Lars Baron
Formula One’s last foray in Las Vegas, NV was a little bit of a disaster: It was hot, it was located in a parking lot, and it wasn’t anywhere near being the big hit organizers thought it would be. But the powers that be in F1 are looking to take another chance on the Gambling Capital of the World, this time with a night race located directly on the iconic Las Vegas strip.
This race has been rumored for a while now, but those rumors really started picking up in intensity when Drive to Survive helped teach F1 that there’s a viable, interested viewer market in America and that maybe it’s time to consider having a few races in the States. Now, Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal is reporting that F1 and Las Vegas have moved beyond talking about if a race should happen there and instead figuring out how.
Stern’s report is a fascinating one in that it lines up with rumors I’ve heard but have been unable to confirm for the past few months. If everything runs smoothly, we could see a Las Vegas Grand Prix as early as 2023 though sources told Stern that any delays could push it to 2024.
Still, that’s a pretty rapid turnaround time when you consider the logistics of transforming the iconic Las Vegas strip into a high-speed playground for a few days. Especially when Stern reports that sources claim the track will cruise by the Bellagio’s famous water fountains before driving about a mile down the Strip to Wynn Last Vegas.
All this being said, we also had a lot of rumors about the Miami Grand Prix definitely happening and then definitely not happening multiple times over the course of two years. Something tells me folks who live in Vegas will be a little bit less concerned about loud cars in their backyard — but it is a little difficult to imagine shutting down the entire Las Vegas strip for a weekend.