“A perfect marriage” – Las Vegas and Formula 1 proving to be a good match

Fittingly for a city known as the Marriage Capital of the World, the arrival of Formula 1 in Las Vegas marked the beginning of a memorable union, with race organisers already planning for year three.

The Las Vegas Grand Prix burst onto the 2023 F1 calendar with the glitz and glamour that is always associated with Sin City and, after initial teething problems involving a loose drain cover, produced a race to remember with more overtakes than any other round of that season’s championship.

A tough act to follow, but last year another thrilling race saw a Mercedes one-two as George Russell held off the challenge of a marauding Lewis Hamilton to take the victory, while Max Verstappen did enough to be crowned F1 world champion for a fourth successive season.

It was another unforgettable weekend for the sport and Renee Wilm, CEO of the Las Vegas Grand Prix and chief legal and administrative officer at Liberty Media, the city delivered on their difficult second album.

“We learned quite a few lessons in year one. Year one was a fantastic event but being able to talk to all the stakeholders throughout the sport, receive their feedback, we think really elevated the event in many ways,” she told Autosport.

“From a race operations perspective, we changed the timing of the event such that free practice and qualifying all started at that 10pm start time, the same as the race itself – we felt that that really provided a benefit to the teams and the drivers to even out their schedule.

“It was also beneficial to the local stakeholders in that the fans who came to enjoy our event were then able to head back and enjoy. Then the other thing that we did quite differently going into year two was our product mix.

“We did not have enough general admission tickets by far in year one, and we heard loud and clear from our fanbase that we needed to increase the number of available general admissions and that is something we delivered.”

Having iconic locations and landmarks as part of the weekend experience is all well and good but Vegas has also been able to deliver great races, with Ferrari Challenge added as a support race in 2024 and F1 Academy joining the schedule from this year.

That too, is key for Wilm and her team while the Grand Prix Plaza is due to open this Spring, giving F1 a year-long presence in Las Vegas.

“As the rights holder of the sport, it was so important to us that we were not just creating an incredible spectacle and a fan event, but that we also stay true to the core of the racing excitement that Formula 1 is known for,” added Wilm.

“So being able to see the track that we designed from scratch come to life in a way in year one, with the most overtakes of the season, reaching speeds well over 200 miles an hour right in front of the iconic Bellagio fountain, bringing the excitement again in year two – these were all just incredible sporting opportunities that really highlighted just how fantastic a track we have.

“So not only do you have the iconic Las Vegas strip behind the track, which makes it an incredible spectacle to view, but to hear the drivers talk about how much fun our track is to drive was incredibly rewarding.”

Las Vegas is the third and final race hosted in the United States over the course of the current F1 calendar, but Wilm feels its own distinct character means its impact on the sport in not lessened by the earlier rounds in Miami and Austin.

Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24

Photo by: Ferrari

“I think one of the really special things about Formula 1 is that we celebrate the culture of every geography in which we race,” she added.

“Although we now have three US races, the United States is a very big country, and it is so culturally diverse.

“So having those three US races, with distinct personalities, where you have the Latin vibe in Miami and you have the heartland of America in Austin, and then for Las Vegas, obviously the home of glitz and glamour in North America, which is that perfect marriage with the speed and glamour that is Formula 1.

“We really do focus on identifying the specific personalities of each geography and then leaning in to celebrate that culture.”