Drivers weren’t the only ones getting motorsports fans revved up in Austin at the Formula 1 Lenovo U.S. Grand Prix over the weekend. There was also a roster of top-tier sponsors on the grounds at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), luring attendees in with sampling, technology, curated photo moments and, in one case, robot bartenders. Cruise through the photos below for a quick dose of the action.
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SPORTS ILLUSTRATED & PARTNERS
Sports Illustrated rolled back into race weekend with an expanded Grand Prix presence that spanned three hospitality events: Club SI at Circuit of The Americas, Sports Illustrated Circuit Series and, new to the lineup, Rev Country Austin. From Friday to Sunday, the publication offered live music, photo moments and a host of partner activations.
Club SI served as a chill space and pop-up music venue of sorts where attendees (including plenty of celebrities) could get premium views of the racetrack, listen to DJ Cassandra and check out partner experiences by Casamigos, BODYARMOR, Aston Martin, Vince Camuto and The Picklr. The first-ever Rev Country Austin, co-hosted with Thuzio, entailed a performance by country duo Locash and more activations from Casamigos and BODYARMOR.
In partnership with Framework and The Concourse Project, Sports Illustrated hosted the SI Circuit Series, the official COTA afterparty, where attendees danced all night to a live show by EDM producer Dom Dolla. Partner activations included Juicy Couture and Nine West photo ops, a Thomasville lounge offering charging stations, a Celsius Essential Energy sampling bar featuring a photo moment, giveaways from NUTRL, BODYARMOR and Flash I.V., and a Wagoneer display (more on that below).
Photo credit: Authentic
WAGONEER
At the Sports Illustrated SI Circuit Series afterparty, Wagoneer by Jeep served as the event’s official automotive partner, providing an on-site SUV vehicle display that enticed celebrities including actor and co-host of “Live with Kelly and Mark” Mark Consuelos, model and actor Sam Asghari, and actors Becca Tobin and Cole Hauser.
Photo credit: Shutterstock
PACSUN
Retailer Pacsun made its grand debut at the U.S. Grand Prix this year with a pop-up shop and official F1 apparel collection spanning tees to hoodies to track pants. Adding support to Pacsun’s pop-up efforts were execs on-site for the event, including ceo Brie Olson and the brand’s vp of men’s merchandising and global partnerships, creative director and associate director of brand marketing, along with several influencers who donned the merch throughout the weekend.
“We are not just selling merchandise; we are creating connections and making memories with the community. This is just the start of what we hope will be a series of initiatives as we look ahead to the remaining half of the year with F1,” said Olson in a statement.
Photo credit: Pacsun
LENOVO
U.S. Grand Prix title sponsor Lenovo made headlines with a “kiss-activated” trophy created in partnership with Pininfarina that was ultimately awarded to race winner Max Verstappen. The tech-infused trophy concept, first introduced at a race in Japan, is made with aluminum and designed to light up with the flag colors from the winner’s home country.
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REDBULL/ORACLE
The Oracle Red Bull Racing Team pulled a head-turning stunt in the leadup to the big race. On Oct. 18, the team transported its RB19 race vehicle (to be driven by Verstappen) to a private event at Oracle’s Austin-based headquarters—via helicopter. The car floated over the city in its new custom livery, partially designed by the winner of a “Make Your Mark” U.S. Grand Prix fan contest. Red Bull even flew in the winning artist, an Argentinian graphic designer, to view the race, and his work, in person. Meanwhile, in addition to viewing the stunt, attendees of the private event were treated to racing sims, a hat-painting bar, driver appearances and Q&As.
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Featured photo credit: Red Bull Content Pool/Getty Images
