Justin Bell: Formula 1 Is Way More Dangerous Than You Think | DSH #1740

Summary

Podcast Summary: Digital Social Hour – "Justin Bell: Formula 1 Is Way More Dangerous Than You Think" (DSH #1740)

Host: Sean Kelly
Guest: Justin Bell (racing driver, broadcaster, host of "Drive to Win")
Date: January 7, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this lively episode of Digital Social Hour, host Sean Kelly sits down with renowned racing driver and broadcaster Justin Bell to explore the world of Formula 1 and motorsport culture, delving into the business side, the glamour, the risks, and the technological advancements shaping modern racing. The conversation blends personal anecdotes, industry insights, and candid reflections—painting a portrait of why Formula 1 is not just a sport, but a high-stakes, ever-evolving spectacle. They also discuss the growing intersection with pop culture and business, the rise of female participation, and how Las Vegas is fast becoming a central hub for motorsport and automotive luxury.

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Main Discussion Points & Insights

Journey Into Motorsport Media (00:01–02:43)

• Justin’s Broadcasting Origin Story: Justin shares how an initial meeting at the Wynn Las Vegas led to hosting the "Drive to Win" show, thanks to his proactive approach and industry expertise.

  • "I sniff an opportunity. And I said, if you've got a Formula 1 show... Three weeks later, I was on air." (Justin, 01:54)

• He discusses the rapid growth and mainstreaming of Formula 1 in the U.S., crediting Netflix's "Drive to Survive" and high-profile Grand Prix events in Las Vegas, Austin, and Miami.

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Formula 1’s Global Appeal & Cultural Crossover (02:43–05:59)

• F1’s Worldwide Audience: The hosts remark on the massive international following of F1, compared to the regional nature of other sports.
• Influence of Pop Culture: The visibility of drivers (like Lewis Hamilton) as fashion icons and sports celebrities is amplified by social media and movies.
• Economic Scale: Justin highlights the significant earnings at the top of F1, with Max Verstappen cited as earning a base of ~$70 million annually.

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The Select Few: Drivers, Careers, and Competition (05:59–12:55)

• Only 20 drivers compete in F1 at any given time, making it exceptionally competitive ("Only 20 is nuts, though." – Sean, 06:22).

• Careers can last longer than the average NFL athlete; however, only a handful achieve decades-long stardom.

• There’s fierce turnover at the lower end—drivers can lose seats due to team finances or car performance, not necessarily personal skill.

• Stories of Up-and-Comers: Justin describes Jack Crawford, a promising young American signed as Aston Martin's reserve driver after moving to Europe at 14.

  • “He just got signed for Aston Martin to be the third driver next year. I mean, it’s like amazing result for him.” (Justin, 07:18)

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The Reality of Racing: Danger, Preparation, and Technology (07:44–14:24)

• Risks & Reserve Drivers: F1 drivers face real danger; teams maintain reserve drivers ready to step in at a moment’s notice.

• Simulation and Technology:

  • The evolution from "walking the track" to advanced, multi-million-dollar simulators, which are now crucial for training.

  • Sims have become so sophisticated that some sim racers (e.g., the Gran Turismo story) have made it into professional racing.

  • "The Formula 1 Sims are better than the ones that we have in here. You know, they're... five, $10 million SIMs." (Justin, 08:25)

• Importance of Physical Fitness: Weight and fitness are critical—extra pounds translate directly into lost horsepower.

  • “If you weigh 10 pounds over the next guy, that’s 10 horsepower.” (Justin, 10:45)

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Skill vs. Equipment: The Eternal Debate (12:00–13:46)

• The car is a major differentiator, but to reach F1, all drivers must already possess exceptional skill.
• Environmental factors (wet tracks, street circuits) and driver experience often determine results within a very tight field.

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Age, Risk, and the Changing Culture (13:02–15:02)

• Younger drivers often take greater risks—mirroring how society utilizes young people in dangerous roles (e.g., military).

• Justin reflects on evolving perspectives on danger as drivers age and grow more cautious.

  • "At 35, 40, you go, well, is there another way to do this? Yeah... My will to be that fit and risk my life—when I have a nice life—I don’t really want to kill myself." (Justin, 13:34)

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Generational Shifts & Critical Thinking (15:02–17:09)

• Dialogue on cultural complacency, overreliance on technology (like AI), and decline in critical thinking in younger generations.

  • “It’s like the luck truck doesn’t come down the street, open your gate, come in the front door and hit you on the sofa. You gotta go and stand out in the street and make it happen.” (Justin, 14:34)

• The flood of available information today hasn’t necessarily led to greater intelligence—if anything, it may be eroding problem solving and drive.

