Las Vegas Grand Prix Challenges

By Dan Holmes Contributor Updated: 09 February 2024

Dan Holmes Contributor

Dan Holmes, a content creator and sports betting enthusiast, brings over a decade of experience to Betting.US. His extensive writing background spans from the internet to prestigious roles at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Dan’s articles, featured on numerous websites, cover various sports, from bowling to disc golf.

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Las Vegas Grand Prix

History of Grand Prix Races in Las Vegas
1982 Caesars Palace Grand Prix
2007 Champ Car World Series Season Race in Vegas
Ticket Prices Too Steep for Average F1 Fan
Las Vegas Grand Prix Controversy
Drivers Have Criticism of Las Vegas F1
References

Race fans are going to see a lot of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The city and Formula One have signed a ten-year contract to hold the race there, amidst the tourists, casinos, and the famed Vegas strip. Las Vegas F1 is going to be a staple of the Desert Oasis.

However, there have been challenges and controversies surrounding the race, which was first held in November of 2023. Many Formula One fans are curious whether F1 sports betting sites will treat this event like it does the other marquee races across the country and internationally.

Las Vegas F1 problems were prominent in the headlines as the city and racecourse organizers worked to bring the 2023 race to fruition. But, in subsequent years, those issues will be minimal, especially since Formula One has an infrastructure in place in Vegas, in the shadows of Caesars Palace, the Bellagio, and other noted gaming and entertainment venues.

History of Grand Prix Races in Las Vegas

The 2023 Grand Prix from F1 was not the first time high-performance race cars have bolted over the streets of Las Vegas. Twice before, the city has hosted important racing events in its neighborhoods and through the Vegas Strip. Now, let’s proced to discuss the first one.

1982 Caesars Palace Grand Prix

The 1982 Caesars Palace Grand Prix ^[1] was a pivotal event in Formula One history, held at the iconic Caesars Palace circuit in Las Vegas on September 25, 1982. The race marked the end of the Formula One season and witnessed a dramatic battle for the championship between Keke Rosberg and John Watson.

The Caesars Palace circuit, known for its tight layout and challenging turns, provided a unique backdrop for the championship showdown. Keke Rosberg, driving for the Williams team, held a narrow lead over Watson in the points standings. As the race unfolded, tensions ran high, with both drivers pushing the limits to secure the championship.

The event took an unexpected turn when Rosberg faced mechanical issues, forcing him to retire from the race. This opened the door for Watson, who seized the opportunity and drove a brilliant race to finish second. The performance catapulted him to second place in the overall championship, narrowly missing out on the title, as Rosberg (fifth in the Las Vegas Grand Prix that day) won the crown.

The winner of the 1982 Las Vegas Grand Prix was Michele Alboreto, who was strapped into a Tyrrell-Ford. The ’82 race in Vegas was the final F1 competition for former champion and racing legend Mario Andretti.

The 1982 Caesars Palace Grand Prix has a unique place in Formula One history as a thrilling conclusion to the race season. The intense competition, the challenging circuit, and the unexpected twists made it a memorable event. While Rosberg ultimately claimed the season championship, the race showcased the unpredictable nature of motorsport and the resilience of the drivers who competed at the highest level.

2007 Champ Car World Series Season Race in Vegas

Though not an F1 race, the 2007 Vegas Grand Prix was an important race for its organizers, and for the city to show that it could gather the resources to host a large racing event in its streets. The circuit for the 2007 Las Vegas Grand Prix came in at a little under 2.5 miles, and consisted of relatively few turns or sharp turns. The race was a 68-lap competition.

Will Power, from Team Australia, took the checkered flag, followed by Robert Doombos, an American racer. Former three-time champion Sébastien Bourdais, the biggest star in the event, suffered tire problems and failed to complete the race. In all, eight of the 17 entrants did not finish the 68 laps. The following year, the Champ Car World Series merged with the Indy Racing League, which brought an end to a Las Vegas race.

Ticket Prices Too Steep for Average F1 Fan

Months before the race, Las Vegas Grand Prix controversy was already stirring. That’s because general admission tickets were going for $500, which is roughly 10 times what is paid for many other Formula One races. “I would love [it if] everyone could have the option to attend”, said Alpha Tauri F1 team driver Daniel Ricciardi.

That was just the start of the astounding pricing. The most expensive tickets were in excess of $10,000, and hotels/resorts in Vegas were offering packages for high-rollers for as much as $1 million. Quickly, the Las Vegas Grand Prix became associated with the upper tiers of the economic strata, a luxury only the mega-wealthy could afford.

