Formula 1 racing comes closer to California with the first Las Vegas Grand Prix in 41 years. Anticipation has been building since March of 2022 when it was first announced that the Grand Prix would join the calendar. With events such as the launch party and opening ceremony, eagerness from supporters continues to grow. The teams spared no expense when promoting the event, from videos to new designs for the track. All efforts hoped worthy of the brand new circuit built on the Las Vegas Strip.
Not Their First Time
The first Formula 1 race in Las Vegas occurred in 1981 during the Caesars Palace Grand Prix, held in the Caesars Palace car park. Although this race would determine who would become a title winner, the GP still left much to be desired. The track was not a favorite amongst viewers or drivers. Caesars Palace hosted its second and last F1 Grand Prix in 1982. The track continued to be used by Cart Indy Cars in 1983 and would host its last race in 1984. The track area is now occupied by the Mirage Hotel, which opened in 1989, and Forum Shops (1992), an extension of the Caesars Palace Hotel.
Building Anticipation
In March 2022, a live broadcast announced the addition of the Las Vegas Grand Prix to the 2023 Formula 1 racing calendar. The race was advertised as a visual showpiece more than anything else. Promotional pictures featuring a track lit by the Strip lights explained their decision to strive for a nighttime race schedule. They also intended it to be a weekend opener, which causes all events to start a day earlier than usual. The first practice will be on Thursday from 8:30- 9:30 p.m. track time, the second from 12:00- 1:00 a.m., and the third from 8:30- 9:30 p.m. Practices on Friday will take place, with both qualifying laps taking place on Sunday from 12:00- 1:00 a.m. The race will be at 10 p.m. track time on Saturday rather than Sunday.
New Looks On the Track
Many teams are sporting different looks for this new event; some changed up their cars, helmets, and suits. Ferrari went for a homage to their 70s look, consisting of a red and white livery on the vehicle, matching race suits, and Charles‘ and Carlos‘ custom Las Vegas helmets. Red Bull chose an all-Las Vegas livery with a purple and neon car and had each driver showing off a new helmet. Max Verstappen’s helmet design followed the cars, with white and yellow neon colors. Checo’s (Sergio Perez) red and white design featured a casino theme. Williams matched with the light-up boards by featuring the famous Las Vegas sign on their car. Alex Albon went for a similar look but featured palm trees as well. Another notable look came from Alfa Romeo, which featured an all-black paint job with red, gold, and black detailing referencing gambling in Vegas livery and similar racing suits. As for helmets, exceptional looks were sported by McLarren’s Lando Norris, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, Alpha Tauri’s Daniel Ricciardo, and Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas.
Cars are EVERYWHERE
In the months leading up to this year’s GP, hotels and shopping centers, they participated by displaying cars in their shopping areas. The Wynn Hotel featured a particular Wynn car and has a McLaren experience, complete with an even bigger car display. The North Premium Outlets had a pop-up Formula 1 Racing store called Miami Racing. They sold licensed team merchandise and had an Alfa Romeo number 77 (Valtteri Bottas) race car at the store entrance.
This isn’t all Formula 1 did to get people excited; their YouTube channel continued to upload videos of their drivers, asking them questions or having them complete challenges. Last week, they significantly raised interest with the “Most Likely to…” Las Vegas Edition video. The teams have also done their part in getting followers riled up for the big race. Most teams posted individual videos revolving around Las Vegas, like Mclarrens House of Cards video. The Oracle Red Bull Racing team pulled a big stunt, driving Checo’s race car through the Wynn casino and placing it on top of Caesars Palace days before the Launch Party. A clip from a 5-year-old Oracle Red Bull Racing video also began doing rounds with fans all over the internet, especially popular with those awaiting the upcoming race.
Launch Party
A free, all-day launch party was announced for November 2022, a year before the foreplanned race. The party was promoted with the promise of driver appearances, a live run-through, and pop-up entertainment. There was also a chance for the first 500 arrivals to win a VIP ticket to the night celebration, including a performance by The Killers. Sure enough, “thousands of F1 fans enjoyed live car runs and a host of special activities in the famous Nevada city.” The featured drivers in question were Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, Red Bull driver Sergio Perez, and Williams driver Alex Albon. The night was, without a doubt, a success in its mission; videos of the race cars demoing a drive through the strip were everywhere.
Opening Ceremony
The Opening ceremony was held one day before the first practice. It occurred on November 15, 2023, in front of the Pit Building zone and the Heineken Silver Main Grandstand. The event included musical performances given by Thirty Seconds to Mars, Keith Urban, Andra Day, Kylie Minogue, Bishop Brings, Journey, Steve Aoki, J. Balvin, Tiesto, John Legend, and will.i.am. There were also appearances from the Blue Man Group and Cirque du Soleil. The track was adorned with a laser show along with a drone show. The night finished with a firework show as drivers were elevated onto the light-up podiums, which the artist had performed on.
Driving Through the Strip
Apart from the show, many people were intrigued by the new track. It was built on and along the Las Vegas Strip and will be one of five street circuits in this year’s calendar. Due to its location, a schedule has been established for what times the road will be open to the public and when F1 will have control over the area. The track has 17 turns, with a circuit length of 6.2 km, and is expected to reach similar speeds to those of Monza. Hotels like Venetian, Caesars Palace, and Bellagio will be in the background this weekend. Saturday’s race will comprise 50 laps around the circuit.
Ticket prices
Months after the announcement that pre-registering for tickets was already available through the F1 Las Vegas Official Site, various tickets became available. They ranged from price, location, compliments, packages, and participating hotel specials. The T-mobile Zone General Admission was the first to sell out with a price range of $500 for three days. The second cheapest ticket, selling for $2,180, was in the T-Mobile Zone, but it was in the Sphere Grandstands. The Paris Hotel had “Club Paris” for for $5,995 tickets, the Hilton Hotel had the “HGV Club” for $6,540, and the Mirage Hotel Grandstand 3-day tickets for $2,200. There were also VIP tickets ranging from $500 to $1,500 if choosing the single-day options. The hotel VIP package starts at $11,819. Going over to the higher prices and more elaborate packages, the East Harmon Zone by Virgin Hotels section includes the Sky Box, placed on turns 1-3. The 4-day tickets included entry to the opening ceremony and premium food for $10,900. The South Koval Zone by Caesars Rewards has two of the most expensive public tickets. The Red Bull Energy Station tickets cost $13,080, and the Mercedes Vegas Club ticket sold for $15,500. The Pit Building 5-day tickets required filling out a ticket interest form to be contacted by the sales team.