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Spotlight: Las Vegas Concours & Wynn's Unique Hospitality (17:11–21:14)

• Justin details his involvement in the Las Vegas Concours at Wynn—an event for elite car collectors rivaling Pebble Beach.
  • "The Concorde is definitely within the next few years [going to] be one of the top three in the country." (Justin, 18:43)
• Discussion of Wynn’s focus on exceptional hospitality—keeping chefs local to maintain high quality, unique event experiences, and the luxury car show’s growing prestige.

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The Business and Community of F1 (21:14–29:20)

• Growth of F1 in Las Vegas: Track design tailored for the city, support from major hotels, and the logistical improvement over the years.
  • “You get this race that's become truly unique because Las Vegas is unique.” (Justin, 21:30)
• Overview of the F1 Paddock and Team Community: A tight-knit, traveling 'circus' where teams know each other well, and camaraderie exists alongside fierce competition.
• Crossover with NASCAR: Justin demystifies the skill and coordination required in NASCAR, noting its roots in prohibition-era bootlegging and its evolution into a billion-dollar empire.

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F1’s Business Boon and Pop Culture Collaborations (25:27–29:20)

• Formula 1 is now a billion-dollar business in America, with deals including LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy), partnerships with Tag Heuer, Lego, and Hello Kitty.
  • “That's a billion-dollar deal. She did a one billion dollar deal just for Vegas. No, it's for the—oh, 10 years, 100 million a year.” (Justin, 25:44)
• Notably, F1 is using collaborations (e.g., Lego, Hello Kitty) to reach new, younger, and female fans.
• The F1 Academy (women-only racing) aims to bring the first female F1 entrant in decades, which Justin predicts will be a "chest of gold" opportunity for the sport.
  • “A woman will be able to race a Formula [1]. There’s going to be really no disadvantage.” (Justin, 27:44)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Success and Risk:
  "If you understand that your life's on the line or you can lose anything, I think it sharpens the mind 100%." (Justin, 14:24)
• On Culture and Competition:
  “If you’re ready to outwork the next guy, you got it.” (Justin, 15:19)
• On Technology’s Impact:
  “We have so much data, but I don't think we're any smarter.” (Justin, 15:53)
• On Women's Future in F1:
  "We need a great woman talent to come up and be. So everyone wants—everyone wants. It doesn't—I don't care who you are, what shape, size, where you're from, if you're going to be there, you just got to compete." (Justin, 28:18)

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Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• Justin’s entry into broadcasting at Wynn: 01:06–02:16
• F1’s international rise and economic overview: 02:43–05:32
• How drivers climb the ranks and the competitive churn: 06:22–07:28
• Role of simulators and tech in modern racing: 08:19–10:09
• Weight, fitness, and physiological factors in racing: 10:35–11:46
• Skill vs. car (equipment) debate: 12:06–12:55
• Risk-taking, aging, and culture of danger: 13:02–14:24
• Generational change & critical thinking: 15:02–17:09
• Las Vegas Concours and Wynn hospitality: 17:11–18:53
• F1 business deals and pop culture collaborations: 25:27–26:10
• F1 Academy, women's breakthrough, and equity in competition: 26:33–28:18

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Tone & Style

• The episode is conversational, candid, and occasionally irreverent, matching the raw, unfiltered reputation of the Digital Social Hour. Both host and guest are knowledgeable but keep the discussion accessible, often using humor and storytelling to bridge technical details with broader cultural and business implications.

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For anyone looking to understand why Formula 1 has exploded in popularity, the hidden dangers, and how it intersects with business, pop culture, and personal risk, this episode is an engaging primer packed with industry insight and personality.

Transcript

[A]

Two, one. Okay, guys, fellow host here today we got Justin Bell. We actually met in a studio a couple years ago, so finally got you on.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. I've been following it. You're prolific.

[A]

Yeah, it's been, it's been a fun journey, man. I'm sure you like the lifestyle. It's. You meet a lot of interesting people, right?

[B]

Yeah. And also when you meet people, you think, would they be a good guest? Right, right. You, you, you turn into a bit of a. A predator kind of. Oh, yeah, Good.

[A]

You know, my first thought when I'm talking to people in the sauna, at the gym, wherever I am, I'm like, oh, that could be a good idea.

[B]

Is that what you do? And also, I think when you are a storyteller or communicator, whatever you want to call it, you have a way of getting information out of people.

[A]

Right, right.

[B]

Well, you're not, it's not, it's not, you know, with anything nefarious, but you, you kind of go, oh, yeah. They start to tell you stuff.

[A]

It's a skill. It is, I've noticed. I've gotten a lot more curious being a host.

[B]

Right. And it is, it's like not just leaving a statement someone makes dead in the water. You just kind of go, ah. What do you mean by that? Yeah, you know, yeah, it's really good.

[A]

Is your show strictly about racing or do you cover other stuff as well?

