VistaJet in Austin: Pickleball with Charles Leclerc, Then the Ferrari Paddock

VistaJet is turning the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, into a weekend for its Members. For the first time, the private aviation company invites them onto the pickleball court with Charles Leclerc, Ferrari driver and VistaJet brand ambassador, before three days inside the Ferrari Paddock Club. VistaJet announced the programme on 15 October 2026.

The weekend, day by day

Race Week begins before anyone reaches the circuit. Members fly in from around the world on the silver and red VistaJet fleet and meet in Austin, where the pickleball session gives them time with Leclerc away from the track. From the practice sessions on Friday and qualifying on Saturday to the Grand Prix on Sunday, they then follow the weekend from the Ferrari Paddock Club. Behind-the-scenes Pit Lane Walks and curated moments with team personnel give an insight into how the team works, with appearances by Ferrari ambassadors, drivers and the Team Principal.

Leclerc calls VistaJet his "home away from home during the season" and sees the pickleball session as the ideal start to the week, before his focus turns fully to the race.

Why sport, and why now

VistaJet frames the programme as part of a broader shift. Members, it says, increasingly want access that goes beyond the event itself, with closeness to the people behind the sport, and the biggest sporting fixtures have become meeting points for business, culture and lifestyle. The company cites a projection by Global Market Insights that sports tourism will reach 1.41 trillion dollars by 2035.

Leona Qi, president for the United States at VistaJet, describes major sporting events as places "where business gets done, clients are hosted and relationships are built". For many Members, she adds, the event is only one part of a longer journey across several cities.

A younger generation of flyers

The company also points to who is flying. According to data featured in The Wealth Report 2026 by Knight Frank, nearly half of the people who fly private for the first time with VistaJet are now under 45. VistaJet describes this group as global and at home in several places, moving between business centres and lifestyle destinations more often and combining work, personal interests and time with family and friends across continents.

How the trips are planned

As a partner of Scuderia Ferrari, VistaJet flies the team and its drivers across five continents through the season. The company says the same expertise serves Members heading to the most sought-after events: specialists from flight operations, client services, maintenance and ground operations plan such journeys months in advance. VistaJet promises guaranteed availability across what it calls the largest service area in the industry, with as little as 24 hours' notice. Beyond Formula 1, it names golf and tennis among the sports where it brings Members closer to the action.

What it means for travellers

Anyone planning a race weekend by private jet faces the same practical questions, whatever the operator: which airport, when to arrive ahead of the crowds and how to get from the aircraft to the circuit. Our guides to charter costs and to jet cards, memberships and fractional shares help to place a members' programme like this one, and the FBO arrival checklist covers the day of travel itself.

Questions

What does VistaJet offer at the Austin Grand Prix?

VistaJet Members join brand ambassador Charles Leclerc for a pickleball session and then spend three days in the Ferrari Paddock Club, from Friday practice through qualifying to the race on Sunday.

Who is the VistaJet brand ambassador in Formula 1?

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc. VistaJet is also a partner of Scuderia Ferrari and flies the team and its drivers across five continents during the season.

How much notice does VistaJet need for a flight?

According to the company, Members can fly with as little as 24 hours' notice within its service area. Journeys to major events are planned months in advance.

Figures checked 20 October 2026. Prices are indicative and never a quote. Seen something out of date? Tell the editors.