There are two types of F1 fans: those who started following the prestigious motor sport before the premiere of Netflix’s wildly popular series Formula 1: Drive to Survive – and those after. I for one, am an admitted bandwagon-jumper, but no matter which camp fans fall into, the recent announcement that Las Vegas will be joining the FIA Formula One World Championship in 2023 is an exciting one.
With the exception of Montreal, Austin, Mexico City and São Paulo, the racing calendar plays out beyond the borders of the Americas. The addition of the Miami Grand Prix (debuting this May) and Las Vegas in the year to follow bring F1 closer to home, allowing Canadian fans to watch live in their time zone and perhaps even realize dreams of attending a race in-person.
Date & Time: When will Formula 1’s Las Vegas Grand Prix take place?
© Artistic impression by Tilke Design and Architects | Depicted: Bellagio (foreground), Caesars Palace (hinter)
The official race weekend has not yet been announced. As of this article’s publish date, organizers have only disclosed the race will “be on a Saturday evening in November 2023.”
However, in late March, Front Office Sports reported the event is slated for American Thanksgiving, citing an unnamed source with inside knowledge. That information was subsequently picked up and reported in an article on ESPN.com.
Formula 1 race weekends typically follow a Friday practice–Saturday qualifying–Sunday race day format. The Las Vegas Grand Prix will not follow the traditional schedule – a departure from regular programming that hasn’t happened since 1985 in South Africa. What’s more, fans should expect a late start: 10 p.m. PST.
Stefano Domenicali, president and CEO of Formula 1, remarked it was the “perfect time and perfect slot for this event.”
North Americans watching from eastern provinces and states may disagree, but such a late start still accommodates European fans tuning in during the morning hours. (And really, who goes to bed early in Las Vegas?)
In any case, once dates are announced, no doubt the first race to take place will be fans booking travel arrangements.
What will the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix circuit look like?
Formula 1 | Las Vegas Grand Prix circuit map
The Las Vegas track design measures 6.12 kilometres from start to finish with top speeds estimated to hit 342 km per hour. There will be 50 race laps with three main straights and 14 corners, including a highspeed cornering sequence and a single chicane section. The circuit will feature two DRS zones and drivers will race in an anticlockwise direction.
Technicalities aside, the race will take place along the Las Vegas Strip, passing famous landmarks, hotels and casinos. Since it’ll be “lights out and away we go” once the sun drops below the desert horizon, the race will be splendidly backlit in neon.
“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 Domenicali. “Las Vegas is a destination known around the world for its excitement, hospitality, thrills, and of course, the famous Strip. 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.”
Which resort-casinos will be closest to Las Vegas’s F1 circuit?
© Artistic impression by Tilke Design and Architects | Depicted: The Venetian Las Vegas
Hotels and resorts along the circuit will include:
Planet Hollywood Las Vegas Resort & Casino
Paris
Bally's Las Vegas Hotel & Casino
The Cromwell Las Vegas Hotel & Casino
Flamingo Las Vegas Resort & Casino
Harrah’s Las Vegas
The Linq Hotel & Experience
The Venetian Las Vegas
The Palazzo at The Venetian Resort
Treasure Island Hotel & Casino
The Mirage
Caesars Palace
Bellagio Resort & Casino
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
Wynn Las Vegas is also track-adjacent (and one of the event's founding partners), though the curved shape and directional orientation of the tower does not lend as much track visibility as other properties along the Las Vegas Strip.
Note to travellers: at this time, properties do not allow guests to secure hotel bookings more than a year in advance. Any attempt to book will result in a false start.
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