[B]

Yeah, well, it's called Drive to Win, obviously, with me over at the Wynn Las Vegas, and they fund it. We do have other sponsors getting involved, but it's Formula one is what it's all about. And probably the Wynn Concord as well. We, we wrap into that. But you know, it's a funny story how I was at the Wynn just going for a meeting with my production partner because I have a company and we do live stream.

[A]

Right.

[B]

For big car events. And I'm very involved with the Pebble Beach Concorde delegates, the most famous.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Show in the world and like host it and we do all their livestream. And so I come back, they, they were advised to talk to me about, you know, what we do for the win. Concord and I go into their boardroom, you know, some pretty intimidating looking guys in suits. I mean, they're high. You know, the casino guys don't, you know, mess around and then didn't really need what we were offering, but they were like, have you seen our big studio downstairs? No. I walk in and immediately like we were just saying, I sniff an opportunity And I, and I said, if you've got a Formula one show, I mean, it's coming up in six months, obviously they didn't. Three weeks later, I was on air.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

So that's how it works, right? Yeah, yeah, I was, I was on it. And it's been. This is my third year. I love it. I really enjoy the people and I mean the world of Formula One. I've just caught the wave. It's the right time to be. Ten years ago, you'd have been a formula. What you know now because the drive to survive because of the Vegas Grand Prix and Austin and, And Miami, everybody knows about it. And the movie.

[A]

Yeah. You know, I didn't see it yet, but I want to.

[B]

You should. Yeah, it's good.

[A]

I mean, feel like it was pretty accurate depiction.

[B]

Yeah. It's funny because I generally, I've worked out that movies about a topic, football, basketball, baseball, whatever, and you're in the sport, you can always see the floors, the cracks. Right. They're not made for us, but they're not made for insiders. But this is really good. I mean, a little side note, I remember 20 odd a long time ago. I was 18 and there was a. My. We had a direct racing school and these two Navy pilots came along and they're chatting and they're like, do you like. What do you think of Days of Thunder? It was like the only movie that had been around. And we're like, ah, you know, it's not. You don't really downshift on the high banking at Talladega and to overtake, you're already going 200 miles an hour. And they were laughing and they said, do you like Top Gear? And I said, oh, God, it's best movie. I. One of my favorites. And they went, well, we don't put the flaps on full at Mach 1, the plane would disintegrate. I'm like, oh, I didn't know that. So. So it made me realize that it's.

[A]

It's about getting more people into the mass audience.

[B]

The mass audience.

[A]

Right.

[B]

You know, I'm pretty sure the opening scene in Wolf, you know, Wool street with the coke and the hooker bent over, that's probably real. But you know, all my friends in New York say that's pretty spot on. But, you know, the. In sports, it's was the highest grossing movie, you know.

[A]

Wow. F1 was.

[B]

Yeah, the F1 movie. Highest groping sports movie.

[A]

Wow. Well, it makes sense though, because it has an international audience.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Other sports are mainly America or mainly other Countries.

[B]

Uhhuh. Yeah, totally. So it was just. I really enjoyed watching it. I like the fact that it was a lot of it was around Vegas.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You could see the city that everyone here is so, you know, involved with. And of course, the win was a big part of it. And hey, for us racing drivers, Brad Pitt laying a racing driver probably made girls and people think drivers are cooler than they really are. Even my girlfriend's like, now that's what a driver should look like. Yeah.

[A]

I mean, some of these drivers, they got huge followings. I was looking them up on Instagram.

[B]

Like 20 million, 50 million, 10 million. But it's a fully global sport.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So. And these are young, sexy athletes that risk their life. It's a pretty good mix.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. They seem to peak at a very young age in this sport, huh?

[B]

Yeah, you start very young, get into carting and really, really, by the time you're 18, 20, you want to be sniffing at Formula One. And then if you're in it, you can last in it for, you know, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso. They're in their 40s, but that's rare.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Everybody else. It's longer than a football career, right? Yeah, because.

[A]

Yeah, but football is only three and a third years.

[B]

Is that what it is?

[A]

That's the average these days.

[B]

And then you better save some money because you're not going to make any more. Yeah. The Formula one is such a business. I mean, I know that the top, top tops athletes in America make a lot of money, but you know, max Verstappen's probably 70 million base. Holy crap. It's big money.

[A]

So Formula One might make the most per average drive.

[B]

I think so they do 24 races a year. So divide it, you know, I mean, it's pretty, it's.

[A]

And there's not many of them. There's only like what, 30 racers, 20 drives, 20 drivers. So if you do the average. Yeah. They probably make the most out of any sport.

[B]

I think they really. There's just more in other sports. Right.

[A]

How.

[B]

I don't know how many people are on a roster in like a basketball.

[A]

Basketball. 15.

[B]

So. Okay.

[A]

But only the. I'd say the top, like seven to eight make millions.

[B]

Okay. Okay. Everyone else is a bit of a journeyman.

