A Thousand Miles’ while the drivers enjoyed the theatrics (and the oversized LEGO sunglasses), producing one of the weekend’s most viral cooldown moments.
3) Disney joins the paddock
Following an announced collaboration between Formula 1 and Disney, Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Donald patrolled the paddock. They helped deliver themed moments all weekend: Franco Colapinto even staged a cheeky proposal to Minnie after meeting her, the Disneyland Band and Disney performer Adrian Lyles took part in the US national anthem pre-race, and Mickey starred in a Fantasmic!-inspired drone and water show at the Bellagio Fountains that blended classic theme music with F1 imagery.
4) Minister Bottas
Valtteri Bottas added a Las Vegas oddity to his résumé by officiating a wedding at LEGO’s pop-up chapel. The Mercedes reserve driver presided over the ceremony for an F1-fan couple, creating a memorable, high-octane keepsake.
5) LEGO and Hello Kitty amplify the grid
Announced in Vegas: LEGO Racing will join the F1 ACADEMY grid in 2026 with Dutch driver Esmee Kosterman. LEGO’s footprint was everywhere — from podium bouquets made of bricks to the pink LEGO Cadillac and a chapel pop-up. Hello Kitty also debuted as a series partner, hosting a fanzone, meeting drivers and even waving the chequered flag after a chaotic F1 ACADEMY Race 1. A co-branded merch line launched in the F1 Hub.
6) Elvises keep the Vegas tradition alive
A procession of Elvis impersonators greeted teams, drivers and guests at the paddock entrance, keeping the city’s playful tradition going with jumpsuits, sunglasses and sideburns aplenty.
7) Vegas-style liveries and helmets
Teams leaned into the Strip’s glitz with special liveries from Williams, Sauber, Racing Bulls and Alpine featuring chrome, reflective and neon elements that popped under the lights. Drivers unveiled bespoke helmets and looks: Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli went for glitter and glam, Esteban Ocon debuted a Marvel-inspired lid, Lando Norris rolled out a bold new paint job, and George Russell, Yuki Tsunoda and Oscar Piastri opted for more personal designs. The visuals on the grid were as much a part of the show as the racing.
8) Celeb sightings, hot laps and concerts
The Strip drew a raft of celebrities and sports stars. Beyoncé and Jay-Z took a blistering Ferrari hot lap that reached around 320 kph, Cynthia Erivo visited the Williams garage and joined a hot lap with Jenson Button, and Carlos Sainz’s car attracted high-profile attention. The weekend’s music bill included Louis Tomlinson, Kane Brown, Steve Aoki, T-Pain, ZEDD, Dillon Francis and Machine Gun Kelly. Other notable attendees ranged across sport and entertainment — A’ja Wilson, Jimmy Butler, Sunisa Lee, Taylor Fritz, Blaise Matuidi, Magic Johnson, Damson Idris, Sam Worthington, Jeremy Renner, Mark Wahlberg, Ben Affleck, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones among them — and celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay was spotted enjoying the hospitality.
Las Vegas delivered the usual mix of headline racing and off-track spectacle: dramatic results, surprise celebrations, new brand partnerships and pop-culture moments that keep the city a can’t-miss stop on the F1 calendar.