F1 confirm they WILL hold Las Vegas Grand Prix next season as racers prepare for Saturday night race along iconic Strip
FORMULA ONE chiefs have confirmed they will hold a race in Las Vegas next season.
SunSport broke the news back in February that the sport’s owners, Liberty Media, wanted to add a third US race to the calendar in 2023 and had selected Sin City.
The race will be held at night on a Saturday – rather than a Sunday – and is likely to be given a slot on November 25th, just two days after Thanksgiving.
The track will see F1 cars race along The Las Vegas Strip, past hotels and casinos in what promises to be one of the most iconic settings on the calendar.
The track design is 3.8 miles long from start to finish with top speeds estimated to be over 212 mph.
There will be 50 race laps with three main straights and 14 corners, including a high-speed cornering sequence and a single chicane section.
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Greg Maffei, Liberty Media President and CEO, said: “Iconic Las Vegas and Formula One, the pinnacle of motorsport, is the perfect marriage of speed and glamour.
“Our confidence in this unique opportunity is evident in our decision to assume the promoter role for the Las Vegas Grand Prix in partnership with Live Nation.
“We could not be more excited to work with our local partners to create a marquee event.
“The potential of Formula One has been well demonstrated over the last several seasons and the Las Vegas GP will only take it to the next level.”
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F1 has attracted a huge following in the US, thanks largely to Netflix’s Drive to Survive series.
The race in Austin, Texas last year was a 400,000 sell-out and this year’s inaugural Miami GP in May is also expected to be a full-house.
Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula One, added: “This is an incredible moment for Formula One that demonstrates the huge appeal and growth of our sport with a third race in the US.
“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 One to race than in the global entertainment capital of the world and we cannot wait to be here next year.”
The Vegas race is a huge shot in the arm after the sport was heavily criticised for racing in Saudi Arabia last weekend.
F1 drivers threatened to boycott the race in Jeddah following a missile attack on a fuel depot just six miles from the track.
Drivers and team bosses are due to meet with F1 chiefs in the coming weeks to discuss the future of the race, which earns the sport around £60million a year.
However, F1 maintains it intends to honour its contract with the Saudis, which is believed to run for another 10 years.
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The Vegas race, plus the return of the China GP next year will swell the F1 calendar to 24 races – the limit currently stipulated by the Concorde Agreement, the three-party contract which binds the teams, the governing body, the FIA, and F1’s owners together.
It means that the French GP will be forced to make way as its contract with F1 comes to an end.