F1 feels at home ahead of 3rd annual Las Vegas Grand Prix

The Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix returns this week for its third year, this time with far less drama in tow.

The lead-up to the race has been quiet compared with last year and especially than during the inaugural 2023 race, which saw nine months of infrastructure work leading up to and following the race.

Lawsuits against F1 and Las Vegas area officials largely tied to traffic impacts from the 2023 race have also been settled or dismissed after race organizers worked with small businesses within the race’s footprint.

Less noise

With less controversy and a focus on mending its relationship with the Southern Nevada community, Las Vegas Grand Prix president and CEO Emily Prazer said F1 now feels at home in the area.

“You’re seeing more structure around the organization now that we’ve been here awhile,” Prazer said. “We understand how we should be giving back and fitting in. Our intent was always to be part of the community; it just took us a bit to do that. Our intent is to be here as long as we’re welcome and as long as the LVCVA and others will have us. We want to create a legacy and be a part of the community.”

Steve Hill, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority president and CEO, said that everything involved with the race heading into year three is tracking to be a smoother process using lessons learned from the first two editions.

“(This year’s race) from every metric that we use, whether that’s how it works for Formula One itself, the economic impact in Las Vegas, the reduction in logistics issues for the community, being able to get people to work when they need to go easier,” Hill said. “All those things seem to be in place. Everybody is real optimistic that the race has reached a point of real maturity this year.”

Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones, who also chairs the Regional Transportation Commission board of directors, agreed with Hill and applauded the work that has been done to improve race infrastructure work and community relations.

“I think they worked out the kinks from the first year, and things are running smoothly,” Jones said. “Obviously, we’re still looking at all of the small-business owners to make sure that they get the support that they need. We’re excited as the county to be working with F1 to make sure it’s a successful event and bringing lots of folks from around the world to enjoy our city.”

Ticket sales

Ticket prices to this year’s race were reduced on average by 30 percent, aimed in part at attracting more residents who may have shied away from the first two races over the cost. Ticket prices have risen since the initial launch and unlike years’ past, they will not be lowered during race week.

“Tickets, we have already exceeded where we ended last year, which is positive,” Prazer said. “We will not be lowering ticket prices, because everything has been yielding up. We started with a lower base price this year instead of dropping them at the end. We actually raised prices, so people who bought early were incentivized to do so.”

Multiple spectator zones have already sold out, including the Hello Kitty grandstands, the Turn 3 Club, Gordon Ramsay at F1 Garage and the Paddock Club, Prazer said.

To bring prices down, some areas that included all-inclusive food and beverage service have been switched to pay-as-you-go options, which was a direct result from feedback from attendees from the first two races.

Earlier start times

Racing will kick off two hours earlier than in the previous two years, with F1 action scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. each night, as opposed to 10 p.m. in 2023 and 2024.

“We took the lessons that we learned that it was just too late for the teams, the drivers, the staff working the event, and the customers were complaining a little bit,” Prazer said. “We wanted to get the feedback to make sure we made the right decision. From a broadcast perspective, we expect to have more viewership from the East Coast, which is something that was a high demand item. A lot of our fans on the East Coast we’re asking for it, they want to stay up and watch it. And Vegas is the best after party destination in the world, so we wanted make sure that everybody has the opportunity to go back to the casinos, nightclubs, etc.”

The 50-lap race will take place on the same 3.8-mile circuit, mainly comprised of public roads including Las Vegas Boulevard, Koval Lane and Harmon and Sands avenues.

Roads within the circuit will close each day of the race at 3 p.m. and are planned to reopen at midnight after Thursday and Friday and at 2 a.m. Sunday following the race Saturday night.

Championship up for grabs

On the racing side, three drivers remain in contention for the individual championship. McClaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri standing No. 1 and No. 2 respectively in the standings, with Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen sitting in third.

The Constructors’ Cup, or the team championship, has already been decided, with McClaren winning it in early October, after gaining an insurmountable lead over the competition.

This year also marks the first time the F1 Academy will serve as the support race for the weekend. The all-women series began in 2023 and is aimed at developing the next woman F1 driver. The series features one driver for each F1 team and seven more drivers from teams from seven F1 Academy partners.

“It’s very exciting,” Prazer said. “It’s the series finale. We’ll be crowning the F1 Academy champion.”

Fan zone entertainment

After a glitzy opening ceremony and over-the-top entertainment options in 2023, race officials toned down the entertainment a notch for the 2024 race. That was a concerted effort to allow F1 to maximize race weekends and smooth out infrastructure work to make it less disruptive.

With the infrastructure schedule greatly reduced from 2023 to this year’s race, F1 has bolstered its entertainment schedule and includes acts in more areas than last year’s race. That includes headliners Zedd, MGK, T-Pain, Dillon Francis, Shaggy and BandAbba, in addition to a slew of local acts that are usually performing at venues across the Strip and a yet-to-be-announced Disney addition.

“This year, I think what you’ll find is all of the operational excellence of Terry Miller (who leads the race setup and teardown efforts) and in addition to we’ve leaned into, not only the stag entertainment where you see what we’re doing at the T-Mobile Zone (Sphere), but a massive focus on the local talent,” Prazer said. “What you’ll find in all of the zones, in addition to what you’ll see on the stages is we have other pop-up areas. Where you’ll see the likes of Cirque Du Soleil, Blue Man Group, the Jabbawockeez, Piff (the Magic Dragon), Awakening. The list is as long as my arm with everybody coming and performing.”

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.