The iconic Las Vegas Strip is known for its heavy traffic, but for one weekend a year, the world’s most popular motorsport takes over.
Many people wonder why this is only the second year of the Las Vegas Grand Prix? Why haven’t they tried it earlier?
From 1981 to 1984, F1 did actually race in Las Vegas, but not how you think. It was held entirely within the confines of the Caesar’s Palace Casino parking lot.
42 years later, the Las Vegas Strip Circuit was designed. It held its maiden race on November 18, 2023, and the first running on the newly designed circuit was won by newly crowned 3-time World Drivers Champion Max Verstappen, driving for the seemingly unstoppable Red Bull Racing.
This year’s event takes place on Sunday November 24 at 1:00 AM EST. A start time that’s certainly late at night.
If you do decide to watch the Las Vegas Grand Prix, you sure are in for a treat. This year’s championship fight is closer than ever, and it can very well be decided in “Sin City”.
Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen has been the incumbent champion since 2021, winning his first championship in a thriller finish that came down to the last race of the season against 7-time champion Lewis Hamilton.
McLaren’s Lando Norris is the only driver who can disrupt Verstappen’s championship hopes, sitting -62 points behind Verstappen.
Verstappen will win his fourth consecutive championship if any of the following happens: he finishes ahead of Norris, if he and Norris both fail to score a point, if Norris doesn’t outscore him by more than two points.
Norris must have the following happen to stay in the title fight: Verstappen retires from the race and Norris wins with the fastest lap, or Verstappen finishes outside the top-10, and Norris wins with the fastest lap.
It will be a valiant effort in Vegas, and history awaits whichever driver comes out on top.
