What is your favorite part of the entire collection?
CL: I’m going to be repetitive, but to be honest, it’s just to see such a creative mind imagining it and putting his vision on a racing suit, which again is not something that we see or that we have ever seen. So I think it’s super cool to be able to have a super cool suit and something very different. I’ve never seen a Ferrari suit like this before and it’s great. I love the results. Also, it’s red and white, which are my colors. The Monegasque flag is red and white. It’s not on purpose, of course, but it makes me love it even more.
CS: Originality, I think, is the key word. How original everything looks, how different, and especially for special races like Vegas or Miami at the beginning of the year. We’ve just felt like it’s a great opportunity to think a bit out of the box and do something a bit different for everyone. I think this is also a Ferrari going a bit more in a different direction and creating a bit of a different experience for everyone, which I think is what we need to do.
What is going to be different about this Las Vegas race both on and off the track?
CS: Well, first of all, it’s a new track. And a new circuit is always special, it’s always different, it always presents new and interesting challenges. On top of that, the circuit is on the streets of Las Vegas at night. With all the hype that there has been around this Grand Prix, I think we’re out for one of the more special Grand Prix over there over the last decade. I cannot wait to drive and see if we are competitive this weekend. But at the same time, try and enjoy the experience of just getting to race under the lights of Vegas.
CL: It’s going to be amazing. I’ve been once in Vegas before, which was not for the same purpose. It was mostly to enjoy and party and I’ve had an incredible time. This weekend will be very different because for sure not much partying apart from if we win on Saturday. But yeah, I love Vegas. I think the energy around here is absolutely incredible and to have such an amazing event in the middle of Las Vegas, I’m sure will be very special.
How much of an impact has having more races in the United States had on Formula 1?
CS: I think that the interest in the sport has grown a lot in the US and more and more cities were interested in hosting a Grand Prix and the fact that cities like Miami and Vegas got added to the list of hosting was an incredible thing. I think it also is getting me, for example, to visit places in the US that I had never been before. Vegas is a good example. More and more US fans are tuning into TV and following us. The US is a very big country and we need to cover a bit of the whole country. I think the way we’re doing it now is perfect.
CL: It has changed a lot over the years. When I first arrived in 2018, the sport was definitely not as big as it is now. I think there was an incredible opportunity for Formula 1 to develop here because Americans are huge sports fanatics. Formula 1 didn’t seem to quite succeed at that point in time. But now with the Netflix series and with more and more races in the US it’s exploding, which is great for the sport. In the US the race is always a bit different. There’s a bit more of this show which I think is great. The essence of the sport, which is of course most important. But having that show part that Americans are so good at is something that was needed in Formula 1.