What You Didn’t See on the Track at the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix (Exclusive)

The 2025 Las Vegas Formula 1 Grand Prix has reached the finish line.

The moto-centric weekend flew by just as fast as the 200 mph cars at the heart of the race, concluding with a history-making win by Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen for a second consecutive year.

PEOPLE was firing on all cylinders with boots on the ground in Las Vegas, speaking with several drivers across the 10 F1 teams and celebrities in attendance over the course of the multi-day event to bring you along for the adrenaline-filled — and star-studded (hi Beyoncé!) — ride.

While all eyes were on the track for the Grand Prix on Saturday, Nov. 22, there was so much action happening off the grid in the days leading up to the race, from the hustle and bustle in the invite-only paddock to the F1-adjacent parties and events happening in the city of Las Vegas itself.

Upon arrival on Nov. 19, PEOPLE sat down with Red Bull Racing in the team hospitality unit parallel to the track to get a full exclusive breakdown from Kit Executive Jonnie Key on the little-known outfit rules drivers must follow in race (fireproof underwear! custom helmets! cooling vests, oh my!).

Parties kicked off early the next day, which amped up the energy for F1 Practice 1 that took place that night. T-Mobile hosted a live event, attracting Paris Hilton, T-Pain, Gavin Casalegno, Jason Oppenheim, Brooks Nader and more celebrities to the celebratory scene.

The iconic hotels that surround the Las Vegas Strip — which doubled as the 3.853 mile-long, 17-turn track for the Grand Prix — were also abuzz. PEOPLE had an exclusive look at the F1 HUB at The Venetian Resort (which grew a four-hour-long line to shop the hip new F1 collab collections).

“It’s all about being on the front line, it’s all about dictating what the future can look like,” Bobby Kim, VP of Creative at Disney Consumer Products and former Creative Director of The Hundreds tells PEOPLE exclusively of his work on the F1 x Disney line as Formula 1 continues to rise in popularity.

After the retail pitstop, PEOPLE returned to the track for a special preview of the Grand Prix course. While we didn’t strap into a race car to whiz around The Strip like last year (with Frankie Muniz as our driver), we hopped into the back of an open-air flatbed truck instead.

Then, PEOPLE strolled alongside the team garages for an exclusive pit lane walk, a highlight also enjoyed by A-listers like Jeremy Renner, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas, Beyoncé and Jay-Z and more ahead of the race’s start in the hours leading up to the Grand Prix’s start.

Each of the 10 F1 teams — Ferrari, Red Bull Racing, Mercedes, McLaren, Aston Martin, Alpine, Williams, Haas, Kick Sauber, and Racing Bulls — construct their garages alongside each other next to the track, so a pit lane walk offers a chance to see the mechanics and team personnel at work up close.

PEOPLE got a look inside the Williams Racing garage, which would later be toured by Cynthia Erivo on Grand Prix night. The Wicked actress swapped her Elphaba hat for a helmet, buckled up and got inside of a race car for a Hot Lap around the track. She also chatted with driver Carlos Sainz, who would go on to finish fifth.

After the tour, PEOPLE was treated to a special presentation by Chef Jeremy Ford, who whipped up caviar tarts at the paddock’s Stubborn Seed pop-up. Simultaneously, we WAG watched, spotting a slew of stylish partners of F1 drivers like Ferrari driver Charles LeClerc’s fiancée, Alexandra Saint Mleux.

Practice 1 began at 4:30 PM and Practice 2 at 8:00 PM on Nov. 20, two one-hour-long slots for drivers to test their setups for the weekend. PEOPLE watched from the luxe Paddock Club overlooking the track, alongside stars like Nina Dobrev and Sarah Paulson.

The next day at the Qualifying at T-Mobile Zone at Sphere, a festival-like viewing experience with music trackside, Machine Gun Kelly went viral for serenading a fan in the rain, while The Summer I Turned Pretty’s Gavin Casalegno enjoyed the race from Club Magenta.

Finally, the race is here! On Nov. 22, PEOPLE kicked off the morning at the Bellagio Fountain Club — located in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip with front-row seats of the Grand Prix Winner’s Stage — for a special presentation with world-renowned chefs, like Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

Mark Wahlberg, too, was in attendance, and even did a “Shoey” (or, essentially drinking champagne out of a shoe to fulfill the tradition popularized by F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo) alongside Chef Masaharu Morimoto, Mario Carbone, Wolfgang Puck and more culinary legends.

Around noon, it was time for PEOPLE to head to the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix red carpet, located in the paddock, which would soon become scattered with athletes and stars alike.

Beyoncé was the first star to arrive, and in Queen Bee fashion, a swarm of cameras followed her and Jay-Z, who skipped the red carpet and went straight to the track for a hot lap driven by Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. The singer pulled out several outfits throughout the night, all moto cool.

Then came the drivers, who filed in one after another through the paddock’s turnstiles with their partners beside them — Sainz and Rebecca Donaldson, Ollie Bearman and Alicia Torriani, LeClerc and Saint Mleux — as they made their way to the team hospitality units to prep for the big night.

PEOPLE spoke with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, Haas’ Bearman and Esteban Ocon and Mercedes’ George Russell on the red carpet before they suited up for the race. It was a significant event for Russell, who marked his 150th F1 race at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

“I didn’t think too much about it prior to this weekend, but there’s an amazing opportunity to look back on everything we’ve accomplished until this moment and what I want to accomplish in my next 150,” Russell told PEOPLE exclusively.

About two hours before the race’s start, the red carpet was bustling with celebrities. The paddock, too, was filled with the biggest names across sports and pop culture: Ben Affleck, Damson Idris, Terry Crews, Travis Scott, Magic Johnson, Flavor Flav, Kane Brown and more.

“Lando Norris! Yeah, boy! That’s who I’m going for tonight too, Lando Norris,” Flavor Flav told PEOPLE in excitement of who he’s hoping will place first. “I seen him win his first F1 in Miami. I was there! … Well, guess what? He might do it again tonight!”

Brooks Nader told PEOPLE that she’s been having “too much fun” in Vegas, and shared whether any F1 drivers have her heart racing. “No, I haven’t hit that sport yet,” she jokes. “I haven’t gotten to that, but they’re all cute. Who knows?”

Kane Brown explained to PEOPLE why his headlining performance at the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix is different than any other. “I think the atmosphere. This is probably my favorite track to be at. I race it all the time with my simulator,” he shared.

“Having VAVO with me will be cool. He did some remixes on my songs, so we’ll be up on a platform together,” continued the country star. “Then, I got some two special guests, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse is going to be here. It’s going to be a good time.”

Shaggy, who also headlined the event, agreed with the vibe of the track. “The energy! We have some beautiful songs that have been the soundtracks of people’s lives and we also have a new track that’s really bubbling up on the chart right now with me and Akon called ‘Boom Body.’ ”

PEOPLE watched the race from the Sky Box that overlooked the track, providing an epic view for when Red Bull Racing’s Verstappen crossed the finish line to secure his second consecutive victory at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Terry Crews scooped Verstappen, George Russell and Lando Norris (who was later disqualified along with his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri after post-race car checks, which determined their skid planks were below the minimum thickness required to race), in a pink LEGO Cadillac for a victory ride to the winner’s podium.

Fireworks then lit up the track even brighter than the city of Las Vegas itself to conclude a whirlwind of a race weekend. Now, full speed ahead to F1 Abu Dhabi!