F1 announces 3rd USGP in Las Vegas on Saturday nights on ‘The Strip’
In what was perhaps the worst kept secret in F1 circles this year, Formula 1 announced a 3-year deal (with option years) to race on the city streets of Las Vegas, Nevada starting in 2023.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix is slated to occur at night on a yet-to-be-named Saturday in November 2023, Formula One and Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority officials announced Wednesday at a new conference at the Cosmopolitan.
The race will mark the third Formula One race in the U.S., with the Las Vegas Strip and its landmark properties as the backdrop. The other races are in Miami and Austin, Texas.
The world-famous neon lights of Las Vegas will provide the backdrop to Formula 1’s newest race when the American city hosts a night event from 2023.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix will take place on a Saturday next November and be one of three races in the United States, joining Miami and Austin.
Las Vegas hosted races in 1981 and 1982 but this will be the first time F1 cars will race on the iconic Las Vegas Strip, with the circuit sweeping past famous hotels and casinos.
Designers produced 31 different layout variations before agreeing on the final version – a spectacular 14-turn high-speed design that will have a high average speed and require teams to bring their low downforce Monza/Spa-spec aerodynamic packages. It’s going to be fast and furious.
The 14-turn track will run for 3.8 miles (6.12km) with top speeds expected to hit around 212mph (342km/h).
The design features three straights, a high-speed cornering sequence and a single chicane section, with the Grand Prix to be run over 50 laps.
The race will be an assault on the drivers’ senses, as they blast directly by famous hotels like the Venetian, Caesars Palace and the Bellagio – with its iconic fountain – along the Strip.
At the end of the 1.6-mile straight on ‘The Strip’ you’ll find the best overtaking opportunity for drivers, braking hard into a left-hander. There are two other straights, a high-speed corner sequence and a chicane to spice things up.
F1 and Liberty Media will work together to promote the race in partnership with Live Nation Entertainment and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), as well as Founding Partners Caesars Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, and Wynn Las Vegas and Presenting Partners MSG Sphere, Resorts World Las Vegas and The Venetian Resort.
The news was announced at a glittering event in Las Vegas on Wednesday evening, with Liberty Media President and CEO Greg Maffei and F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali in attendance.
They were joined by local stakeholders including Nevada Governor, Steve Sisolak, CEO and President of the LVCVA, Steve Hill and President and CEO of Live Nation Entertainment, Michael Rapino.
Sisolak made the bold prediction that the Las Vegas GP will be the iconic race on the F1 calendar within several years. He expects the race will bring in 170,000 people from outside Las Vegas to attend the race.
“Iconic Las Vegas and Formula 1, the pinnacle of motorsport, is the perfect marriage of speed and glamour,” said Maffei. “Our confidence in this unique opportunity is evident in our decision to assume the promoter role for the Las Vegas Grand Prix in partnership with Live Nation.
“We could not be more excited to work with our local partners to create a marquee event. The potential of Formula 1 has been well demonstrated over the last several seasons and the Las Vegas GP will only take it to the next level.”
Domenicali added: “This is an incredible moment for Formula 1 that demonstrates the huge appeal and growth of our sport with a third race in the US. Las Vegas is a destination known around the world for its excitement, hospitality, thrills, and of course, the famous Strip.
“There is no better place for Formula 1 to race than in the global entertainment capital of the world and we cannot wait to be here next year. I want to thank everyone who helped deliver this event, especially Governor Sisolak, the Clark County Commission, Steve Hill at the LVCVA, and our local partners.”
Hill added: “We eagerly anticipate the moment when the history, energy and momentum of Formula 1 will culminate in an unforgettable Saturday night on the Las Vegas Strip. Spectators will experience the unrivalled thrill of watching these world-class drivers race through what is sure to become one of the most iconic racetracks in the world.
“Formula 1 and Liberty Media have been incredible partners, and we look forward to November 2023 when we once again showcase that Las Vegas is ‘The Greatest Arena on Earth’.”
Ready to up the ante in 2023 🤩#F1 @Vegas @WynnLasVegas @MGMResortsIntl @CaesarsEnt pic.twitter.com/rRbxJvPsgu
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 31, 2022
VEGASSSS BABY! 🤩 We’re heading back down the Strip in 2023 🇺🇸 #LasVegasGP pic.twitter.com/IhlbyzcdD5
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) March 31, 2022