Formula 1 Returns: The Las Vegas Grand Prix (2023)
2023
- Announced
- March 31, 2022, by Formula 1 with the LVCVA, as a Saturday-night race
- Race date
- Saturday, November 18, 2023, 10 p.m. local start
- Circuit
- Las Vegas Strip Circuit, 6.201 km (3.853 miles), 17 corners
- Race distance
- 50 laps
- Winner
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull), his 18th win of 2023; Charles Leclerc 2nd from pole, Sergio Perez 3rd
- Paddock
- 300,000 sq ft pit building at Harmon Avenue and Koval Lane, with 13 team garages
- Opening-night setback
- First practice was stopped after about eight minutes when a water valve cover failed; second practice started 2.5 hours late
- Earlier Vegas races
- Caesars Palace Grand Prix, 1981 (Alan Jones) and 1982 (Michele Alboreto)
- 2024 race
- Won by George Russell (Mercedes) from pole; Lando Norris set the lap record of 1m 34.876s
- 2026 race
- November 19-21, 2026, race at 8 p.m. Saturday
About
Formula 1 had raced in Las Vegas before, but not on the Strip. In 1981 and 1982 the Caesars Palace Grand Prix was held on a temporary course in the hotel's parking lot; Alan Jones won the first and Michele Alboreto the second. Both races settled world championships, but the events were criticised as lacking character and drew little lasting interest.
On March 31, 2022, Formula 1 and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority announced a new Las Vegas Grand Prix for November 2023, held on a Saturday night through the resort corridor. F1's owner, Liberty Media, promoted the race itself and built a permanent 300,000-square-foot pit and paddock building at Harmon Avenue and Koval Lane, with 13 team garages, which it describes as the largest paddock facility in F1.
Race week opened badly. On Thursday, November 16, first practice was halted after about eight minutes when a water valve cover on the Strip came loose and damaged Carlos Sainz's Ferrari. Every cover along the 1.3-mile Strip section was secured with fast-setting concrete, and second practice started two and a half hours late, after fans had been cleared from viewing areas.
The race itself, on Saturday, November 18, 2023, started at 10 p.m. Charles Leclerc started on pole, and Max Verstappen took a five-second penalty for forcing Leclerc off the track at the first corner but recovered to take the lead for good and win his 18th race of the season. The race has returned every November since; George Russell won from pole in 2024.
What to expect
Grand Prix Plaza, the pit building site at Harmon Avenue and Koval Lane, is open outside race week. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority lists F1X, an exhibit space with race cars and a 4D theatre that simulates a lap of the circuit; F1 Drive, go-karts on a route that includes part of the Grand Prix track; and the Fuel and Fork bar and restaurant with track views. Its 2026 guide calls the site North America's largest F1 attraction, with more than 100,000 square feet of experiences.
The 2026 race weekend runs November 19-21, with practice on Thursday, qualifying on Friday and the Grand Prix at 8 p.m. on Saturday. Expect road closures around the Strip, Harmon Avenue and Koval Lane during race week.
More from the 2020s
Before and after
Good to know
- The circuit was announced in 2022 as about 6.12 km with 14 turns; the version raced is 6.201 km with 17 corners.
- The track uses about 1.3 miles of Las Vegas Boulevard and passes Caesars Palace, Bellagio and The Venetian.
- Its main straight is about 1.92 km long, and average speeds are compared with Monza.
- The 2023 race started at 10 p.m.; the 2026 race is scheduled for 8 p.m.
- Caesars Entertainment, MGM Resorts and Wynn Las Vegas were the race's founding presenting partners.
Questions about Formula 1 Returns: The Las Vegas Grand Prix (2023)
When was the first modern Las Vegas Grand Prix?
The first race on the Las Vegas Strip Circuit was held on Saturday, November 18, 2023, starting at 10 p.m. local time. Max Verstappen won for Red Bull, ahead of Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez. It was Verstappen's 18th win of the 2023 season, and the first Formula 1 race held in Las Vegas since the Caesars Palace Grand Prix of 1982.
Had Formula 1 raced in Las Vegas before?
Yes. The Caesars Palace Grand Prix was held in 1981 and 1982 on a temporary circuit in the Caesars Palace parking lot. Alan Jones won in 1981 and Michele Alboreto in 1982. Both races decided the world championship, but the events did not last.
How long is the Las Vegas Strip Circuit?
The circuit is 6.201 km, or 3.853 miles, with 17 corners, and the race runs 50 laps. It uses Las Vegas Boulevard, Harmon Avenue, Koval Lane and nearby roads, and passes Caesars Palace, Bellagio and The Venetian. It has a straight of about 1.92 km.
What went wrong in first practice in 2023?
On Thursday, November 16, 2023, first practice was stopped after about eight minutes when a water valve cover failed and damaged Carlos Sainz's Ferrari. Officials secured every cover on the 1.3-mile Strip section with fast-setting concrete, and second practice began about 2.5 hours late after fans were cleared.
What is Grand Prix Plaza?
Grand Prix Plaza is the area around F1's permanent 300,000-square-foot pit building at Harmon Avenue and Koval Lane. Outside race week it offers F1X exhibits with a 4D lap simulator, F1 Drive go-karts on part of the Grand Prix route, and a bar and restaurant overlooking the track.
When is the 2026 Las Vegas Grand Prix?
The 2026 race weekend runs November 19-21. Practice is on Thursday, practice and qualifying on Friday, and the Grand Prix starts at 8 p.m. on Saturday, November 21, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Expect road closures around the Strip, Harmon Avenue and Koval Lane that week.