Las Vegas F1 Track And How It Could Affect The Strip

Las Vegas is the home of sports, sports betting, entertainment, gambling and it is the place where people come for some serious excitement. And there’s nothing more exciting than the thrills and spills of Formula 1. It has now been reported that Las Vegas has approved plans to shut the strip temporarily for a few hours every day over five days in November for F1 racing up until 2032.

Las Vegas officials have confirmed that they have approved plans to shut down the strip for the F1 Grand Prix for at least 10 years… with the view to creating a lifetime partnership.

Viva Las Vegas

It was revealed, last March, that finally Formula 1 would return to the Las Vegas strip in November 2023 – offering spectators a thrilling street race right around the heart of the city, with part of it zooming down the iconic Vegas strip.

In true Vegas style, the race will happen on a Saturday night – perfect for attracting a prime-time US audience, which is ideal given the massive recent boom of interest in F1 amongst Americans recently. However, it will attract audiences from all across the globe – as they watch the action and get a real taste of Las Vegas life from their mobiles, where players can play casino games and watch and bet on the race without having to travel all the way to Sin City.

A Long-Term Commitment?

A three-year contract, between 2023 and 2025, was initially signed for the race. However, that was just a taster and F1 made it abundantly clear that they intended it to be a much longer-term commitment.

It was later confirmed that the Vegas Grand Prix would be a yearly event for the following decade – with the economic impact of the race in the region expected to be more than $1 billion.

As part of the deal, they requested that the commission would recognise the race circuit on both private and public Las Vegas lands, including roads that are owned by Clark County including Sands Avenue, Harmon Avenue, Koval Lane and, of course, the mighty Las Vegas Boulevard.

The three year initial deal led the way to a 10 year contract… and beyond that it looks as though this could be an ongoing deal. The 10 year motion was a unanimous decision, making it a certainty until 2032, so the chances of expansion beyond this looks extremely likely.

What’s more, it also looks very likely that Vegas intends to hold on to its slot later in the season in the future. The current schedule is anticipated to be a few hours each day for 5 days – starting on Wednesday and ending on Sunday in the week just before Thanksgiving between 2023 and 2032.

A Huge Economic Impact

According to Terry Miller, the Las Vegas Grand Prix project manager, all the plans for this year’s race are completely on schedule. According to Miller, this is an opportunity for the entire community – labourers, vendors – all sorts. And everyone is more than excited about it. 

This could provide a huge economic boost for years to come and the impact that the Vegas Grand Prix will have on the community is very significant. 

Construction of the project is already underway on the building which will form the pits and paddock area after F1 spent $240 million on a 39-acre site (formally a parking lot) last spring.

In case you wonder about the environmental aspects of this long term project, Formula 1 have reaffirmed their commitment to making the sport Net-Zero Carbon by 2030 with their advertisements on the pit and paddock throughout the season, starting at the British Grand Prix last year.

The action in Las Vegas this year will take place on 18th November, making it the penultimate race of the season, just before the Abu Dhabi season finale 8 days later.

Glitz and Glamour

There is absolutely no doubt that the event will be a very glitzy, glamorous and star-studded event. The fact is, although there may be a handful of detractors, this is almost like a race that is coming home. It will be a celebration that it is finally returning to Vegas after a 41 year hiatus… after it was last raced there back in 1982, when the US had three Grand Prix races on their calendar.

Considering the type of audience F1 attracts, we can certainly expect some serious parties and VIP packages available for big bucks. People are now even suggesting that Vegas might even rival Monaco as the most exclusive race in the entire season.

In terms of views, the circuit couldn’t get much more impressive. With the circuit taking place oud the strip, you can enjoy views of Caesars Palace along with some of the other luxurious hotels in the city. The street circuit will be 3.803 miles (6.12km) long, with 17 corners and a 1.181 mile straight.

A Race to Remember

This is seriously going to be a race to remember and it is causing all sorts of excitement. There may be a few neigh-sayers, but ultimately this will have a huge economic impact on the city and most people are thrilled. Viva Las Vegas… the new home of F1?