LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Sphere officials are pulling out all the stops for the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix.
On Wednesday, Sphere and Formula 1 began unveiling brand new Exosphere displays and promised that additional content would be unveiled. That includes a brand new collaboration with Aston Martin, which made its big debut on Wednesday night at Sphere.
"We've launched a very large marketing campaign in the United States. This is Vegas baby! It's the most important race for us coming into this year," said Lawrence Stroll, the Executive Chairman of Aston Martin. "We've also done many other activations. We've brought hundreds of our customers. We've brought our DBX707, the world's highest-performing SUV. We've brought a bunch of our sports cars so it's part of a bigger global picture for marketing the brand."
The 90-second display features the iconic Aston Martin wings followed by a Sacarab Beetle. Company officials said the inspiration for the Aston Martin winged marque was born in the 1930s, whenever Egyptology was popular and that it represents new beginnings. The Sphere then appears to shatter before revealing the team's AMR23 racecar, the DBX707, which is a luxury SUV, and the DB12, which is the "world's first super tourer".
According to a press release, Aston Martin officials said the Americas are the fastest growing region with 92% year-on-year growth compared to the same quarter in 2022. Stroll said while some may be aware of the brand, there is still room to grow.
"Our brand has been here for decades now so we're not exactly new to the country. We're expanding through the product and we're growing in terms of size," Stroll said. "Launching the SUV increased our business by 50%. We're now launching all of our new, next-generation sports cars. We've launched our DB12. Into the first quarter of next year, we will be launching our Vantage. At the end of the next year, we'll be launching our new 12-cylinder sports car. So we're ramping up all-new generation sports car. We'll be coming with our new mid-engine Valhalla, which is mostly sold out. So product proliferation as well as really getting into the roots of the customers."
Stroll said Formula 1 plays an important role for Aston Martin and they have been excited to come to Las Vegas.
"There's nothing more exciting or thrilling than Formula 1 and Vegas certainly has the atmosphere, temperature, and vibe to match and align with that excitement that Formula 1 brings," Stroll said. "Formula 1 is the customer base for Aston Martin. We see 50% of our sales today coming through Formula 1 channels. The United States has been the largest growth market in the last couple of years. One day, I think America will be the largest market for Formula 1."
Practice sessions for the Las Vegas Grand Prix start on Wednesday night and Stroll said it will be interesting to see everyone tackle the same sets of challenges.
"It's a new track for everybody so nobody has any data. Formula 1's all about data. We don't have the history. It's going to be cold, which is something we don't experience. Our tires are very sensitive to temperature," Stroll said. "Based on our history, I think we've got a pretty quick car. I think we've got a pretty good-looking car with a British racing green on the grille. We've got a lot of history in the United States. Again, we're 110 years young. So the more fans that cheer for us, the happier we will be."
