Las Vegas Grand Prix

Amrit Virdi

Discover the magic of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, blending desert charm, lively nightlife, casinos, and the high-speed world of Formula One.

An American Grand Prix

Formula One has been on a mission to tap into the motorsport market in America. Drive to Survive and the Miami Grand Prix have been steps towards this so far, and their next venture in this quest is the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Since being announced in March 2022 as a night race on the iconic Las Vegas Strip, it has been a hot topic.

Las Vegas has hosted F1 races in 1981 and 1982. However, the new and improved Las Vegas Grand Prix will take place on the famous Las Vegas Strip. The 3.8 miles-long track zooms past all of the city’s most famous bars, clubs, casinos and hotels, making the most of the dazzling neon lights the city is famous for.

Preparation for the Race

The Hollywood Reporter recently revealed that the cost of the race would be $560m, taking into account the costs of grandstands, paddocks and building. Constructors are supposedly racing to get everything completed in time, as Liberty Media admitted that costs are rising due to inflation. With speeds going up to 212mph, the track is one of the fastest on the calendar.

Why Las Vegas? Well, it seems Daniel Ricciardo is taking “98%” of the credit as he lobbied for the track in a 2017 press conference. In general, it is set to be a huge money-maker for Formula One and the city, with the cheapest tickets being $500 each.

Sparking Controversy

While certainly glorious and a massive spectacle which will immerse the city in motorsport with its iconic location, the Las Vegas Grand Prix has not been welcomed by everyone.

”It will be a different atmosphere. Everyone will be losing money gambling while the race happens, there will be slot machines in every seat, it’s going to be a very different vibe,” said Hollywood actor Steve Carrell when asked about the addition of the race to the calendar. This was amid conversation online speculating that the race was simply added for moneymaking purposes.

There were also reports that Formula One was demanding millions from hotels on the strip and threatening the block punters’ view of the track if establishments didn’t pay up. Average package tickets are also around the $2000 mark, making the race extremely inaccessible.

Residents have also complained that the repaving and construction have negatively impacted their living standards, with there being road closures and limited pathways. Street circuits such as Las Vegas, Monaco and more are praised for immersing cities in the sport and having spectacular scenery. But these are also criticised for their narrow streets making for “boring” racing with little room for overtaking and for disrupting the day-to-day running of cities.

Gearing up to November

With everything taken into consideration, it is great that F1 is expanding their calendar to expose the sport to a wider fanbase. Yet with more and more races being added to the calendar, the sport needs to avoid becoming too performative and avoid making money its top priority.

This year, the Las Vegas Grand Prix will take place from the 16th to the 18th of November.

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Featured image courtesy of  Paul Voie via Pexels. No changes were made to this image. Image license found here.

Amrit is an English and History graduate and is currently studying for her MA in Magazine Journalism, writing about everything from music to motorsport and fashion whilst being a Music Co-Editor for LeftLion and working part-time in Marketing.

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