► From 2023
► Third race in the US
► Cars will reach 212mph
Formula One has announced a new addition to its every-growing calendar, and it’ll take place in Las Vegas. Rumoured for the last few months and now confirmed as reality, the Las Vegas GP will debut in 2023 and be the third event based in the States. The track is on a three-year deal for now.
What’s the track like?
Despite America already being full of incredible purpose-built tracks, the Las Vegas GP will be a modified street circuit, taking in all the sights and sounds of the Las Vegas strip. As for the circuit itself? It’s a 6km, 14-turn street track, but with the addition of a huge 2km straight.
That means cars will fly past landmarks such as Caesar’s Palace, the Bellagio fountains and Mandalay Bay, with F1 predicting cars will hit 342kmh (212mph) by the end of the straight. Great for the spectacle, though slightly concerning for safety – it’s an enclosed street track after all.
The time difference of a Sunday race would also be an issue for F1’s European audience, so the 50-lap Las Vegas round will instead be held at 10pm on a Saturday night; therefore gaining the primetime spot in the US, too. Right now, the new Las Vegas is scheduled for a November date around Thanksgiving.
The third US race?
Las Vegas’ addition onto the calendar is a clear move by F1 to accelerate its recent success in the US. Soon to be the third race in the US (after Texas and Miami) its inclusion should help Liberty Media gain an even larger American audience. It makes financial sense, though with fan favourites such as Sepang, Hockenheim and Kyalami still on the drawing board, it can be seen as a little tone deaf. Still, this is F1 after all.
‘We are a sport that needs to make sure that the racing is real,’ said Stefano Domenicali, ex-Ferrari boss and current Formula One CEO. ‘But adding real racing in an incredible context is the perfect combination of what Formula 1 stands [for] today.
‘It’s emotion, it’s passion, it’s a business, it’s relationships, it’s culture and it’s intensity. And this is the reason why this is the perfect place to be.’