AFP / Los Angeles, United States
Forty years later, the city of Las Vegas (Nevada) will once again organize a Formula 1 Grand Prix in the 2023 season, adding a third test in the United States along with those in Miami and Austin.
“The race will take place on a Saturday night in November on the famous Las Vegas Strip, passing through some of the world’s most legendary venues, hotels and casinos,” Formula 1 said in a statement on Wednesday.
Las Vegas has already hosted two Formula 1 Grand Prix in 1981 and 1982.
This designation is further proof of the growing popularity of Formula 1 in the United States, a country that already has IndyCar and Nascar motorsports.
The Miami Grand Prix (May 8) will premiere this year on the Formula 1 calendar, while the Austin Grand Prix (October 23) has been held since 2012.
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“This is an incredible moment for Formula 1 and demonstrates the enormous appeal and growth of our sport with a third race in the United States,” said Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.
“Las Vegas is a destination known throughout the world for its enthusiasm, its hospitality, its emotions and, of course, the famous Strip,” said Domenicali, referring to the emblematic avenue full of hotels and casinos.
In Las Vegas, the drivers will complete 50 laps of a 6.12 km night circuit, with 14 curves and three straights, reaching top speeds estimated at more than 342 km/h, according to the organizers.
The announcement of this new test comes when the calendar for the 2022 season already includes a record 23 Grands Prix.
Although several of the races that take place this year are not yet guaranteed their continuity in 2023 -especially the French GP-, Domenicali had advanced in early March that there is “potential to reach 24” Grand Prix in one season.
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Given the growing interest they receive, Domenicali went so far as to say in an interview with Sky Sports that “there is the potential to reach 30” races.
According to the executive, “in addition to America, in addition to China, there is also potential to be in Africa soon,” where the last test dates back to 1993 in South Africa.
Currently the agreements governing the governance and distribution of F1 revenues limit the number of races per season to 24.
Audience Boom
Along with Asia and the Middle East, the United States is currently one of the priority markets for the single-seater world championship, controlled by the American group Liberty Media.
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The group acquired the commercial rights to the competition in 2017, ending Britain’s Bernie Ecclestone’s 40-year reign.
The arrival of a third Grand Prix in the United States in 2023 thus marks F1’s desire to establish itself in the land of IndyCar and Nascar, where the Netflix-produced series “Formula 1: Drive to Survive” has been a huge success. since its launch in 2019.
Formula 1 audiences have also been growing in the North American country. The 2021 season, with the fast-paced battle between the British Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) and the Dutchman Max Verstappen (Red Bull), attracted an average of 934,000 spectators per race, 54% more than in 2020.
On the circuits, F1 has already had an American team, Haas, since 2016, and now Andretti Autosport also aspires to join the grid from 2024.
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