LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Formula 1 will take over the streets of Las Vegas in November of 2023 for a Las Vegas Grand Prix, the global racing organization announced on Wednesday.
At a press conference at the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas, Formula 1 announced the Las Vegas race and unveiled a course map. The 2023 race is the start of a longer partnership: Formula 1 executives said they've made a three-year deal with Las Vegas, and may keep the races coming longer than that.
It is official. @F1 is headed to Las Vegas. pic.twitter.com/XHspkjjxjk
— Tina Nguyen (@ttinanguyen) March 31, 2022
The announcement came after Formula 1 tweeted a cryptic message earlier Wednesday that fueled speculation about a Las Vegas return.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix will join the FIA Formula One World Championship from 2023 on. F1 is mixing things up a bit with its Las Vegas race, which will take place on a Saturday night.
Gov. Steve Sisolak said an estimated 170,000 people are expected to come to Las Vegas for next year's race, and the economic impact could be as much as $500 million.
"Nobody can do it like Las Vegas."
— KTNV 13 Action News (@KTNV) March 31, 2022
Gov. Steve Sisolak says bringing the Formula 1 Grand Prix to Las Vegas is a "no-brainer." DETAILS: https://t.co/UD9uJLgviT pic.twitter.com/2au5xjafFh
Formula 1 also released a map of the track they're calling "the circuit that never sleeps." A large stretch of it goes right down Las Vegas Boulevard.
Here are the specs:
- The track is 3.8 miles (6.12 km) long from start to finish
- Top speeds are estimated to be over 212 mph
- There will be 50 race laps with three main straights and 14 corners
- The track includes a high-speed cornering sequence and a single chicane section
Take a look at our route through the Nevada Neon ✨#F1 #Formula1 #LasVegasGP @Vegas @WynnLasVegas @MGMResortsIntl @CaesarsEnt pic.twitter.com/Iq9hTfZOm0
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 31, 2022
It's been 40 years since Las Vegas hosted a Formula 1 race. In fact, the first race was held in the 1980s in the parking lot of Caesars Palace in 1981 and 1982. The race failed to draw a big crowd back then, but flash forward 40 years and the major European motor race has seen exponential growth in North America.
Formula 1 has seen a spike in American interest since Netflix released its popular series, "Formula 1: Drive to Survive." Expanding the American fan base is a top priority for the organization, executives said on Wednesday.
"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.," said Stefano Domenicali, president and CEO of Formula 1. "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."
Formula 1 has yet to reveal the exact dates of its Las Vegas Grand Prix.
