Auto Racing Digest

BREAKING NEWS: F1 coming to Vegas, baby!

The series returns to Sin City after a 41-year absence; marks the third race to be held in the U.S. on the 2023 schedule.

Jerry Bonkowski

BREAKING NEWS: F1 coming to Vegas, baby!
BREAKING NEWS: F1 coming to Vegas, baby! /

What happens in Vegas won’t stay in Vegas any more. Not after Wednesday night’s surprising global announcement that Formula One will return to Las Vegas for a Saturday night race in November 2023.

Informally called the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the event will be the series’ first race to be held on a Saturday since 1985. It also marks the third race in the United States, joining Circuit of the Americas and Miami, which makes its debut in less than two months on May 8.

It marks F1’s return to Sin City after a brief two-year stint in 1981-82, an event that was held in the Caesars Palace hotel parking lot.

This new race will be held on a street course near downtown Las Vegas and will include parts of the well-known “Strip” on Las Vegas Blvd. South, approximately one-third of the overall circuit. An added twist is expected to have part of the course go past the Bellagio Fountain.

Much of the circuit – currently regular city streets – are bumpy. According to Formula1.com, plans are in the works to repave those roads to make the racing surface much smoother.

Another unique aspect is the 3.8-mile circuit will be run in a counter-clockwise motion with 14 corners. The race is expected to last 50 laps.

An official date has not been announced, other than it will be held sometime in November, 2023.

“Iconic Las Vegas and Formula 1, the pinnacle of motorsport, is the perfect marriage of speed and glamour,” said Liberty Media CEO and president Greg Maffei said in a statement. “Our confidence in this unique opportunity is evident in our decision to assume the promoter role for the Las Vegas Grand Prix in partnership with Live Nation. We could not be more excited to work with our local partners to create a marquee event. The potential of Formula 1 has been well demonstrated over the last several seasons and the Las Vegas GP will only take it to the next level.”

Added F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali in another statement, “This is an incredible moment for Formula 1 that demonstrates the huge appeal and growth of our sport with a third race in the U.S. Las Vegas is a destination known around the world for its excitement, hospitality, thrills, and of course, the famous Strip. There is no better place for Formula 1 to race than in the global entertainment capital of the world and we cannot wait to be here next year.”

While the announcement caught many off-guard, it’s not a complete surprise, as F1 Series owner Liberty Media is headquartered in the United States and, since acquiring the series, has explored several opportunities to expand into the U.S. A perfect example of that is the upcoming Miami race, and now comes Wednesday’s announcement.

Follow AutoRacingDigest.com editor/publisher Jerry Bonkowski on Twitter @JerryBonkowski

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Jerry Bonkowski
JERRY BONKOWSKI

@JerryBonkowski is an award-winning writer/columnist/editor who has specialized primarily in motorsports -- most notably coverage of NASCAR, IndyCar and NHRA -- for much of his 30-plus-year career. He has worked full-time for many of the largest media brands including USA Today, ESPN, Yahoo and NBC. He started AutoRacingDigest.com in partnership with Sports Illustrated in 2022 and serves as the site's editor and publisher. He also is a regular contributor to Autoweek.com and NASCAR.com. Follow Jerry on Twitter @JerryBonkowski

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