October 19–26, 2026 | The weekly paddock recap
Because apparently racing isn’t enough drama for Formula 1.
The paddock headed to Austin this week, and while everyone was busy preparing for the United States Grand Prix, some drivers had plans that went well beyond qualifying simulations and tyre management.
There was live music, unexpected reunions, a guitar or two, and enough celebrity appearances to make you wonder whether you accidentally bought tickets to a festival instead of a Grand Prix.
And honestly? We’re not complaining.
1. Liam Lawson traded his racing suit for a guitar
Let’s start with the headline of the week, because who had Liam Lawson live musician era on their 2026 bingo card?
On Thursday, October 22, the Racing Bulls driver headlined Garage Sessions with Liam Lawson and Friends at Inn Cahoots in Austin as part of the Esses Bazaar event.
Lawson was joined on stage by his brother Marcus and childhood friends Thomas and Harrison. The event also featured several country artists, including Drake Milligan, Alison Nichols, Jonathon Capeci, Scoot Teasley and Jess Farren.
But here’s the best part: this wasn’t exactly a familiar environment for Lawson.
The 24-year-old had learned guitar as a child, but this was his first public musical performance since he was around 11. Naturally, stepping in front of a crowd with a guitar felt a little different from stepping into an F1 car.
In fact, Lawson admitted that performing on stage felt around ten times more pressurised than driving a Grand Prix. He even joked that he would rather get into an F1 car and make Q3 than do this.
Honestly, Liam, we understand. At least the car comes with a radio button to complain into.
The performance also marked a collaboration with Taylor Guitars, including a custom guitar featuring his racing number, 30, and his signature cartoon-style logo.
It turns out the Racing Bulls driver has been hiding a pretty wholesome hobby behind the helmet.
And the paddock’s reaction? Even better.
2. Daniel Ricciardo showed up – and then got involved himself
As if Lawson’s musical debut wasn’t already a storyline, Daniel Ricciardo was spotted in the audience supporting him.
Yes, that Daniel Ricciardo.
The former Racing Bulls driver, whose seat Lawson took over in 2024, made an appearance at the event alongside Lawson’s current team-mate Arvid Lindblad and former team-mate Isack Hadjar.
And we have to appreciate the full-circle moment here.
Two years after Lawson replaced Ricciardo, the two were reunited in Austin under circumstances that had absolutely nothing to do with lap times or race strategy.
No awkward press conference. No team radio. Just a former team-mate showing up to support a guy with a guitar.
But Daniel apparently wasn’t done with music for the weekend.
On Friday night, he made a surprise appearance on stage with American singer-songwriter Rob Baird, playing harmonica on a song the pair had co-written during a road trip to the United States Grand Prix.
Ricciardo had travelled from a Ford Raptor Rally in Arizona to Austin as part of his work with Ford Racing and his lifestyle brand, Enchanté. The road trip itself was already giving us a different side of the former F1 driver, but a surprise harmonica performance?
That’s a plot twist we can get behind.
At this point, we need a paddock band. Lawson on guitar, Ricciardo on harmonica, and everyone else can figure out the percussion.
3. Austin understood the assignment: make it a festival
The United States Grand Prix has never really been just about the racing. Austin brings its own atmosphere, and this year’s entertainment lineup made that especially obvious.
Maroon 5 performed on Friday, Post Malone took over on Saturday, and Train performed on Sunday.
Between the concerts, pop-up experiences and activities around the city, the Grand Prix weekend felt like a collision between motorsport, music and American entertainment culture.
And that is exactly what makes Austin such a different stop on the calendar.
The drivers aren’t simply arriving at the circuit, completing their media duties and going home. The weekend becomes an opportunity to connect with fans outside the traditional F1 environment.
For Lawson, that meant stepping onto a stage. For Ricciardo, it meant bringing a little music into his American road trip. For the rest of the paddock, it meant navigating a weekend where the entertainment schedule was almost as busy as the sporting one.
Almost.
We still had a race to run, after all.
4. The celebrity guest list was doing its own thing
Of course, a United States Grand Prix wouldn’t feel complete without a few familiar faces outside the usual motorsport bubble.
Austin welcomed a varied collection of guests throughout the weekend, including celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and his daughter Tilly, podcast host Joe Rogan, basketball player Harrison Barnes and racing legend Mario Andretti.
NFL legend Emmitt Smith was also among those spotted at the event.
It’s a reminder of how Formula 1 has expanded beyond its traditional audience. A Grand Prix can attract people from music, entertainment, food, basketball and American football, all sharing the same space for a weekend.
And Austin is particularly good at bringing those worlds together.
The paddock has become a place where you might see a former World Champion discussing strategy one minute and a celebrity chef exploring the hospitality area the next.
Whether that is your favourite part of modern F1 or not, it’s certainly become part of the sport’s identity.
5. The real winner of Austin’s off-track action?
Look, we could talk about the concerts, the celebrity appearances and the usual paddock content all day.
But this week, Lawson deserves the spotlight.
There is something genuinely refreshing about seeing a driver share an interest that exists independently of his career. Formula 1 drivers spend so much of their lives being measured by lap times, results, contracts and championship positions that it’s easy to forget they have hobbies and personal ambitions outside the cockpit.
Lawson’s performance wasn’t about proving anything to a rival team or gaining an advantage over another driver. It was an opportunity to share music with his brother and childhood friends, despite admitting how nervous he was.
And Ricciardo’s appearances added another layer to the story: a reminder that the connections drivers build throughout their careers don’t disappear simply because their professional circumstances change.
Not every paddock story needs a feud, a rumour or a dramatic team radio exchange to be worth talking about.
Sometimes, it’s just a driver with a guitar, a former team-mate in the audience and a harmonica making a surprise appearance the following night.
We’ll take that kind of drama, too.
The Off Track Files verdict
Austin delivered exactly what we want from an off-track F1 weekend: personality, unexpected moments and a glimpse into the lives drivers lead when they’re not strapped into a car.
Liam Lawson proved that his talents extend beyond racing, Daniel Ricciardo reminded everyone that he can still surprise us, and the wider weekend showed just how much entertainment now surrounds a Grand Prix.
And perhaps that’s the point.
Formula 1 is a sport, but the people in it are what make the stories interesting. Sometimes those stories happen on the circuit. Sometimes they happen in a music venue in Austin.
This week, the paddock gave us both.
Because apparently racing isn’t enough drama for Formula 1.