Ferrari and bafflement. Those two terms have become synonymous for Ferrari fans over the past few years. The Scuderia hasn’t had the best time in Formula 1 lately, primarily because of its dubious strategy calls and uncertain reliability. But just like Ferrari and bafflement have become synonymous over the years, so have Formula 1 and technology and innovation. At the Las Vegas GP, these four things came together. For the 21st race of 2023, Ferrari invited tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee and left him completely baffled. Just that the bafflement was positive and not negative.

After joining YouTube in 2008, Marques Brownlee—commonly known as MKBHD—quickly rose to fame courtesy of his high-quality tech-focused videos. He recently ventured into car reviews as well, and Ferrari gave him the opportunity to come look at its SF-23!

Ferrari helped Marques Brownlee experience a sensory overload

Formula 1’s return to Las Vegas was always going to be a glitzy affair. To celebrate its first trip to Vegas in four decades, many teams had special liveries for the weekend. Ferrari was one of them, too. Featuring its iconic Rosso Corsa red, the SF-23 has hints of white as a nod to its past. The SF-23 hasn’t been a race-winning car in 2023, but in Las Vegas, Ferrari looked a strong contender for the win. So, not only did Brownlee witness F1 for what it is, but he also got to watch the team that invited him perform well.

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Despite everything happening on the track, the actual car intrigued Brownlee more than anything. Featuring on Ferrari’s SF Full Access video for the Las Vegas GP, Brownlee revealed, “That’s the first time I’ve seen one of the cars in person.” He explained all that caught his eye, saying, “It’s bigger than you expect even though it’s very low. And then there are so many little aerodynamic bits that matter. Little struts and things that are usually tubes or fin-shaped, and there’s lots of little cut-outs. And it’s all carbon fiber. It’s pretty sick.”

Following a tour of the Ferrari garage and his meeting with the SF-23, the American YouTuber witnessed on-track action from Ferrari’s hospitality suite. He posted a video of cars zipping past the pit straight on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “I can’t emphasize enough how big of a difference there is between video and the actual overload on your senses.” Needless to say, everything about his first F1 experience—from Vegas’ glitz and glamor and Ferrari’s SF-23 to the enthralling Las Vegas GP—left him absolutely spellbound.

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While Marques Brownlee had a positively baffling experience with Ferrari at the Las Vegas GP, Ferrari had a negatively baffling experience with the FIA in Vegas.

The FIA and F1 became Ferrari’s enemies at the Las Vegas GP

In preparation for the first Las Vegas GP, F1 built a new track on the streets of Vegas. Since it was a new track, teams needed as much time as possible to understand the circuit. But eight minutes into FP1, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz went over a broken drain cover on the main straight. In doing so, he significantly damaged his car, following which the session was suspended. Ferrari had to change his battery, but in doing that, he exceeded the accepted allocation. The FIA handed him a 10-place grid penalty for the race.

To make things worse, the repair job cost the Scuderia nearly $2.2 million, contributing to the cost cap. Considering the accident wasn’t the team’s fault, everyone was furious. Team Principal Frederic Vasseur revealed he’d have discussions with F1 to cover the costs of damages. There are no further developments on that issue, but the Ferrari boss sure got a formal warning from the FIA for losing his cool on live TV after the incident.

What were you more surprised to see: Marques Brownlee in the Ferrari garage or Ferrari competing for the win at the Las Vegas GP?

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