Formula 1 fans in Philly can now try to channel their inner Max Verstappen or Lewis Hamilton with the new F1 Arcade that opens Thursday in Center City.
The 19,000-square-foot space at 1330 Chestnut Street is the biggest of the group’s five F1 Arcades in the world. It has 80 full racing simulators to recreate the adrenaline on the tarmac, as well as food, beverages and entertainment to recreate the glitz and glamor of the Paddock Club on Grand Prix day.
Despite having races in 24 venues around the world, not many people actually get the chance to visit a race in their lifetime. So F1 Arcade wants its spaces to bring as much of the sights, sounds — on and off the track — and tastes to the public as possible.
“We tried to understand what the magic of that Formula 1 race is, and what the experience is, and bring that into this concept,” said Jon Gardner, president of global development for F1 Arcade.
F1 has gone from a niche watch for motorsport enthusiasts to a global media juggernaut since its inaugural season in 1950. The Netflix documentary “Formula 1: Drive to Survive,” now in its seventh season, highlighted the personalities around the cars and supercharged interest in the U.S., where NASCAR and IndyCar had long dominated attention.
Today, the likes of Hamilton and Versappen are recognizable enough faces that they’ll be featuring alongside Brad Pitt in an upcoming F1 film directed by “Top Gun: Maverick” director Joseph Kosinski.
F1 Arcade will be hosting live watch parties for this season’s actual races, as well as to preview the movie, “Drive to Survive,” and the new Netflix series focused on female drivers, “F1: The Academy,” which starts streaming today.
The simulators can look daunting, with two wrap-around screens, a race seat that shifts and vibrates as you race, and a steering wheel loaded with more buttons than you could be expected to memorize. Gardner said that no skill is required to hop into the driver’s seat, though. That’s not to say that seasoned experts can’t push their limits on them.
“A 7-year-old can actually jump in these and have an amazing time, as well as even experts and racers can come in and have a good time as well,” he said. “It can be as intense or as less intense as you want it to be. We’ve got different levels and skill sets.”
Gardner recalled one particular 7-year-old at the Boston arcade shortly after it opened.
“It was great the joy the 7-year-old had, and the frustration that the dad had that his 7-year-old actually beat him at something,” he said. “They both were competing and it was competitive, but they both had a really great time. They were laughing about it obviously after. So to see that was really exciting.”
Billy Penn tried out the Bahrain International Circuit on the second-easiest difficulty, “Casual.” We finished second-to-last (the last-place car never left the starting grid), and though we avoided any spinouts or major meetings with the walls, it’s safe to say no one’s going to call us offering a racing contract soon.
But, man, was there a strong urge to try and beat that first effort as the adrenaline coursed through our body!
There’s no rubber banding — the difficulty adjustment that racing games like “Mario Kart” offer when you’re falling behind — in F1 Arcade’s simulator. Just like in real life, if you give virtual Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc a chance to get away, they will vanish off into the distance and there will be no blue shell to save you. If you trade paint with a specific AI racer, Gardner says they might hold a grudge in future races against the Arcade Hub account you need to participate. Future plans may involve leaderboards and interactive tweaks to gameplay, Gardner hinted.
The arcade can hold up to 200 people and has rooms and spaces for private events. All the decorations are an homage to motorsports, visually appealing to casuals, with subtle winks for devoted F1 fans. The chandeliers are recreations of race track maps and giant racetrack lights greet you as you enter. There’s a row of famous racers’ helmets and the bar is accented with the curb stripes from tracks. One wall has famous quotes from radio communications during races, while others have the heart telemetry of various drivers during a race mapped out in neon. Even the restrooms have tire marks on the walls and ceiling, possibly highlighting the factoid that F1 cars can create enough downforce to theoretically be capable of driving upside down.
The food and beverage options seek to match the race day thrill as well. The champagne and cocktail menu was curated with the help of mixologist Lauren “LP” O’Brien, the winner of Netflix’s “Drink Masters” reality competition, and offers themed alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. One comes with an inflatable flamingo to pay tribute to the tradition of the winning driver at the Monaco Grand Prix jumping into the sea to celebrate a victory.
So if you want to test your skill and reflexes on the racetracks of Shanghai, Mexico City and São Paolo, or the street courses of Monaco, Las Vegas and Singapore without the risk of wrecking a multi-million dollar race car or going to prison, you can book some time through F1 Arcade’s website. Doors open Thursday and the first 100 people in on opening day will get a founder’s card that gives them 50% off food and beverage through the summer.
