3 Bucket List Destinations Every Formula 1® Fan Needs To Visit

Formula One® has it all: high-speed adrenaline, competitive athletes, pit lane drama – and watches to match, all set against a backdrop of some of the world's most glamorous locations. IWC Schaffhausen has been the official engineering partner of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One® Team for more than 20 years. This partnership was recently showcased in the hugely successful F1®: The Movie – which starred Brad Pitt whose character, Sonny Hayes, wore a custom green-dialled IWC Ingenieur SL. Additionally, the Drive to Survive Netflix series has also driven the popularity of Formula 1® and scoring tickets to a race has become a bucket list-worthy pursuit. With 24 races across the globe to choose from, we’ve hand-picked three of the best tracks to visit and paired them with the ideal travel companion, an IWC Pilot's Watch.

The Albert Park Circuit, Melbourne

The track: Home to the Australian Open, the AFL Grand Final and the only Formula 1® race in the country, Melbourne has long made its mark as Australia’s sporting capital. Albert Park Circuit, just south of the CBD, has a proud motor-racing history, hosting the non-world championship Australian Grand Prix in 1953 and, more recently, the World Championship event since 1996. It’s defined by a flat and fast surface with 14 regularly placed corners designed to test the drivers’ mettle. Historically, the race at Albert Park has been the first of the season, giving it an air of excitement that's hard to beat. When you're not trackside, Melbourne has plenty to offer, including world-class restaurants and bars and the innovative National Gallery of Victoria. It’s also within easy reach of award-winning wineries in the Yarra Valley (an hour out from the CBD) and soothing hot springs on the Mornington Peninsula, to the south of the Victorian capital.

How to get there: Thankfully for Australian motorsports fans, this one is close to home, with Qantas offering daily flights to Melbourne Airport from all major Australian cities. For those living in Melbourne, it's even easier – the track is just 20 minutes by tram from the CBD.

The watch: The IWC Pilot's Watch Performance Chronograph 41 (Ref. IW388309) offers a contemporary twist on the popular pilot's formula, adding a ceramic tachymeter bezel and a casual rubber strap to the chronograph. Of course, the 5N gold case adds some seriously stylish heft to the equation.

Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, UK

The track: You might have spotted Silverstone on the silver screen – the prestigious English track has a starring role, alongside IWC watches, in F1®: The Movie – but up close, it’s a 5.8-kilometre loop with long straights and 18 turns, including its signature hairpin. The race track has been a staple of Formula 1® since 1950, and is beloved by drivers and fans alike for its fast pace (Carlos Sainz clocked 356 kilometres per hour in 2021). If you're heading to Silverstone off-season, you can experience the track up close under the guidance of a professional with a range of driving experiences, from supercars to single-seaters on offer. For something less high-octane, pop into the onsite Silverstone Museum, which showcases championship-winning cars and features a driving simulator, and be immersed in motorsport history.

How to get there: Silverstone, home of the British Grand Prix, is a 90-minute drive north of London, near Milton Keynes. For international travellers, London’s Heathrow Airport is your most likely port of entry, with Qantas operating flights from Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.

The watch: As it’s one of the oldest Formula 1® tracks on the circuit, it's only appropriate to pair Silverstone with a watch that has a story of its own, such as the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch G 63 (Ref. IW501201). Inspired by military aviation pieces from the 1940s, the original pilot's watches were oversized instruments, optimised for legibility. This watch keeps with tradition but adds a modern motoring twist by drawing design cues from the iconic Mercedes-Benz G-Class “Grand Edition”. It also features a clever 18-carat Armor Gold case, which is significantly tougher than regular gold.

The Las Vegas Strip Circuit, Las Vegas, USA

The track: The Las Vegas Strip circuit has the honour of being the newest Formula 1® venue: it debuted in 2023, bringing the ultimate in motor racing back to the city after two Formula 1® World Championship races at Caesars Palace in the early 1980s. And while the track might lack the history of other circuits, it makes up for it in drama: cars speed past the gleaming neon signs that define the Vegas strip, made even more theatrical for the fact that the race takes place at night. Looming above the circuit is one of the most dramatic additions to the skyline, the Las Vegas Sphere. The exterior of the entertainment venue is lit up with 1.2 million LED lights that showcase race updates (when they aren’t transformed into a playful emoji observing the action). Head to the onsite Formula 1® X museum – the largest motorsport attraction in North America, set to reopen in 2026 – to get up close to historic cars and design your own livery. Beyond the race, get a bird’s-eye view of the city from the 46th floor of the Las Vegas Eiffel Tower, or explore the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area’s dramatic peaks and valleys to the west of the city.

How to get there: For Australians travelling to the Las Vegas GP, your entry point is likely to be Los Angeles. Qantas flies direct to LAX from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. From Los Angeles, it's a short flight to Nevada or, if you've got time, a slightly longer four- to five-hour scenic road trip.

The watch: The IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Lake Tahoe” (Ref. IW389105) is the perfect companion to the Las Vegas GP, and not just because Lake Tahoe is another Nevada icon. The 41mm white ceramic case is unashamedly eye-catching and well matched to the larger-than-life personality of the strip circuit.