Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, a big fan of Formula One, has a healthy Las Vegas presence with seven restaurants located up and down the Strip. So adding one of the most prestigious hospitality spaces to the Las Vegas Grand Prix made too much sense.
Gordon Ramsay at F1 Garage is located on pit lane at Turn 1 of the circuit and provides some of the most intimate views of the race, along with some of the best food and beverages available at the track.
Despite the heft price tag of $28,088, the space sold out long before race weekend rolled around.
"How many times have I gone to a grand prix and being somewhat disappointed about the food and beverage side, because it's always a grab and go; Now we can properly indulge," Ramsay said. "I was talking with Stefano (Domenicali) a couple of years back to come up with something unique and they wanted to raise the bar. Not only just in terms of entertainment but food as well. There's no greater platform to launch that than right here in Vegas three years ago."
The highly sought after ticket includes three days of all-inclusive premium food and beverages, behind the scenes tours of F1 team working spaces, access to the F1 podium, F1 drivers stopping by the space and former F1 drivers providing live commentary during racing action, a dedicated service manager and a commemorative ticket box.
"You'll see the host of incredible DJs, some of the prolific VIPs coming in and the good news is that we are fully booked," Ramsay said. "We're in a privileged position and when you get that role in life you want to make it better."
'Handing out miniature Wellingtons as the cars go by'
Having the location of the space right on pit row offers one of the best spaces in all F1, Ramsay said.
"Look at the position of the restaurant, sometimes it's a skyline, sometimes it's this incredible bar, but we're in the pit lane," Ramsay said. "We're literally handing out miniature Wellingtons as the cars go by to give an extra touch of nourishment."
Having his seven establishments in Las Vegas helps raise the level of service in the garage space. Instead of having an outside crew come in, Ramsay can pull in those from his Strip restaurants.
"I opened my first business here back in 2010, so I have an infrastructure like no other," Ramsay said. "I'm not depending on part-time caterers or a mobile kitchen. We have a proper foundation ... because we have access to an incredible team here. I'm drawing on local talent, using local produce and also benefiting from one of the most competitive culinary cities. Everybody took Vegas as kind of a joke 10 years ago. Ask any chef in the world, anywhere, and ask where they want to show off if you're given a platform; nine times out of 10 it's Vegas."
Ramsay always dreamed of being an F1 driver, but he said his stature isn't made for the sport.
"I'm too big and I'm too fat," Ramsay joked.
Ramsay's trip isn't all about work. He took some time on Thursday night to go to Spring Mountain Motor Ranch Motor Resort and Country Club in Pahrump to drive a $1 million Aston Martin Valhalla, a vehicle that boasts over 1,000 horsepower.
"Experiening that thing for the first time, oh my god," Ramsay said.