Mr. Hamm, standing with his wife Anna Osceola, said he got into F1 as a child. “I loved collecting all the cars,” he said, adding, “Americans are just now discovering it, even though it’s been around for so long.”
Mr. Kimmel, the television host, however, found the entire affair to be a headache, a sentiment echoed by some locals. Ubers and taxis couldn’t get to some locations, and crossing the street near the Strip was difficult.
“It’s a little crazy out there,” he said referring to the Strip, which was shut down for long stretches during races and practices. “The driver who picked us up from the airport had no idea where to take us.”
But Mr. Kimmel said he is not really familiar with F1. “I am sure I would get into F1 if I watched three episodes of the Netflix show, but I’m really busy,” he said, referencing “Formula One: Drive to Survive,” the documentary series that follows F1 drivers, which many attribute to fueling American interest in the sport.
Despite the popularity of F1, however, there were questions about how the weekend would be received. The eventual winner, Mr. Verstappen, had critiqued the event as “99 percent show and one percent sporting event.” (After his win, he changed his tune, chanting “Viva Las Vegas” in his racecar.) Early ticket sales did not meet expectations, and an early practice round had to be canceled because of a hazard on the track, which led to a lawsuit from ticket holders.
But the fans, brands and public figures still showed up. More than 300,000 people attended, and Formula 1 estimated that the event would have an economic impact of $1.2 billion to Las Vegas. American Express gave out F1-themed friendship bracelets and fanny packs to cardholders, Sotheby’s hired James Corden to help auction off used F1 racecars, and T-Mobile branded the Las Vegas Sphere. Patron had a booze-fueled party headlined by Fisher, the Australian D.J., at the nightclub Hakkasan.