[A]

Yeah. Everyone else is on a minimum salary, they call it. I think that's like 500k a year or something.

[B]

It's a lot of standing around if you're playing isn't.

[A]

And those aren't guaranteed also.

[B]

So if you get hurt, you're done yeah. Wow. So you. You got to be the best. It's the same. I think it's like the top Formula one drivers, they'll last a long time. I mean, Lewis Hamilton's fashion icon, you know, it does. He directs. He. When he finishes racing, he'll be. He'll be set.

[A]

He'll be set. Only 20 is nuts, though. And how often are they changing drivers?

[B]

It. It's interesting that. Or the lower end. Some of the drivers are just as good, but maybe the car's bad and it just was bad within the regulation. The team doesn't have the money, so they'll get cycled out. Just like every sport. If you don't really get the chance, you can get bumped out again. And then you have. Then you go to sports cars, which is what I do. Yeah, it's a bit more like doubles tennis. You know, you still are good, but singles tennis is where. Where everyone really knows you. And there will be three or four drivers a year, maybe shift it out. Right. I had one on my show this morning, a young guy called Jack Crawford. He's America's top young driver that no one's heard of. I actually, I hadn't even heard of him till a couple of months ago. He committed to go to Europe at like 14 years old.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

Moved there away from his parents to do the carting and to do everything in. In the European environment. And he just got signed for Aston Martin to be the third driver next year. I mean, it's like amazing result for him. So, yeah, I think we'll hear more of him. But he came on the show.

[A]

That's incredible.

[B]

It's funny, he's sitting in his little apartment and he's got his laundry on the rack. The. You know, in two years time, you'll probably be living in Monica. That's incredible.

[A]

So how many drivers do each team have? Is it three?

[B]

Two?

[A]

Oh, two.

[B]

But he is. They have a reserve.

[A]

Got it.

[B]

So he becomes the reserve driver in case one of them gets hurt. And all the big teams have that because imagine that investment. And. Well, with Aston Martin, for example, Lance Stroll, one of the Aston drivers, he fell off his mountain bike. Jeez. You know, in mid season, broke a finger. So the reserve driver steps in, but you have to be ready to go. It means you had to be as. You have to be as fit. You have to be, you know, as competent with the electron, you know, the, the systems on the cars. And that's why SIM racing is so big. Sim, the technology of SIM for a Formula one driver. Now is wildly important.

[A]

Yeah. I saw you on another show talking about how the skill level has just gotten so much higher. Because back in the day you didn't have those simulations, right?

[B]

No, I used to have to walk around the track and go, oh, there's a hole. Yeah, there's a, you know, or there's a bit of grass now. I mean, they, they do thousands of miles, thousands of laps behind the sim. And it's better than the. The Formula 1 Sims are better than the ones that we have in here. You know, they're. I think they're five, $10 million SIMs.

[A]

I think I tried one last year out of one. It was crazy.

[B]

Wild. Yeah, they. And they can feel the car. And it's not just about driving because obviously that's part of it, but you've got to have the simulation of the physical car. When the tires start to degrade, when the fuel load goes down, everything changes, all the physics of the car. And they need that, you know, the turbulence in the air. And so they. Yeah, it's a wild thing. Which is why one of my. It was very cool. About a month ago, I was in Whole Foods in la and this. The couple behind the. The kid behind the. The till cashier was talking to her, the other guy there, about the, the movie that was about the Nissan. Did it Grant. The Gran Turismo movie.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

When they actually found a young driver in England who was racing the sim and took him all the way to Le Mans to win a race. And it was the first time anyone had done that. It's actually a good movie for anyone that hasn't watched it because the driving scenes are crappy, but the story is real. He killed someone in a race. I mean, he almost went back by accident. He went over the wall and. And killed a spectator. I mean, it was a real. A really tough story, but he went from sitting like where you are with no chance of reaching top level racing to winning an online competition to racing it.

[A]

That's nuts.

[B]

Isn't that.

[A]

Well, I can't believe it translates that well.

[B]

Yeah, that's how good it is. Now, I think if you took maybe the thousand kids that were. Were doing it, or 10,000, I don't know how many. I'm sure height, weight, physicality, took out 99 of the dorito. Eating Pepsi kids sitting on the sofa.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But he happened to be fit, strong.

[A]

Right.

[B]

The right size, but it shows if that is how good sims are.

[A]

So how much does weight really matter when it comes to racing?

[B]

It's like this kid Jack said this morning, you could see he's got big broad shoulders. And I asked him about his training. He says I just have to really focus on cardio.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

If I put muscle on too much muscle, I'll increase the weight in the car too much and it's about a horsepower, a pound loss. So if, if you wave 10 pounds over the next guy, that's 10 horsepower. Yeah.

[A]

That's a big difference. Right? Over time.

