F1 Arcade launching locations where race simulators are only part of the experience

BOSTON — The low hum of a high-tech engine greets you when you first open the door to the F1 Arcade in Boston’s burgeoning 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 upscale food and drinks with haptic simulators that bring the bumps and battles of the global motorsports series to fans more accustomed to rush hour traffic.

On race days, locals who can’t schlep all the way to Singapore -- much less get behind the wheel of an actual F1 car -- pack the house for watch parties as the sport’s biggest names fight for position. On a recent weekday afternoon, though, they were emulating the professionals on simulators that are the next best thing to the high-speed – and high-end -- feel of F1.

“Such a small number of people get to experience Formula 1 in person,” said Jon Gardner, the U.S. president of F1 Arcade. “How do we take the thrill -- the glitz and glamour of Formula 1 ... and bring that to the everyday audience?

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

The Boston venue 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 the goal of 30 worldwide by the end of 2027 — an expansion cashing in on the series' popularity since the Netflix “Drive to Survive” series. (According to F1 Arcade, half of F1's fans came to the sport in the last four years.)

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

That helped F1 Arcade raise nearly $38 million for its next phase – including investments from F1 itself and others around the paddock like 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 property that gives the simulators the feel of the real thing. The courses are all true-to-life: If there’s a Rolex ad at the track, there will be one on the video simulation, too.

There are touches of F1 throughout the facility but only after climbing into one of the 69 simulators do players get the best taste of F1.

With one curved screen showing the view from the cockpit and another to help identify one’s place on the track, the simulator might resemble a high-end setup for an especially dedicated gamer. What sets it apart are the haptics: the way the seat bounces and leans to simulate the sense of weaving through the turns – or slamming into the wall.

There are five race modes, from rookie to elite. The easier levels don’t require shifting, and arrows show the proper race line and when to brake and accelerate; the top levels take away the assistance and activate the steering wheel gearshift buttons, like the ones on real F1 cars.

“The level these can go to is exceptional,” Gardner said. “Formula 1 drivers can actually have a go on these and have just amazing of the time. But what we’ve done is we’ve crafted and designed these for the everyday user, so a 7-year-old can actually do this.”

The simulators rotate through 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 full bar and restaurant menu includes oysters, caviar and a Wagyu beef burger but also a children’s menu and mocktails..

Although there were families with kids in their young teens on a recent Monday afternoon, the place turns to over 21 at 7 p.m.

“This is for everybody. No skills required. Seven-year-old all the way up to 107-year-old," Gardner said. “The competitiveness is part of the fun of it, and you want to bring everyone together to where you get a family to be competitive. It’s really interesting -- a lot of fun to actually watch some of the younger kids beating the parents.”