Las Vegas gives F1 permission to run races on its Strip for 10 years

2023 F1 season

Posted on

| Written by

Formula 1’s three-year deal to race on its new street circuit in Las Vegas could be extended following a local commission vote today.

Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free

The series announced a three-year deal to race on the new Las Vegas street circuit last year. Its first race will take place in November this year, but the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix company which is organising and promoting the race has already indicated a desire to extend the contract.

Those hopes received a boost on Tuesday when the Clark County Commission unanimously approved a resolution allowing the promoters to continue using the public roads which will form part of the circuit until 2032.

The resolution noted “the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix has an estimated economic impact of more than a billion dollars to the local economy.”

F1 will race along the famous Las Vegas Strip
The track will use a series of local roads including Las Vegas Boulevard – the world-famous ‘Strip’ – Harmon Avenue, Koval Lane and Sans Avenue. The required set-up for the event is “anticipated to take place a few hours a day for five days, beginning on each Wednesday through Sunday, the week prior to the Thanksgiving holiday in November in the years 2023 through 2032,” it noted.

The resolution grants the promote a waiver from the county code “for portions of the circuit approved by Clark County that occurs on Las Vegas Boulevard South so long as the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix takes place during the days stated [in] this resolution.”

Terry Miller of Miller Project Management told the commission the circuit will include a mixture of private and public land, the use of the latter requiring their permission.

Las Vegas Street Circuit track map
Track data: Las Vegas Street Circuit
“Everything that we are building in a temporary spectator facility or in a permanent track facility is on private parcels,” he said. “The track itself will be on county right of way and on private parcels.

“What we’re excited about the fact that it wraps itself around some of the most world worldwide-recognised resorts here in our valley. As the track runs down the boulevard, we will turn onto Harmon. We will go around the paddock facility, which is the land that was purchased by the LVGP last year and on which we are currently building the paddock building.

“We’ll zip down Koval, we will go around the sphere, come around Sands and back to the boulevard. It’s 3.8 miles of excitement and we are really, really pleased to be able to bring this to the valley.”

Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free

Gallery: Las Vegas Grand Prix location

Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free

2023 F1 season

Browse all 2023 F1 season articles

Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

Got a potential story, tip or enquiry? Find out more about RaceFans and contact us here.

8 comments on “Las Vegas gives F1 permission to run races on its Strip for 10 years”

  1. Dex
    8th February 2023, 2:05

    Yaaaaay. Of course, when it comes to SPA, Monaco, Silverstone, Interlagos and such stupid, old tracks, we always live in fear of losing some or all of them, almost year by year, and celebrate when they extend some contract to delay the inevitable. I wish they’ll be forced to give up on this race eventually, for whatever reason (maybe they find a better zoo to bring to town?). Same for Miami and their funny yachts of course. And we talk about one of the biggest countries in the world, with so many iconic venues (and I’m sure some of them could be modernized enough to host F1). And so the dumbing down of F1 continues…

    1. Profile Photo

      SteveR (@stever)
      8th February 2023, 2:12

      I’m with you, but it’s not the dumbing down, it’s the monetizing. Liberty owns this race and the ‘venue’…….

  2. Profile Photo

    Yaru (@yaru)
    8th February 2023, 2:29

    Those hopes received a boost on Tuesday when the Clark County Commission unanimously approved a resolution allowing the promoters to continue using the public roads which will form part of the circuit until 2023.

    Fairly sure that’s supposed to be 2032 at the end?

  3. Profile Photo

    Jere (@jerejj)
    8th February 2023, 5:44

    I thought F1 would self-promote the event unless the term ‘Formula 1’ in the company name implies this.
    ‘The week before Thanksgiving’ part is effectively unapplicable forever, though, given other events & the longer-term plan of reorganizing race calendars, nor should anything wrong be with hosting on the Thanksgiving weekend specifically as per the initial intention.

  4. Sam
    8th February 2023, 11:53

    Just imagine if the next ten years has this followed by Abu Dhabi as the final two races of the season. Compare this to, say, the 2000 season where the final two races were Sepang and Suzuka.

  5. PeterG
    8th February 2023, 13:16

    I doubt it will still be on the calender in 10 years.

    It’ll turn up this year with tons of hype, Will be presented as the biggest, most amazing spectacle in this history of the sport with tons of glitz, glamour & cringe….. Will likely feature tons of DRS passing & therefore be deemed the greatest racing circuit ever.

    Yet drivers will likely say it’s quite dull to drive, Fans who play it on sims will likely think the same (I have driven it on Assetto Corsa & think it’s one of the worst circuits i’ve ever driven on any game/sim) & will be boring to watch cars driving around leading them to try & make it seem more spectacular by constantly showing the Vegas lights.

    Even thos more positive on this surely know that this is going to end up like all the other failed car parks, It’s inevitable because it’s another boring car park circuit vanity project that hasn’t been constructed for racing or sporting purposes, It isn’t an especially good circuit, Won’t be fun to watch & will ultimately fail just like all the others. We all know this, It’s just a matter of how many seasons it takes for the shine to vanish. Miami is going to be the same.

    The hype, Glitz, Glamour & cringe can only get you so far & it isn’t very.

  6. Profile Photo

    Nulla Pax (@nullapax)
    8th February 2023, 17:39

    If it turns in a good profit, then it will stay on the calendar.

    Profit is what matters to Liberty, not racing.
    Profit.

    1. Alan S Thomson
      8th February 2023, 19:48

      And the sport will ultimately pay the price for it. Remember NASCAR?

Comments are closed.