[B]

Yeah. And, and where the weight is in the car is something. You know, obviously the driver's in his cockpit, but how high they are, you know, you want to be low down.

[A]

Interesting.

[B]

You want to have a low center of cg. You want to have a low center of gravity. All this fact is into it.

[A]

Yeah, there's a lot that goes into it, right?

[B]

Yeah. Like I'm, I'm slim, but I was 6 foot, so I, I mean you'd struggle, your head would be. They wouldn't let you in. Yeah, they chop your, and chop your legs off. But in old, you could race nascar, you'd be right in there.

[A]

But there's some tall NASCAR drivers.

[B]

There are Wall Trip and those guys are very tall. I think it's where you go when you're tall. But yeah, the ideal race driver would probably be about 5 8, 59 and weigh 110 pounds.

[A]

Interesting. So very short and lean.

[B]

That's the way. But wow. But you got to be strong, right.

[A]

So you need to be mainly muscle, not body fat.

[B]

Lewis Hamilton's jacked is, you know, he's, he's kind of got that physique and his race, you know, he's, he's got it going for him.

[A]

And then how much would you say of it is skill versus the car?

[B]

Everyone always says that, asks that question. To even get into a Formula one car to get the chance. You've gone up through the ranks, you've won championships, you won. It's like a process from a young age. But to beat. If you and I were the same skill, our car would play the differentiator between us. But of course, it's. Some teams are better in, in different circumstances. Some drivers are just better in the wet. If it's a street circuit like Las Vegas, they're just better at driving on that on the day. Right. You've seen it with other sports. How the hell did that tennis player be so good? You know what, how did that guy do perform so well? We all have better days than others. So the raw skill is just like any other sport. It's just our tennis racket or our stick is a multi million dollar car.

[A]

Yeah. And it does seem to be similar to tennis in regards to like there's a couple at the top that have been there for a while, right.

[B]

Mm. And that's a big part of the sport. You've got the experience level and then you got the young guys and it. There is a reason that we make soldiers out of 18 to 25 year olds because men, as we know, our brains do not develop our risk. Our risk tolerance is so high, which is why we give you a gun and throw you out of a plane because you're going to just start, you know, run towards the enemy at 35, 40, you go, well, is there another way to do this? Yeah, you know, it's the same in racing. I mean I still have the speed in a lot of ways to be very competitive. Not a Formula one, but in sports cars. But my will to be that fit and that risks my life. When I have a nice life, I don't really want to kill myself.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Never thought about it when I was. But now I'm like, you know, you've.

[A]

Had a couple near death crash.

[B]

Yeah, you have a couple and you go, all right, got out of that this, you know, let's not revisit that one. And every driver goes through that, through that. And I was like, I tell my, my son, he's 21, I hope he does something in life that'll risk, show him what risk is like. Because if you live a life where you never really risk anything, I think you're missing out, you know, because it's today with again, you know, the simulation side of things. The fact that our culture doesn't really want people to, to risk everything at the same level.

[A]

I don't agree with that.

[B]

And you know, if you understand that your life's on the line or you can lose anything, I think it sharpens the mind 100%.

[A]

I'm not here by accident. You're not here by accident. We took some big risks and if.

[B]

You do, you, you take the rewards. Most people don't. I say it's like luck, right? People will say, hey, Sean, you're lucky. Justin, you're lucky. You go, that's an insult. It's like, it is a insult. You sit on the sofa in your sitting living room and I say to them, it's. It's like the luck truck doesn't come down the street, open your gate, come in the front door and hit you on the sofa. You got to go and stand out in the street and make it happen. So, you know, I. Anyway, it's a whole nother thing about young generation, but you got to go for it.

[A]

Yeah. You have to. I do see that issue with my generation, though. A lot of them are pretty comparable.

[B]

They really are. Right?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And it's like. It's. It's. What? Is if someone. A friend of mine is a big headhunter in, like, CEO level, and he sees a lot of resumes and things. He said, A, people are entitled, and B, they. They don't really want to put in the work.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

So if you come to LA or Vegas and you're ready to outwork the next guy, you got it.

[A]

Yeah. I think part of it's because everything's so easy now, too. You could look up anything. You know, AI can get every answer you ever need. So we're just like. We don't really have to put in the work. Like, you got to read a book. You got to, like, go outside in person, get a mentor in person, you.

[B]

Know, I mean, it's so funny, right? If your generation to mine. We were talking about it a couple of nights ago. I used to have to go to the. I wanted to know more. I went to the library or read the paper. And now we've got this world where we have so much data, but I don't think we're any smarter.

[A]

We're actually dumber.

[B]

We're dumber. Right. So we. How do we have critical thinking, Sean, when we're now worrying about the Middle east and this and that and that and the, you know. And yet, you know, 20 years ago, you just went around with your head, you know, in a bubble.

