From Marvel superheroes and Hollywood couples to Olympic champions, music stars and the possibility of Kim Kardashian joining Lewis Hamilton again. Austin is ready for a Grand Prix where the action extends far beyond the track.

In Austin, even the guest list has horsepower. When Formula 1 arrives in Texas, racing meets red-carpet glamour, country music rubs shoulders with Hollywood, and the paddock becomes one of the most fascinating places to see and be seen. The 2026 United States Grand Prix promises a glamorous mix of team-hosted VIPs, international sporting champions, influential creators and live music.

Hollywood checks into the paddock

Marvel is bringing a superhero flavour to Williams, with American actors Anthony Mackie and Danny Ramirez expected on Sunday. Mackie, who plays Captain America, and Ramirez, known as Falcon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, are part of Williams’ wider Marvel collaboration across race week. Audi welcomes American actor Charles Melton, acclaimed for May December and Riverdale, on Sunday, while Jalen Thomas Brooks, known for The Pitt and Walker, visits on Friday.

Mercedes welcomes American actor Gavin Casalegno, the breakout star of The Summer I Turned Pretty, on Saturday and Sunday. Alpine, meanwhile, hosts American actress Lindsey Morgan, best known for The 100, throughout the weekend. Sunday brings a particularly appealing homecoming: Austin-born Glen Powell, star of Top Gun: Maverick and Twisters, arrives with his partner, American actress Michelle Randolph, known for 1923 and Landman. Both are guests of Red Bull Racing, adding a Hollywood-couple moment to the Texas spectacle.

The guest everyone will be watching

Could American entrepreneur and reality-TV superstar Kim Kardashian return to the paddock alongside British Ferrari superstar Lewis Hamilton? Their recent appearances together, including in Singapore, have fuelled international interest, and Austin would provide an ideal stage for another high-profile encounter. Kardashian’s attendance is not confirmed, but the possibility is tantalising: fashion’s global queen alongside the seven-time World Champion whose influence reaches well beyond motorsport.. If she appears, expect cameras, fashion headlines and social media to go into overdrive Further American celebrities may also emerge as race week unfolds.

Official F1 ambassadors: familiar faces, bigger roles

Some VIPs have a direct relationship with the championship itself. British comedian and presenter Jack Whitehall, an official F1 ambassador, brings his quick wit to Austin and will perform at An Evening with Jack Whitehall at The Paddock Bar at Sagebrush on Saturday. British actor Damson Idris, also an official F1 ambassador, became closely associated with the sport through F1 The Movie, starring opposite Brad Pitt.

Motorsport heritage is represented by three more official F1 ambassadors: French-Swiss former F1 driver Romain Grosjean, whose ten podiums and remarkable recovery after his 2020 Bahrain fireball accident made him a compelling figure; the charming Finnish two-time World Champion Mika Häkkinen, remembered for his McLaren titles in 1998 and 1999; and Danish endurance legend Tom Kristensen, the nine-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Their roles help connect fans with the sport’s personalities, heritage and technical brilliance.

Music to match the engines

Austin’s soundtrack is just as varied as its guest list. Friday night belongs to American pop-rock band Maroon 5, fronted by Adam Levine, whose global hits include “Sugar” and “Moves Like Jagger”. After Practice 1 and 2, their headline performance at COTA promises a high-energy start to the weekend.

Saturday, after Practice 3 and qualifying, American superstar Post Malone takes over with his genre-blending mix of hip-hop, pop and country. Sunday’s post-race celebration features Swedish DJ Alesso, whose electronic anthems will bring the weekend to a festival-style close.

COTA’s wider The American Soundtrack programme features more than 20 acts across multiple stages, including Austin-born singer-songwriter Gina Chavez, rock and soul performers Nakia & the Never Not Now, and country favourites Mayeux & Broussard. Other acts include Carrie Rodriguez, Los Alcos and Jennifer Foster & the Audacity, adding local flavour to the international headliners.

Away from the main stages, Canadian country singer Orville Peck, famous for his masked cowboy persona and deep baritone, performs at “An Evening with House 44” at The Paddock Bar at Sagebrush on Friday as a guest of F1. American country singer Kameron Marlowe, who rose to prominence after The Voice, performs there on Friday and in House 44 on Saturday, also as an F1 guest. On Sunday, American pop-rock band Train, known for hits including “Drops of Jupiter” and “Hey, Soul Sister”, joins the F1 guest programme.

Champions beyond motorsport

The paddock also weclomes sporting excellence who know a thing or two about performing under pressure. American basketball star and Olympic gold medallist Kelsey Plum, a guest of F1 Communications on Thursday, is celebrated for her scoring prowess and WNBA career. Canadian swimming sensation Summer McIntosh, a guest of TAG Heuer throughout the weekend, has won major Olympic and world titles, while Hawaiian-born American surfer Kai Lenny, and impressive ‘waterman’, also hosted by TAG Heuer, is an eight-time SUP world champion renowned for conquering giant waves.

Speed takes another form with Australian motocross champions Jett and Hunter Lawrence, guests of Red Bull Racing throughout the weekend. Jett has won major AMA titles, while Hunter captured the 2026 AMA Pro Motocross 450 Championship. Ferrari welcomes American NBA veteran Harrison Barnes on Sunday, bringing San Antonio basketball connections to the Texas weekend. Alpine’s guests include Italian former MotoGP star Andrea Dovizioso, a three-time championship runner-up, and American ultra-endurance athlete Matthew Johnson, an Austin-based runner and triathlete known for extreme challenges.

Creators, comedians and unexpected connections

Formula 1’s modern celebrity scene extends well beyond film and sport. British automotive model and creator Callum Mullin and American fashion and travel creator Chelsea Henriquez join F1 Marketing throughout the weekend, bringing style and digital storytelling into the paddock. Mercedes hosts American automotive creator Mark Dohner and Jordan Sanford, known for cinematic luxury-car content, throughout the event. It also welcomes Irish comedian Joanne McNally on Saturday and Sunday, and American astronaut Reid Wiseman, a newly announced Mercedes ambassador whose engineering and spaceflight career offers an extraordinary parallel with F1’s technological ambition.

Alpine’s all-weekend guest British broadcaster Jeremy Clarkson, famous for Top Gear, The Grand Tour and Clarkson’s Farm, needs little introduction to car enthusiasts. Red Bull Racing also adds humour through Irish impressionist Conor Moore, known for his viral sporting impersonations. Together, these guests bring racing pedigree, Hollywood glamour and sporting comedy to the team’s Austin hospitality, while American automotive creator Jordan Sanford and other digital personalities illustrate how social media has become part of the paddock experience.

Austin’s own stars

The city’s cultural heritage adds another layer to the weekend. Glen Powell, born in Austin, represents its rising Hollywood generation; Matthew McConaughey, the Oscar-winning American actor and devoted Texas sports supporter, is one of its best-known residents. Music runs deep here, too: Willie Nelson, the American country icon, helped define the region’s musical identity, while Janis Joplin and Stevie Ray Vaughan remain legendary figures in rock, blues and Austin’s musical history. Sandra Bullock, the American actress and producer with longstanding Austin connections, completes a six-name snapshot of the city’s international cultural reach.

From official ambassadors and team-hosted stars to sporting champions and musicians, Austin’s celebrity mix reflects Formula 1’s evolution into a global lifestyle phenomenon. The racing remains the main event, the drivers the main stars of course. But with Hollywood in the garages, music in the air and the possibility of Kardashian and Hamilton sharing the spotlight again, the stories away from the circuit could be almost as captivating as the action on it.