Like me, F1 fans across the world have been waiting with bated breath for the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix. The penultimate round of the 2023 F1 championship is set to be held in Las Vegas on a brand new street circuit, which is a wee bit more special than other street circuits on the F1 calendar. The reason – this one will run through the iconic Las Vegas Boulevard or ‘The Strip’ as it’s more widely known.
In the past, F1 has been to Las Vegas (the 1981 and 1982 Caesars Palace GP), but never before have the F1 cars run on The Strip. So, it’s safe to say that the Vegas GP will go down as one of the most special, most memorable races of this year’s F1 season.
So, it’s only fair that the teams go the extra mile to make their race machines look extra special for the round. And a few of them have. Ferrari, Alpine, Williams Racing, Red Bull, Alpha Tauri, and Alfa Romeo have all revealed special one-off liveries for the Las Vegas GP. Here’s a look at them.
Alpine
The A523 will be seen donning a unique livery that comes as a part of Alpine’s collaboration with streetwear brand Palace and Italian sportswear brand Kappa. In fact, the entire Alpine team will be seen wearing tweaked colours, as the collaboration also applies to the entire team kit and the racing suits of drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon.
Red Bull Racing
The Red Bull RB19 will turn purple for the Las Vegas GP. In fact, for the first time this season, the RB19 has been given unique paintwork – from the rear wing to the front. Red Bull’s Vegas livery comes from the company’s ‘Make Your Mark’ competition in which one lucky fan-submitted design is picked from thousands of entries. Lindsay Palmer’s winning design for the Red Bull Vegas livery features a pink and yellow neon-strip design on the purple base and new ‘Poker Chip’ design wheel covers to further highlight the Vegas theme.
Ferrari
The SF-23 and the entire Scuderia Ferrari outfit will wear unique colours in Vegas that add a dash of white to the iconic Ferrari red. It pays homage to the bodywork of the Ferrari race machines of the seventies that featured a red and white colour scheme. Over and above the standard red and black colour scheme, the SF-23 will be seen with some splashes of white in the livery and some components, like the rear wing, finished almost entirely in white.
Williams Racing
Williams Racing’s special Vegas livery is inspired by the showmanship theme of Las Vegas, featuring signature elements like the ‘Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas’ sign and the cabochon lights. The illuminated Williams lettering is a nod to the iconic Neon Museum or Neon Boneyard.
Scuderia AlphaTauri
AlphaTauri’s special livery represents the night theme of the Vegas Grand Prix. The team also confirmed that this livery will also be carried over to Abu Dhabi. The design, featuring white speed streaks flowing down the bodywork, is inspired by the work of Californian artist and muralist Brendan Monroe, the artist AlphaTauri has collaborated with for the creation of the AlphaTauri x Brendan Monroe Las Vegas Capsule Collection of apparel.
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo’s Centro Stile is responsible for the team’s unique Las Vegas look. The livery is inspired by Las Vegas’s role as the ‘Entertainment Capital’ of the world and is a nod to its casino culture. The car dons an all-black look with a pattern of playing cards. The look also extends to the team’s garage and drivers’ attire.