Las Vegas Grand Prix Controversy

Tickets for F1 races have often led to controversy. The high sums for such tickets are often criticized by racing fans. One month prior to the race, one ticketing site had their cheapest tickets priced at $1,600 ^[2]. Tickets for the practice session on Thursday prior to the race were $999.

However, the cost of tickets for this Las Vegas F1 was just the start of the controversy surrounding the sporting event. On Thursday, during the practice runs of F1 cars, the machines barely made an appearance. A group of fans have filed a civil lawsuit against race organizers because they claim the Las Vegas Grand Prix failed to deliver the competitive event promised due to “negligence” ^[3].

Several fans were forced to leave the race course during qualifying because the organizers felt the circuit was not safe for the drivers to test their cars. In addition, a loose manhole cover popped out of the street and damaged the Ferrari driven by Spain’s Carlos Sainz Jr ^[4]. That incident caused a delay of nearly an hour while fans stewed on the circuit sidelines.

The first series of qualifying and test runs by cars days before the race lasted a total of nine minutes before fans were hurried away from the route. The lawsuit is filed on behalf of 35,000 fans who purchased tickets for the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Only three US cities host F1 races: Las Vegas, Miami (annually as the Miami Grand Prix), and the annual Circuit of the Americas, which was held in Austin, TX last October.

Drivers Have Criticism of Las Vegas F1

John Legend and Kylie Minogue headlined the star-studded opening festivities for the Las Vegas Grand Prix in November, but that glitz was quickly replaced with grimaces from spectators and some of the participants themselves. The criticism includes harsh words from the 2023 F1 champion, who didn’t appreciate being displayed on a lavish stage during the opening ceremonies on Wednesday before the race, in what many felt was a made-for-TV spectacle.

“I don’t like all the things around it”, said Max Verstappen, the Belgian-Dutch driver for Red Bull’s F1 team. “I’m looking forward to trying to do the best I can, but I’m not looking forward to [the Las Vegas Grand Prix hoopla]. For me you can skip these kind of things, it’s just standing up there, you look like a clown”.

Most damning, Verstappen called the initial F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, “99 percent show and one percent sporting event” ^[5]. Ouch. However, Verstappen didn’t reserve his critique of F1 problems in Las Vegas to the entertainment portion of the event. The man who won 17 of the first 20 races of the 2023 Formula One season, also had harsh words for the circuit.

“I don’t think it’s all that exciting”, Verstappen said. “A street circuit is not very exciting, especially with these new cars… Of course the scenery will look great, driving on The Strip, but the layout itself is not the most exciting. In F1 cars it’s a lot more fun with high speed corners, and [on the Las Vegas Grand Prix course] there are not many high speed corners.”

However, some racers defended the event. “The sport continues to grow”, said Mercedes F1 team driver Lewis Hamilton, one of the most popular racers in the sport. “It is a business, and you will see good racing [in Las Vegas]. We needed to have at least two races in the U.S., one wasn’t enough, and this is one of the most iconic and unique cities that they have here”.

An amazing new downtown structure also became a topic of discussion ahead of the F1 race in Las Vegas. “The Sphere” is a large oval structure measuring more than 360 feet high that serves as an entertainment venue. But the most dynamic thing about the Sphere are the 580,000 square feet of LED displays that cover the object.

The Las Vegas Grand Prix circuit traveled past the Sphere, which worried some drivers because of the distraction of the LEDs. Ultimately, the Sphere agreed to not display red, green, or yellow LEDs during the race, so as not to confuse the drivers. “If I saw a big red ball on there”, said driver George Russeel of F1 Mercedes, “I’d be backing off thinking it was a red flag”.

References

1982 Caesars Palace Grand Prix, Wikipedia, Retrieved January 16, 2024
Solis, Jacob, (October 8, 2023), With Las Vegas F1 tickets costing thousands, who will fill the grandstands?, The Nevada Independent, Retrieved January 16, 2024
Taranto, Steven, (November 18, 2023), Formula One fans file class-action lawsuit against Las Vegas Grand Prix after being kicked out of practice, CBS Sports, Retrieved January 16, 2024
(November 17, 2023), F1’s Carlos Sainz crashes into Las Vegas drain cover in blow to his Ferrari and Formula 1’s return to the city, CBS News, Retrieved January 16, 2024
(November 16, 2023), Max Verstappen: Las Vegas GP ‘99% show, 1% sporting event’, CTV News, Retrieved January 16, 2024