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Welcome back to Prime Tire, where we’re wondering if we have time for a joke in this section oh wait we don’t aw shucks. I’m Patrick, my writers are at the Las Vegas GP, we have some breaking news and let’s get to it.
An 11th F1 team is closer than we thought
Late (and I mean late) last night, news broke that General Motors is edging toward securing a place on the Formula One grid with its own team as early as 2026 when the field could expand to 11 teams.
The news was first reported by the Associated Press. What you need to know:
- Multiple sources confirmed to The Athletic that the bid initially put forward by Andretti Global, which was rejected by F1 at the end of January, has gained fresh momentum in recent weeks thanks to General Motors’ involvement.
- There could be an announcement soon from F1 — not confirming Andretti joining the grid, but an update on the process regarding GM’s bid as it takes over the Andretti project.
It’s not a lot to go on, but you can read our story here. We detailed Andretti’s ongoing effort to join F1 a few months ago.
I’m sure there will be plenty more to say about this over the next few weeks. For now, on to Las Vegas …
Sensory Overload
Reporting from the Las Vegas GP
2023 was about taking in the race’s spectacle. We entered the 2024 race week hoping to dig deeper, report on some questions we and our readers had. Here is how we’ve fared so far:
How does F1 get the Strip ready for racing?
- Answer: 140 workers. 3,500 barrier blocks. 1,750 temporary light units. Months of training and calculation. We got the inside story.
Are local businesses upset with the disruption?
- Answer: Oh, very much so. The Athletic spoke with some business owners around the track who do not want F1 to return.
How does F1 book celebrities at a race like this?
- Answer: Months in advance, with security plans, explanations (what is a paddock??) and catering to what kind of experience they want. It’s a fascinating process — we take you inside here.
Can you watch the race without emptying your savings?
- Answer: Surprisingly, yes! Our own Jeff Gluck has been on the case this week. He found a (relatively) inexpensive general admission section. And last night he found creative free spots to watch the action from. (Hint: Escalators are your friend.)
Of course, we’re still reporting all around the track on some fun stories this weekend. Make sure to check on our page every day. Now, let’s throw it to Luke and Madeline in the paddock.
Inside the Paddock with Luke Smith
Lego 🤝 F1
Before F1 got on track on Thursday in Las Vegas, I had an entertaining time finding out about F1’s new partnership with Lego, which will see a new range of products released in early 2025.
The range will cover all ages of Lego products, from Duplo sets for the youngest children to the adult specialist sets that run into thousands of pieces.
But importantly, the Speed Champions range will feature all 10 cars — and, impressively, they’re actually all designed differently after close collaboration between the teams and the Lego designers working on the sets. I got a first-hand look at the products today, and you can spot the differences: the Sauber has a double rear wing pylon, and the McLaren’s sidepods are unique. Even the Red Bull has its high shoulders on the engine cover.
It made me feel like a big kid, but it also pushed home just how creative F1 has become in its partnership and bits to expand its audience. If kids can get their hands on F1 cars in Lego form from age three and work their way up, it could help turn them into fans for life.
Pat note: Check out The Athletic‘s holiday gift guide!
Inside the Paddock with Madeline Coleman
Tommy Hilfiger: Ahead of the F1 curve
After any long-form story, the writer will likely have a notebook full of unused facts and quotes that did not quite fit the theme or final story word count.
I wrote an in-depth story about the history of Tommy Hilfiger and F1, which ran earlier this week, and gosh, do I have so much to tell y’all.
During his partnership with Lotus, the designer realized there was a market for F1 team uniforms among fans.
“My gut instinct told me that people would think it would be cool to wear the uniforms, and it may have come from my love for sports uniforms,” Hilfiger said. “Growing up, I worked in a sporting goods shop, and I was handling a lot of the uniforms for the football teams, the basketball teams, the hockey teams, the soccer teams. And in those days, the way they made uniforms was much different. They made them out of a high level quality fabrication. The numbers were stitched on in satin. They didn’t have tech fabrics then, like we have today.
“But the football uniforms, basketball uniforms, baseball uniforms were made of a different type of material than you would find in sort of normal clothing. And when I started my brand, I took that inspiration and incorporated it into what I was designing. So when we started coming out with sportier looking clothes, they were very authentically built.”
Oh Yeah, Racing
What we learned from FP1 & FP2
We were talking last night about how different Wednesday practice felt from a year ago, when a water valve cover threw the night into disarray. (Don’t worry, that should be fixed.)
Instead, the running last night was relatively … boring? No incidents. Just cars rubbering in the track. The crowd even thinned out midway through FP2. (It was past midnight.)
Mercedes led both sessions, but I wouldn’t place bets based on that. We should see Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren establishing themselves tonight for FP3 and qualifying. Schedule below — check here for live coverage in a few hours.
- FP3: 9:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 a.m. Saturday UK
- Qualifying: 1 a.m. Saturday ET / 6 a.m. Saturday UK
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(Photo: Mark Thompson / Getty Images)
