Inside I / AM AUSTIN: rounding up race week in the heart of the city

Austin's communities were central to our United States Grand Prix week, as the team went beyond the circuit to connect with the people who make the city what it is. You. Us. Together.

Whether it was spending time on the water or on the padel courts, Austin race week brought together different sides of the city's culture in celebration of our incredible fans and the places they call home.

The week began on Lady Bird Lake, where we joined the community at The Rowing Dock and our I / AM members for an evening of paddleboarding, kayaking, yoga and outdoor movement, in collaboration with I / AM ACTIVE. After getting out on the water, ATX Yoga Girl led a soundbath, powered by CELSIUS, offering a moment to slow down before the pace of the race week picked up.

On Tuesday, we headed to downtown Austin for a walk with No Girl Walks Alone. The weekly gathering provides women with a low-pressure, relaxed way of meeting new people and building friendships while exploring the city. This special edition of the meet-up saw Jessica Hawkins, Mathilda Paatz and our team join the group, with CELSIUS cans and complimentary matcha available from pop-up Mori Matcha, who have built a local following through inventive flavours, social-first pop-ups and a presence across Austin's wellness and food scenes.

At the Champagne Cowgirls gathering on Wednesday, hosted by Pink Paddock Club: a place for women to meet, share fandom and experience race week with one another, fans came together for an evening of music and creativity. The event featured a VIP hour for 50 guests which included a live recording of their podcast, before music from Defected Records DJ Tiffy Vera played our guests into the night. Craft & Yap also joined to offer keyring-making classes.

Elsewhere, Aston Martin's Dreadnought, designed exclusively for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, took centre stage at Road to the Race, a celebration of Austin's automotive community and car culture.

On Thursday, the focus shifted to the padel court. Continuing our I / AM ACTIVE activities, Jessica Hawkins, Jenson Button, Jak Crawford and Pedro de la Rosa joined I / AM members, local enthusiasts and professional players at Padel Society for an evening of competition. Between matches, guests had the chance to discover the Aston Martin Aramco x Padeltek collection and enjoy servings from Glenfiddich, hydration from Aquame, recovery from Eight Sleep, gifts from BOSS and ELEMIS and matcha from Mori Matcha. A live DJ set also accompanied the on-court action.

Saturday took us to the University of Texas, where Jak Crawford and Mari Boya visited Longhorn Racing. The pair toured the student team's garage and took part in a Q&A, sharing insight into the world of F1 with aspiring engineers. Nearby on Bevo Boulevard, fans could also get a closer look at our replica F1 car and garage, and meet the team ahead of the Longhorns' American Football game against Ole Miss.

The week culminated on Sunday at Soho House Austin, where fans gathered for a race-day mixer hosted by F1 reporter Jennie Gow, bringing together people we'd met throughout the week and members of the I / AM community.

Austin, you brought your world, and we brought ours. Thank you for sharing your race week with us.