[A]

Yeah. The average IQ is lowered. I think they've done many tests on brain activity, and we're not using our brain to the fullest extent like we used to. They've done studies on AI and how when you use it, you lose. You use way less of your brain capacity.

[B]

Did you read that thing? I think it was yesterday. So the college were busting all these students for using AI, and then they use AI to make their apology letter. So they looked at the, you know, 200 letters and went. They're all written the same way.

[A]

You know, funny.

[B]

It's.

[A]

Oh, my God. Yeah. Are you playing around with it at all?

[B]

I am, but in it, I resisted it, I think. Not for any particular reason. I was just like. I just resisted it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And then I'm like, I need a social media plan. So I did. Justin Bell, social media plan. Then it asked me for all the prompts and the more you give it, the better it gets. The I'll go, holy, that was good.

[A]

I mean it does give good social media advice and business advice.

[B]

It does. Right. But you still have to critically think through it and go, is that the right. You can't just blindly trust everything. I don't.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But it does it really fast.

[A]

Absolutely. So concourse will probably be over by the time this releases. But you're putting on that, you're hosting that event, right?

[B]

Yeah, I just had meetings all day today about it. It's, you know, the Las Vegas Concord, the guys at the Win, Brian Galbrands and Paulie Friedman and Troy, they, they, they realized they had the opportunity to do this Concorde a few years ago. But to get into that environment of the high net worth car world, it's not so easy because you've got Pebble Beach Concorde, you've got Vieste in Italy, you've got Amelia island, you got some amazing established events. 75 years in pebble beach next year.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

So how do you get into it? How do you get these big collectors to bring their multi million dollar cars to the win? And they, I got involved three years ago and to see it grow is really impressive. They, you know, what those guys do is they understand hospitality better than anyone.

[A]

Oh yeah.

[B]

You know, they know how to, to lay an event on. And this weekend's gonna be outstanding.

[A]

I can't wait. Thanks for the invite.

[B]

Nice. Glad you're coming. I think there's gonna be about 140 judged cars.

[A]

About, wow.

[B]

About 500 cars in total and some big name collectors. And that's the words out you. Because at that level everything's about freedom of choice. Right. When. Especially for people with money. So who treats them better? Where do they, you know, where can they come to Las Vegas? You're not in the middle of a field somewhere. You know, you've got the golf course and you've got the win and you've got Las Vegas. Yeah. So it's, it's the reason everything works here. Right.

[A]

It's the perfect venue for something like this. Because when you think of win, you think of luxury.

[B]

Yeah, you do. In the quality of, of what they do. And so the Concorde is definitely within the next few years be one of the top three in the country.

[A]

Nice.

[B]

And yeah, it's just great. I mean it's, I love it and I love the fact that now people are asking me if they can come. Whereas last, you know, a couple of Years ago, I'm involved in the wing Concord. Oh, nice. Now it's like, hey, Bunny, about those tickets. So it's great. Yeah, it's really, it's really growing. And I. My role is. I'm emcee of it. But my production partner, Jason Jacobson, he. We have a company called Talk Media. He, he. He's actually helping them with production. So we don't live stream it, but it's just for the stage show, really. Yeah. We've got some cool things happening.

[A]

I can't wait, man. I was actually at a dinner at Delilah a couple of weeks ago. Former president. Yeah, Delilah is great. If you haven't been there, guys. But former president of the Win gave a little speech there. I'm blanking out on his name. I think it was even he resort resigned like a year or two ago.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. What he did at the Win was just mind blowing to me. I mean, he was talking about the restaurants there, how they didn't bring in any celebrity chefs because they wanted all their chefs to live in Las Vegas to maintain the quality of the restaurants. Everyone else was doing celebrity chef restaurants and they all failed because in the.

[B]

End the celebrity could never be there.

[A]

Yeah, they would leave and then the quality would go down. But he wanted all the chefs in the wind to live there.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

To maintain the quality.

[B]

Look at the food.

[A]

Look.

[B]

I mean, I've seen underneath that place, and it's wild.

[A]

Every restaurant there is amazing.

[B]

Yeah. They bake like 55 types of bread. They have aged beef in these massive lockers. They have lobster tanks and. Wow. Yeah, it's pretty cool. Yeah. I mean, I love what they do. And the VIP hospitality on. On Saturdays, you'll see is so good. And so any of the Concord's growing and it gives me a reason really to. To be here in a bigger way. And then we're leading up to grand prix and that's two in a month. You know, it's better than two years ago when it was two in a week. That was too much.

[A]

The first F1 was pretty hectic.

[B]

It was hectic.

[A]

Yeah. You couldn't drive anywhere.

