Las Vegas Grand Prix seen as 'test bed' for F1 future

Las Vegas Grand Prix chief Emily Prazer has referred to the event as a ‘test bed’ for future F1 events.

Since its reintroduction in 2023, the Las Vegas GP has suffered some teething issues, including multiple lawsuits from local residents and business - three of which have been dismissed ahead of the 2025 race - and complaints on how affordable the event is.

President of the Las Vegas Grand Prix and F1 Chief Commercial Officer Prazer has admitted that the event remains a 'test bed' in its infancy, but argued it has given her team confidence to try new things in a bid to make the Las Vegas GP the best it can be.

"Vegas gives the sport, particularly me and my team, the confidence to try a few different things because it’s almost like everyone agrees anything is acceptable in Vegas…it’s affectionately referred to as the test bed," she told Sector.

"We’ve gained some confidence in the programming around the event and making sure that you get real value for money. We felt really good about the operational delivery of the event last year. This year we’re making a splash again.

"Partnerships are now driving the show, everyone is seeing Vegas as an opportunity to showcase themselves in a slightly different way."

Is the Las Vegas GP affordable?

While an event on the Las Vegas Strip does not appear as accessible to ordinary fans as the likes of Silverstone or Spa, F1 have reviewed their ticketing to ensure pricing reflects the type of spectators attending the Las Vegas GP.

Since 2023, more general admission tickets have been made available, and Prazer further explained: "We repositioned the packaging and the prices to reflect who’s coming.

"You can buy your $25,000 really expensive ticket for your high roller, but we’ve got $100 tickets to make sure that everyone can show up.

"Thursday night, you can come for $50. No other race on the calendar is doing a $50 ticket.

"Vegas typically is a last-minute market and we needed to do cheaper tickets for the locals and make sure it’s really accessible. Our ticket sales are pacing roughly 50 per cent ahead of this time last year."

Hotel prices have also decreased compared to the previous two years of the Las Vegas GP, with the Las Vegas Review Journal reporting the prices of hotels for all budgets - although this price decline is attributed to the 43-day US government shutdown.

Prazer is certainly aware of the disruption caused to local residents and how this may be perceived by the world’s media, and has attempted to make the grand prix a permanent feature in Las Vegas.

"We now operate the year-round building for around 300 days a year," she concluded.

"It has taken the burden off the idea that we’re just a three-day expensive event. F1X and F1 Drive have really helped with communication with the casinos - they’re seeing that we’re growing our ecosystem outside of it (the race).

"The year-round building has also really helped with the community because we can do things with them week in, week out."

REVEALED: How much does a hotel for Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend cost?

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