F1 Arcade launches locations where racing simulators are just part of the experience

BOSTON– The low hum of a high-tech engine greets you as you open the door to the F1 Arcade in Boston’s booming Seaport District. Inside, the ceilings glow red with the outlines of the world’s iconic Formula 1 tracks.

The people behind Puttshack golf and Flight Club darts are turning their attention to F1, combining sophisticated food and drinks with tactile simulators that bring the bumps and battles of the global motorsport series to fans more accustomed to rush hour traffic .

On race days, locals who can’t make it to Singapore – let alone get behind the wheel of a real F1 car – flock to watch parties as the sport’s biggest names jostle for position. On a recent weekday afternoon, however, they were imitating the pros in simulators that are the next best thing to the high-speed – and cutting-edge – sensation of F1.

“Such a small number of people experience Formula 1 in person,” said Jon Gardner, president of F1 Arcade USA. “How do we take the excitement – ​​the glitz and glamor of Formula 1… and bring it to everyday audiences?

“That thrill of being behind an F1 car, which everyone wants to do, and feeling the energy, the excitement, the adrenaline and having that experience – that’s what we try to create.”

The Boston location is the first in the United States, following successful launches in London and Birmingham, England. More locations are planned for Washington, D.C. and Las Vegas, with a goal of 30 worldwide by the end of 2027 — an expansion that builds on the series’ popularity since Netflix’s “Drive to Survive.” (According to F1 Arcade, half of F1 fans have come to the sport in the last four years.)

According to the company, the British locations had around 400,000 visitors each in 2023, exceeding expectations. The London unit, across the street from St. Paul’s Cathedral, had revenue of $16.5 million (£13 million) last year.

This helped F1 Arcade raise almost $38 million for its next phase – including investment from F1 itself and others in the paddock such as McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown and drivers Lando Norris and Logan Sargeant.

Although F1 Arcade is a separate company, the series has invested in and licensed the logos and other intellectual properties that make the simulators feel real. The courses are all realistic: if there is a Rolex advertisement on the track, there will also be one in the video simulation.

There are touches of F1 throughout the facility, but only after entering one of the 69 simulators do players experience the best taste of F1.

With a curved screen showing the view from the cockpit and another to help identify where you are on the track, the simulator might seem like a state-of-the-art setup for an especially dedicated gamer. What sets it apart is the haptics: the way the seat rocks and tilts to simulate the sensation of turning – or hitting a wall.

There are five racing modes, from novice to elite. The easiest levels do not require gear changes and arrows show the proper racing line and when to brake and accelerate; higher levels remove assistance and activate steering wheel gear shift buttons, like those in real F1 cars.

“The level they can reach is exceptional,” Gardner said. “Formula 1 drivers can really experience this and have a lot of fun. But what we did was create and design them for the average user, so that a 7-year-old can actually do it.”

The simulators rotate across seven F1 tracks. Groups can compete against each other or as a team. A separate room is available for parties or corporate team-building events. The bar and restaurant’s full menu includes oysters, caviar and Wagyu beef burgers, but also a children’s menu and mocktails.

Although there were families with children in their teens on a recent Monday afternoon, the place becomes 21+ at 7 p.m.

“This is for everyone. No skills required. Ages seven to 107,” Gardner said. “Competitiveness is part of the fun, and you want to bring everyone together as a family to be competitive. It’s really interesting – really fun to see some of the younger kids beating up their parents.”

___

AP Auto Racing: