The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team is taking its fan hub to the centre of Austin during United States Grand Prix week. The free experience runs from 22 to 25 October at 400 Congress Avenue and includes pit-stop practice on a real Formula 1 car, simulators and a 2026 show car. It follows the concept’s debut at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, with Las Vegas next on the list.

The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team will set up a free public fan hub in the middle of downtown Austin in October, timed to coincide with the United States Grand Prix. The site at 400 Congress Avenue opens from 22 to 25 October and is built to recreate the atmosphere and working environment of a modern Formula 1 team, including a replica pit garage.

What visitors can do

According to the team, the programme is designed to put fans on the other side of the garage door rather than simply on display. Listed activities include taking part in a pit stop as a mechanic on a real Formula 1 car, driving current Formula 1 simulators, and standing at the pit wall as part of a “Trackside with Meta AI” experience.

The hub also covers the road-car side of the business: visitors can explore personalisation options through Mercedes-Benz MANUFAKTUR and see the new Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupé up close. Historic team memorabilia will be on show, along with a 2026 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team show car set up for photos, and an on-site team store selling official merchandise.

Outside the technical displays, the team is leaning on the local setting, with live music from Austin acts and Texan food from local vendors as part of what it describes as a Formula 1 tailgate.

Why Austin

The United States has become one of Formula 1’s fastest-growing markets, and the Circuit of the Americas weekend now functions as a city-wide event rather than a race confined to the track. A free, centrally located hub gives residents and visitors without a race ticket a way into the weekend — and gives the team four days of direct contact with an audience it is actively trying to grow.

“The United States is one of Formula 1’s most passionate and fastest-growing markets, and Austin has become one of the sport’s most iconic locations,” said Victoria Johnson, Chief Marketing Operations Officer at the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team. “With the Mercedes F1 Fan Hub we wanted to create something that goes beyond a traditional fan experience and brings people closer to the team than ever before.”

A travelling format

The fan hub is not a one-off for Austin. It appeared for the first time at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed in the United Kingdom, and the team says it will also be staged at the Las Vegas Grand Prix in November. That pattern suggests a format Mercedes intends to repeat at high-profile race weekends rather than a single activation.

The team is based in Brackley and Brixworth in the UK, where it says more than 2,000 staff work on its Formula 1 programme. It won eight consecutive constructors’ titles between 2014 and 2021.

Facts: Mercedes F1 Fan Hub, Austin

  • Dates: 22–25 October 2026
  • Location: 400 Congress Avenue, downtown Austin
  • Entry: Free
  • Highlights: Pit-stop experience on a real F1 car, F1 simulators, 2026 show car, team memorabilia, Mercedes-Benz MANUFAKTUR display, Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupé, team store
  • Also confirmed: Las Vegas Grand Prix, November 2026

The Austin hub is open to the public across all four days, with no ticket required.

Source: media.mercedes-benz.com