Given the average speed and complexity of the track, the Las Vegas Grand Prix believes a sprint event would not fit the schedule.
Last year’s inaugural event saw Max Verstappen win under 90 minutes, despite being significantly slowed by multiple safety car interventions. The track, which offers an average speed of 150mph in qualifying, is one of the fastest venues on the calendar and F1 and LVGP chief commercial officer Emily Prazer said this was one of the reasons it was unlikely to join the other two US rounds as sprint events.
“The race itself essentially feels like a sprint race,” Prazer said. “So if you think about the speed you’re going, from a safety standpoint, how fast is that? [in time] Based on how fast the track is and last year’s performance, there probably won’t be much of a difference between an actual race and a sprint. We’ve seen it.
“One of the biggest takeaways from last year was how great the racing was. So I think we’re pretty comfortable giving Austin the green light. [Circuit of The Americas] Miami maintains its sprint. Because there’s a lot more going on anyway and it’s in a really good position. We are adding support races and hope to continue to do so for years to come.”
Prazer pointed out that the large number of track openings in the Las Vegas street circuit layout creates challenges for shorter sprints.
“I don’t think people understand the complexities of this race and other distance races,” Prazer said. “I think there are about 46 track openings. People don’t realize the complexity of it compared to other Grands Prix. Add in sprints, and the complexities of Vegas and even Singapore will create nervousness about whether something can happen fast enough to fix the track.
“I was in Singapore for the race and I spoke to the promoter and they said, ‘We don’t understand how to open and close the track the way you do.’ They closed the road for seven days. Can you imagine our council closing the roads for seven days? That will literally never happen.”
Due to the nature of Las Vegas, there are strictly limited times when city streets can be closed for racing. Andrew Ferraro/Motorsports Images
The race itself was the penultimate round of last year’s Formula 1 season, and although there are still two events left this season after Las Vegas, Verstappen could be on the verge of a fourth drivers’ title and crowned champion. Although the date may change in the future, CEO Renee Wilm said keeping it separate from Miami was an important consideration given its similar target market.
“I think there may always be room for optimization as we rethink the calendar in the future, but where we sit in the calendar right now is a very exciting time,” Wilm said. “that [third] The final race is a great time of year for a sort of bookending, with Miami finishing first and Las Vegas finishing last.
“We are glitzy and glamorous, like Miami. I think it’s a good thing that separates us from the calendar. Austin is a very different market. It is the heart of America. It’s the cowboy boots and the American flag, which I think brings out a different demographic of fans. So I don’t think the problem is that we’re too close. Because we actually lead to different types of experiences.
“One of the great things about Formula 1 is that it celebrates all the regions we race in. The United States is a pretty big country and the three regions are very different regions.”
