Having added the Miami Grand Prix for 2022, Formula 1 continued its rapid expansion into the United States with the Las Vegas Grand Prix. With Texas staying on the calendar, 2023 marked the first season to include three US races, as F1 returned to Vegas after a long hiatus since the 1982 Caesars Palace Grand Prix.
Blasting down the Las Vegas Strip and passing the Bellagio, Caesars Palace and the Venetian, this 6.12km temporary street circuit brings the celebrities out for an evening of glitz and glamour.
Based in Paradise, Nevada, the circuit features 17 turns and a 1.9km straight – with speeds comparible to F1's fastest circuit, Monza. The average can reach almost 160mph (257kph) around the Italian Grand Prix track.
Just like the inaugural Miami Grand Prix, Las Vegas sought speed on its F1 debut. The organisers were expecting top speeds of 212mph to be reached on its monster back-straight, their estimations not far out, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc topping the speed trap at 350.5kph [217.8mph].
The Vegas event's 1.9km straight dwarfs any other track's. For context, the entire stretch from Baku's 90-degree Turn 16, through the chicane and down to Turn 1 is 2.2km.
To make the spectacle happen Formula 1 bought a 39-acre plot of disused land for $240 million, where a permanent paddock and grandstand was built. Three more corners were added in an amendment to the track, with a new chicane installed.
Turn 1 - A long sweeping left bend, pushing cars to the outside as they hit the throttle.
Turn 2 - Getting on the power, cars will dive back across to the left.
Turn 3 - A long, wide right bend, drivers will scrub a little speed on entry before hitting the accelerator.
Turn 4 - Pedal to the metal into the first straight.
Turn 5 - A 90-degree right turn that may offer late-brakers an opportunity.
Turn 6 - Gradual high-speed left setting up the main technical section.
Turn 7 - A 90-degree left, the slowest point on-track which narrows down on exit.
Turn 8 - Immediate right turn to create a narrow chicane.
Turn 9 - Drivers will need to drive sharply across the track to reposition their cars for this left-hander, running over the kerb and powering onto a short straight.
Turn 10/11 - A high-speed right-left chicane requiring a slight lift.
Turn 12 - Jump on the brakes, hit the apex on this 90-degree turn and blast off down the Las Vegas Strip. A key corner.
Turn 13 - A left-turn the drivers will barely notice as they reach speeds of 212mph or more.
Turn 14 - Big slowdown for a sharp left turn with an important exit.
Turn 15 - Immediate kink right as the track narrows again.
Turn 16 - This left turn tests drivers' positioning and entry-speed before getting up to speed.
Turn 17 - The flat-out final right-hand bend that slingshots drivers over the finishing line.
Thursday 21 November and Friday 22 November schedule TBC
Saturday 23 November
Race: 10pm [6am 24 November UK]
The Formula 1 website is asking fans to leave their email address to be notified when ticket sales for the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix open. It will be interesting to see whether the shock and criticism over some of the 2023 prices trigger a re-think.
From 2023's "Champions Club" hospitality package worth $11,0079, to the $5million Caesars Entertainment five-day GP package, which included Adele tickets, VIP paddock passes and a Rolls-Royce rental, the Las Vegas Grand Prix unleashed a whole new level of expense on the F1 fanbase.
Seating options at the Vegas GP are all situated between the pit-straight and Turn 10, though fans with general admission can wander to different parts of the circuit to view the action.
From the grandstand in the East Harmon Zone, fans will have a perfect view of lights-out, action in the pits and the high-speed run through Turn 17 and down to Turn 1. Across the track, attendees with hospitality tickets will enjoy an up-close-and-personal experience in the Paddock Zone.
The South Kaval Zone will offer a view of the 20 cars speeding out of Turn 3 and 4 before accelerating down the first straight, while the North Kaval Zone looks over the latter part of the high-speed section.
The MSG Sphere Zone might be the best vantage point for wheel-to-wheel action, with the slow Turn 6, 7 and 8 facilitating some fascinating racing.
One of the finest tickets may well come in the form of a hotel room, with the famous Bellagio Hotel and Caesar’s Palace giving guests a perfect view of the action from above.
Fans will have no trouble finding a route to the track upon arrival in the United States, so long as they book in advance.
You can pick from four airports, the closest being Harry Reid International Airport – just 4.3-kilometres from the circuit in Paradise. Jump onto public transport, a shuttle bus or into a taxi and you'll have no trouble finding the famous Strip.
Getting into town via public transport, the best bet is taking the 108 bus to the Desert Inn stop before switching to the southbound Las Vegas Monorail.
Address: 260 E Harmon Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89169, United States
Lewis Hamilton: "So many people, all the media, everyone’s been so negative about this race and about the show and all that. Just let it be and see how it goes. Great race, this is like Baku but better."
George Russell: "The track was actually a lot better to drive than I anticipated. It looked pretty basic from a track map, but it’s actually got quite a lot of character, a really challenging circuit to drive."
Carlos Sainz: "It’s a decent racing track for racing. For me maybe turn 12 is a bit too dangerous with the wall coming towards you. I think we can do a better shape of that corner, also to improve the racing because it’s very difficult to follow."
Without doubt, the most scathing criticism came from Max Verstappen, who made it clear upon Formula 1's first visit to the Las Vegas Strip Circuit that the glitz and glamour was not for him, calling the Las Vegas Grand Prix "one per cent sport, 99 per cent show".
