Formula 1The Grand Prix on the iconic Las Vegas Strip had to be the most iconic venue in all of world motorsports.
But according to a new report, the series is reportedly exploring leaving The Strip for another nearby location after constant pushback from Las Vegas residents.
The inaugural race in 2023 ran into several issues, from pricing to the track surface and even the timing of the race itself.
One year later, Alan Snell of LVSportsBiz.com says the race may move off The Strip and to a more favorable location near Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The permanent speedway, which currently has a road course that runs around the outside of the oval traffic, is located about 20 minutes north of The Strip outside the city limits.
Las Vegas residents are demanding Formula 1 move the race off the strip
“LVSportsBiz.com has learned that there is talk behind the scenes of the idea of moving the F1 race from the Strip to the Speedway site,” reports Snell. “Let’s be clear, we are not talking about moving the F1 race to the three-turn, 1.5-mile circuit. Instead, we are proposing that F1 build a track based on the Speedway that could use the venue similar to the F1 event at Dolphins Stadium in Miami-Dade County.”
There are just a few problems with this.
The whole appeal of a Las Vegas race is The Strip. The race is so if not more for the spectacle rather than the competition itself.
There are far more suitable venues for a third F1 race in the United States than Las Vegas, as The Strip is not being used.
In addition, Formula 1 built a permanent paddock on The Strip, which it now uses as its American headquarters.
Finally, there is no incentive for F1 to leave The Strip. It would cost them or the city an insane amount of money to rebuild the LVMS road course. That would be a must before the series could ever host a Grand Prix there.
The Las Vegas Motor Speedway is not at all equipped to host such a large event.
Formula 1 has since denied the claim by Sports Business Journal’s Adam Stern.
.@F1LasVegas denied a hint that there are behind-the-scenes talks about moving the grand prix to Speedway Motorsports’ LVMS in the future, with senior vice president of corporate affairs Lori Nelson-Kraft saying, “There are no behind-the-scenes talks about moving the event.” ” pic.twitter.com/c42UivpTan
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) October 24, 2024
Ultimately, it’s hard to see this report having any legs. If F1 isn’t on The Strip, it wouldn’t be Las Vegas. And if Las Vegas wants an F1 race, it will only be on The Strip.