F1 News: Las Vegas Grand Prix organisers drop sprint race BOMBSHELL

Las Vegas Grand Prix

Las Vegas Grand Prix organisers drop sprint race BOMBSHELL

The Las Vegas Grand Prix will not host a sprint race

Jay Winter

Wednesday 13 November 2024 19:58 Updated: 16:12

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Las Vegas Grand Prix organisers have quashed the prospect of adding a sprint race to the city’s high-stakes Formula 1 event anytime soon, asserting that the unique demands of the Las Vegas circuit make the format impractical.

F1 will head to Vegas later in the month for round 22 of the mammoth 2024 season, where Max Verstappen will be hoping to seal his fourth consecutive drivers' championship title.

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Last year's Las Vegas GP was the first to be held in the iconic city for 39 years, and was the inaugural edition of the race in its current format, a street race that passes along the Las Vegas Strip.

2023's special event was won by Verstappen, who was driven off in a limousine after the chequered flag following post-race interviews in front of the iconic Bellagio fountains.

Max Verstappen won the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix

No F1 sprint race for the Las Vegas Grand Prix

Two of the six sprint races in the 2024 season have been on American soil, with Verstappen taking victory in both Miami and Austin.

However, Las Vegas remains focused on enhancing its main event, recently adding a Ferrari Challenge support race to its lineup for 2024.

Despite its unique position as the only grand prix directly organised by F1, the logistics of opening and closing the Las Vegas Strip for the race make additional scheduling demands challenging.

Vegas chief commercial officer Emily Prazer highlighted the difficulties, noting in an interview with various media sources: "We have around 46 track openings that people don’t realise... Adding a sprint would also create a nervousness of ‘can we fix the track if something was to happen fast enough?’"

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The Las Vegas GP, with its city-centre circuit and timed closures on the iconic Strip, stands apart from traditional street circuits.

Prazer compared it to Singapore’s GP, where roads remain closed for an entire week, a scenario she noted would be unthinkable for Las Vegas.

"Can you imagine us and the council keeping the roads closed for seven days? It would just literally never happen," she said.

Prazer concluded that Vegas is "quite comfortable letting Austin and Miami keep the sprint."

If you fancy experiencing the thrills of F1 in person, grab your hospitality tickets to Vegas and any of the remaining grands prix or plan ahead and treat yourself for 2025 by clicking here!

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Max Verstappen Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix