Full Speed Ahead

Marriott Bonvoy, The Ritz-Carlton and the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team push all the right buttons as they present an ultra-glamorous, adrenaline-fuelled taste of life in the fast lane at the Australian Grand Prix 2023.

- Renyi Lim

THERE’S NOTHING QUITE like the thrill of stepping foot onto a Formula One track, catching an early glimpse of a gleaming racing car beneath its concealing veil or feeling the purr of a V6 turbocharged hybrid engine ripple through you. These unique experiences—the wildest fever dreams of any F1 fan—were made available to Marriott Bonvoy members at the Australian Grand Prix 2023 as part of a continuing partnership with The Ritz-Carlton and the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team.

Through the Marriott Bonvoy Moments programme, loyalty members could redeem their points in exchange for access to a host of exclusive F1-related treats, starting with the glitzy Glamour on the Grid party on 29 March. The invitation-only event gave attendees their first taste of the 5.3km race circuit at Albert Park in Melbourne, along with a tantalising preview of the pit lane as they strode across an 83m-long black carpet.

It didn’t take long for pre-race celebrations at the two-storey Marriott Bonvoy Lounge, located at the Paddock area’s entrance, to get into full swing—helped along, no doubt, by generous lashings of Taittinger and Patrón. “Don’t worry about Monaco or Las Vegas; we’re in Melbourne!” roared Andrew Westacott, CEO of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, as local business magnates and celebrities shook their suits and sequins to DJ-curated beats.