RTL Today – Las Vegas Grand Prix: F1 pursues its American dream with a new GP

Scheduled for November 2023, the next Grand Prix will take place on a Saturday evening, at night, along the hotels and casinos of Vegas.

« It’s an incredible moment for Formula 1 that demonstrates the enormous appeal and growth of our sport with a third race in the United States. Las Vegas is a destination known around the world for its excitement, hospitality, thrills, and of course, the famous Strip »the most famous street in the city which will be taken, welcomed the CEO of F1 Stefano Domenicali in a press release from Formula 1, the promoter of the championship.

The 6.12 km long circuit will feature 14 bends and three straights, with top speeds estimated at more than 342 km/h, according to the organisers.

The United States has already hosted a GP in Austin, Texas since 2012. On May 8, a second GP on American lands will see the light of day in Miami, Florida.

The arrival of this new race « highlights the enormous enthusiasm and enthusiasm of the United States for Formula 1 »at a time when discipline « continues to grow its global fan base »said Formula 1. Las Vegas had already hosted two F1 Grands Prix in 1981 and 1982.

« It’s a city entirely dedicated to partying, it’s going to be difficult for the drivers to concentrate all weekend »had fun the seven-time British world champion Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), in a video published by Formula 1. “It will take a two-week break before and after”also joked defending champion Max Verstappen (Red Bull), impatient like the other drivers to compete in Vegas.

If there have already been three GPs in the United States in the same season, in 1982 with Long Beach, Detroit and Las Vegas, the announcement of this new race comes at a time when the 2022 calendar includes a record total of 23 Grand Prizes.

If several of the races contested this year are not yet guaranteed to be on the 2023 calendar – in particular the GP of France – Stefano Domenicali had assured earlier in March that there is « potential to go up to 24 » Grand Prix per season.

With the growing interest of local organizers to host F1, Domenicali had even assured during an interview with Sky Sport « that there is potential to go up to 30 » races.

And to add: « in addition to America, in addition to China, I think there is also potential to be in Africa soon »where the last GP dates back to 1993 in South Africa.

At the expense of European races? The Concorde Accords governing F1’s governance and revenue distribution currently limit the number of races per season to 24.

AUDIENCES ATTRACT RACES

Along with Asia and the Middle East, the United States currently represents one of the priority markets for the single-seater world championship, itself being controlled by the American group Liberty Media, which acquired the commercial rights to F1 in 2017, ending 40 years of reign of Briton Bernie Ecclestone.

The arrival of a third American GP in 2023 therefore further marks F1’s desire to establish itself in the land of IndyCar and NASCAR, where the series produced by Netflix « Formula 1: Drive to Survive » is enjoying great popularity. success since its launch in 2019.

The races broadcast in the land of Uncle Sam today testify to the growing interest of the public: the hotly contested 2021 season between Hamilton and Verstappen gathered an average of 934,000 viewers per race… i.e. 54% more than in 2020 – and well above the previous audience record set at an average of 748,000 in 1995.

On the circuits, if F1 already has an American team with Haas since 2016, its compatriot Andretti Autosport would now also like to join the grid from 2024.

Michael Andretti, owner of the eponymous team evolving in IndyCar in the United States, would have according to his entourage made a request at the beginning of 2022 to the International Automobile Federation (FIA) to join the championship.