[B]

Couldn't drive. And I actually had the track builder. I met the Tilt. It's a company called Tilka. And they. The guy's name is Telka, but I met the guy who goes and does the early research for them on new tracks built like 80 tracks around the world. They designed this one and he was showing me photographs. You know, he's standing on the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard, like by A lamppost going, well, this will be a good place to turn left. I mean, he just basically walked the whole city and he had Ariel, obviously, and, and came up with it and.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

He said how much the Brian at the Wind really help guide them because Vegas is an unusual city.

[A]

Yeah. You have to follow a lot of guidelines.

[B]

A lot of guidelines here.

[A]

The hotels are very powerful here too.

[B]

Very powerful. And he. And the LVCVA is very powerful.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So he, as he said, you know, you, you get this race that's become truly unique because Las Vegas is unique. But the. I said I. The cab drivers, let's just say. Or you're being, you know, being driven around every or sweet to a local. That first year everyone was so. They hated it. But the second year it's quicker to put out. Right. They know where the holes go. They know where the sands go. You know, they're not. There's no kerfuffle about cutting down trees and stuff like that. It's all done. So now it goes up quick.

[A]

Yeah. Now I feel like it's clockwork.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And a lot of people come into town.

[A]

Oh, yeah. The hotels love it. They're all sold out already. Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I can't. That's one of my favorite weeks in Vegas.

[B]

Oh, is it good?

[A]

I mean, there's so many good events. Gordon Ramsay does stuff. All the hotels have their own showcasing.

[B]

Yeah, I, I know that we've got Lewis Hamilton doing a pop up for his Almalvi tequila. Non tequila, you know, non alcoholic. And Lando Norris, he's got his pop up all happening inside the. The winner. Yeah.

[A]

You guys have the McLaren store there too?

[B]

Yeah, yeah, I do a lot with them. Actually. I'm doing an event on this Thursday night and I, I love working with McLaren.

[A]

Yeah, they're great.

[B]

It's pretty cool.

[A]

Yeah. I'm going to try to get on the paddock this year, actually.

[B]

Oh, you are?

[A]

Yeah. I heard that's the spot to be at. Right? It's.

[B]

Well, yeah, yeah, absolutely. Yeah, yeah, I'm sure you will.

[A]

Yeah, it'll be a blast.

[B]

And when you go in there, what you're going to realize. I was in the paddock at Austin two weeks ago for this global sport. It's really good for you to see it up close because you realize it's a traveling circus. Yeah, it's just, it's just, it's just a small community, relatively. The teams, the mechanics, they travel together, they know each other. It's on track rivalry. Not all the drivers hang out, obviously, because that. That level, they don't. But they all know each other. They all had the same path to get there in, you know, within reason. So some of them are great friends. You'll see them hanging out. Yeah, it's weird. They often. They go on the same plane, like.

[A]

Oh, really?

[B]

One of them alone a plane, and the other ones will jump on it. There's some of the other drivers, and I always think it's like a recipe for disaster. You and I. You're cutting a ride on my plane, and then you take me out in the race.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I probably don't want you to be on my plane, but I got to give you a ride. Yeah. It's funny. Pretty awkward, but. Yeah, I just love it.

[A]

That's cool. I can't wait to see it up close. I actually went to NASCAR in Vegas.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

And my respect for those guys went up a lot after seeing it up close, because when I was a kid, I was like, they're driving 500 laps. What are they doing? This is kind of dumb, but seeing it up close.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

There's a lot that goes into that.

[B]

Yeah. That is the most orchestrated redneck sport. They drive them. You know, they. They have their, you know, southern accent. They're driving these what look like cars you can buy on the road, and they keep that natural kind of feel to it. And boy next door. Then they get on their private jets, go to their yacht, and go home. You know what I mean? They are players.

[A]

Yeah, they're balling.

[B]

They are. They make a. I mean, Jeff Gordon's worth at 6 or $700 million.

[A]

Yeah, no, it's. It's because those races are long, man. You got to stay locked in for like, what, three, four hours sometimes.

[B]

Three, four hours. Yeah. You have big speed, you know, the big speedways at, you know, unlike any other swap at 200 plus miles an hour, 2 or 3 inches or touching behind, and they push each other down the road. They get so close, they have the air at that speed is so clever. If you're alongside someone on the back, you can start to make their car slide. You don't even have to touch them. You just go like that, or you go in front and you make their car start to spin just by putting your car in the right place. That's nuts. So the, like, the legendary Dale Earnhardt was, you know, who died, unfortunately at Daytona long time ago now, but he was a genius at that. Tough, tough man.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And a sport born in pro prohibition. They were, you know, they were Booze runners back in the era of prohibition.

[A]

Oh, I didn't know that.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah. It was like a. A wild, wild sport.

[A]

So it's crazy to see where it's come down and grown.

[B]

Yeah. Now it's a multi billion dollar empire.

[A]

Yeah. Same with F1 man coming to North America. What a move, right?

