FBI join security efforts for F1 Las Vegas GP

The FBI will be joining the security efforts for this weekend's Las Vegas Grand Prix in preparations for F1's return to the thrilling street track.

The Las Vegas strip will host a championship race weekend for a third consecutive year after the event was first introduced to the sport's ever-growing calendar back in 2023.

The inaugural Las Vegas GP was won by Max Verstappen, who will be looking to continue his trend of positive trips to Nevada after last year's race also marked the site where he claimed his fourth back-to-back title victory.

Heading into this year's grand prix, the reigning champion is still mathematically in contention for the drivers' championship, but it is McLaren driver Lando Norris who leads the standings with a 24-point advantage over his team-mate Oscar Piastri, and a 49-point lead over Verstappen.

Though excitement may have only just begun to build this week ahead of the final three rounds of this year's campaign, the FBI's security preparations for the event have been ongoing all year, with many months of training helping to ensure that the local authorities' multi-agency approach runs smoothly this weekend.

F1 fans set for airport screening ahead of Las Vegas GP

Special Agent in Charge Christopher Delzotto spoke to Fox5 ahead of the 2025 Las Vegas GP, revealing the extent of the FBI's safety precautions both at and around the track this year.

“There is confidence that we are prepared and ready to go no matter the situation,” he said.

Though Delzotto has only been in the position for a few months, he reassured that the FBI have been coordinating training with local, state and federal enforcement partners since the very first Las Vegas GP back in 2023.

“We have our monthly leadership staff involved with monthly meetings with all our law enforcement partners at the local state and federal level," he added.

“We have also done table top exercises where we run through different scenarios and how would we react to those so when it’s game time we aren’t talking it through for the first time.”

“When we are talking about an event as big as F1 or a bomb threat it really doesn’t matter what uniform you put on, which agency you work at, it’s public safety."

He also revealed that travellers coming in to Harry Reid International Airport would be subject to screening for potential threats, meaning any F1 fans travelling to the race could be set to be checked for any history of criminal activity and connections to foreign terrorist organisations.

FBI Las Vegas will operate five different command posts during the 22nd round of the F1 championship, including one which will be dedicated to monitoring social media threats.

“A large portion of complainants we receive during big events are online threats, we screen those we leverage those,” Delzotto revealed.

With road closure plans in place all week in the run up to the on-track action, a final walk through of the track set to be carried out by the FIA this week.

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