{"id":240426,"date":"2023-07-10T08:17:10","date_gmt":"2023-07-10T06:17:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rtrsports.com\/the-las-vegas-grand-prix-f1s-biggest-boldest-move\/"},"modified":"2026-10-05T16:47:57","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T14:47:57","slug":"the-las-vegas-grand-prix-f1s-biggest-boldest-move","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rtrsports.com\/en\/blog\/the-las-vegas-grand-prix-f1s-biggest-boldest-move\/","title":{"rendered":"The Las Vegas Grand Prix: how F1 built its most American race"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Las Vegas Grand Prix is the race where Formula 1 does not just sell a slot on the calendar: it promotes the event itself. It has been run since 2023 on the Strip street circuit (6.201 km, 17 corners, 50 laps) on Saturday night; in 2026 the weekend is 19-21 November. Liberty Media, F1’s owner, has invested more than 500 million dollars in land, track and paddock, and in June 2026 the contract was extended by ten years, to 2037. The cumulative economic impact claimed is 3.2 billion dollars, but economists dispute how it is calculated.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Updated in October 2026.<\/em><\/p>\n

Nine minutes. That is how long the first free practice session in the history of the Las Vegas Grand Prix lasted, on the evening of Thursday 16 November 2023: Carlos Sainz ran over a water valve cover that had come loose and badly damaged his Ferrari. Spectators were cleared from the grandstands and the second session finished at four in the morning, local time. It was the opening of a race that had cost more than 500 million dollars, and it looked like the prelude to a failure. Three editions later, all sold out according to the organisers, F1 has signed to stay in Las Vegas until 2037. What happened in between says a great deal about how the relationship between sport, entertainment and marketing is changing, and about what a sponsor can buy.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Why Las Vegas: Liberty’s move<\/h2>\n

The rule in F1 has always been that a city that wants to host a Grand Prix pays Formula 1 the fees. In Las Vegas the model is reversed: F1 organises the race and risks the capital. Liberty Media bought a 39-acre plot for 240 million dollars, built the circuit and a permanent paddock (about 300,000 square feet, which hosts events all year round and serves as its American base), and according to its chief financial officer spent about 435 million dollars, with an estimate approaching 500 million. The expected return, stated before the debut, was revenue close to 500 million dollars and a place among the top five races by profit already in the first year.<\/p>\n

That is the difference from every other round: in Las Vegas F1 sells tickets, hospitality and sponsorship of the event, not just the rights. It is the reason why the naming rights (the race is now called the Formula 1 Heineken Las Vegas Grand Prix), the grandstands, the packages with the big resorts and the suites read as products of a company that organises a show.<\/p>\n

The race in numbers<\/h2>\n