[B]

Three races in North America. It changes everything. And I actually had a. Emily Prazer who's the CEO of. CEO of the Las Vegas Grand Prix and chief commercial director for Formula One. She was, she's based here now. She came on the show to understand what the economics of Formula One. I mean the LVMH with Tag Heuer. I work with them. And Louis Vuitton, Mo Hennessy. They. That's a billion dollar deal. She did a one billion dollar deal just for Vegas. No, it's for the. Oh, 10 years, 100 million a year.

[A]

But still, still crazy though.

[B]

And then bringing on Lego. How cool is. I mean she. I've seen some of the, the, the. It's online, you know, some of the animations.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But each of the drivers, each of the teams have got their own little men. Lego men and cars.

[A]

Wow. I mean that's awesome.

[B]

Talk about getting, giving crack to babies. Get him in young and. Yeah. It's just.

[A]

I saw they got the hello Kitty collab this year too.

[B]

Hello Kitty as well.

[A]

Who would have thought? That's actually, I thought that was a smart move because I'd imagine from their perspective they're trying to bring a female audience in.

[B]

Very much so.

[A]

They partner with hello Kitty.

[B]

Hello Kitty. And they've got a thing called F1 Academy, which is racing in Vegas. This year it's women only. There will be a woman breakthrough in the next two or three.

[A]

That's exciting.

[B]

They have to. It is. She'll. Whoever cracks it is gonna. It's gonna be like the opening though. Yeah. Not Pandora's box. The wrong way of saying it. It's gonna be opening the chest of gold.

[A]

Well, I could see it now, especially with the WNBA really picking up traction lately. You know, a lot of people are loving the women's basketball.

[B]

Yeah. And isn't that interesting? But in Formula One it's not gonna be former Academy Academy. F1 Academy is just women to give them the chance to get their skills up. But when they hit the big time, you've got. It's unlike football, it's unlike baseball or tennis. A woman cannot compete at. They can. Skill wise they can, but they can't physically do it. You know, you couldn't put her on a football field.

[A]

Right.

[B]

The crap kicked out of them at that level, but they could beat them technically. It's like tennis.

[A]

Interesting.

[B]

But in racing, physiologically, you could. You can have the same physiques, Right?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

A woman will be able to race a formula.

[A]

Really?

[B]

There's going to be weight?

[A]

Oh, yeah. They weigh less.

[B]

No, there's going to be really no disadvantage.

[A]

So you think we'll see like a Danica patrick in the F1.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Space. Wow. That would. That would do very well for the business.

[B]

As I say, she just. I mean, my great friend Elio Castanervis, he's one indie or. Four times, five times. Remember when Danica was racing? He said, Danica's the. She's not the highest paid IndyCar driver, but she's the best paid Indy car driver. As in because of her endorsements, because of her popularity.

[A]

I mean, I remember as a kid, not much about NASCAR when it comes to the names of the drivers, but I remember her name. Even though she never really won, like, major events, you know, she didn't need to. Yeah.

[B]

But we need, we need a great woman talent to come up and be. So everyone wants. Everyone wants. It doesn't. I don't care who you are, what shape, size, where you're from, if you're going to be there, you just got to compete.

[A]

That's a great thing about sports. Right? It doesn't matter what you look like.

[B]

No, it doesn't. It's. If you win. And I think globally, we like winners. Yeah, Right. That's it. If you win, the door opens.

[A]

Absolutely. There'll also be, I think, I don't know if you had this last year, the F1 business summit. Did you see that?

[B]

I did, yeah.

[A]

Yeah, Yeah. I can't wait for that. We got Michael Rubin speaking, a couple big names. I'm going to definitely go by that too.

[B]

Yeah, no, they. Formula One is this ecosystem of excellence. Really. And B2B and B2C. I mean, they. I was, you know, AWS, they bring 50 odd people to every race. Clients, they. They now do the data from the races, instant analytics on what going on using all their AI and algorithms and things. And it's pretty impressive. That's incredible.

[A]

My mom works there actually.

[B]

Oh, does she?

[A]

Yeah. Aws. Yeah.

[B]

Big company, man.

[A]

Yeah. They have a big conference here in a couple weeks, I think.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Aws.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. Very interesting.

[A]

Well, dude, this was great. I can't wait to see you this weekend. Right? Concord.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. Come on. Come say hi. I'm up on the stage. You'll have some great cars. It's just great people. You know, for me, Las Vegas having a car culture. We talked about it quickly. There isn't an endemic sort of car culture, but there's enough people coming here now. And with Formula one, why not?

[A]

Yeah. Well, thanks for your time, man. We'll link your show and appreciate it, buddy.

[B]

Thank you very much. Thank you, Mark.

[A]

Guys. Peace.

[B]

Wow. Cool, bud.

[A]

Killed it.

[B]

Thank you. Thank you.