The latest Formula 1 experience being offered to wealthy fans is honestly something I never saw coming. I’ve seen trailers pulling Paddock Club guests around the track during race weekends, pit walks and hot laps. but this? A container converted into a luxurious restaurant, placed on the back of a flat-bed truck and driven around an F1 track while guests dine? No, I never saw that coming.
It’s called “The Outlap” and is the latest offering from one of the sport’s biggest partners, wine and luxury giant Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy. In short, it’s a fine dining experience with renowned chefs, locally sourced menus, exclusive drinks by LVMH and even a storytelling F1 ambassador for the night. Who he is has not been revealed, but the pictures are out F1 hospitality site Show Mika Hakkinen and Jacques Villeneuve.
Per release: The Out Lap takes guests on a long journey into a traveling dining room running straight through the circuit. Accommodating only twelve guests, the experience takes place on a special route designed around each Grand Prix, stopping at the circuit’s most famous locations. At each stop, the track’s story comes to life through the memories of a former racing driver, whose personal perspective provides a unique window into the sport’s defining moments. Each chapter is interpreted through an exclusive culinary creation conceived by one of the world’s leading chefs and paired with exceptional wines and spirits from the Moët Hennessy portfolio, creating an experience where gastronomy and racing history become inseparable. Each version of The Out Lap is unique. Each circuit inspires its own route, its own stories and its own culinary identity, ensuring that no two experiences are ever the same.
Sure, it screams elitism and 1% vibe, but then again, that’s F1 for you. And for what it’s worth, who wouldn’t want to share a nice dinner with a former F1 champion? The one thing I’m not sure about is that this entire experience is taking place in the back of a semi-truck driving around an F1 track. I mean, I already get carsick easily even if I’m not focusing on a particular task, so I can’t imagine that eating, drinking, conversing, or focusing on stuff while the restaurant is on would be enjoyable for me. Especially at a track with elevation changes like Spa, where The Outlap debuted over the weekend.
Pricing for this experience wasn’t disclosed, but given how exclusive and intimate it is, I can’t imagine it’s even close to affordable – and I’m already considering that to purchase a seat at The Outlap, you’ll likely have to be a Paddock Club pass holder. It’s essentially an additional experience for Paddock Club buyers, and it’s only happening during European races this year.
I believe that when the average three-day ticket to the Paddock Club ranges from $10,000 to $15,000 depending on the location, what could be more lavish than anything else for a unique dinner? If you’re reading this and have already read it or plan to, I’d love to hear about it.
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