It's official! Formula 1 has announced their newest US Grand Prix in Sin City. I admit, I watched some Formula 1 in the late 90s but kind of fell out of following it...but since becoming a Covid hermit, and stumbling across Netflix's Drive to Survive, I am back in.
Thanks to Netflix's Drive to Survive and the dramatic conclusion to the 2021 season driver championship, Formula 1 has taken hold in the US and F1 is taking advantage of the increased popularity. Over the last few years there has been only 1 US GP at CODA in Austin, but the 2022 F1 calendar will be racing in Miami at the Miami International Autodrome for the first time.
Lets get down to what we came for: the Las Vegas GP...
The track is going to be a high-speed street course that races through the streets of Las Vegas and down the Strip. It will be 3.8 miles long and have an estimated top speed of 212 mph. With 14 corners, 3 straits, and 2 DRS zones the experts are predicting this is going to be low drag, high-speed course like Monza or Spa.
Race Circuit
The race dates have not officially been released, but the rumors are it will be the weekend after Thanksgiving. Also to take advantage of the venue, it will be a Saturday night race 10pm to midnight-ish... That time-frame makes sense because it would be early Sunday morning in Europe and afternoon in Asia and the Middle East. Also how spectacular will it look having those cars racing through all the sights and lights of Las Vegas at night?? Seriously this could be a spectacular race.
Prior to the race they will resurface all the roads that will be raced on to ensure they are smooth and ready for racing, and I cant imagine the amount of lighting and infrastructure they will need to build to accommodate the race. That would be an interesting documentary, behind the scenes of what it takes to put on the Las Vegas GP... Just Saying!
Formula 1 Live Las Vegas Announcement
There is not a lot of information about race specifics since we are still a ways out. I imagine people including myself might be booking rooms. But before you book - one word of warning - last time I looked hotels in Las Vegas do not allow the windows to be opened so if you were expecting to book a room over-looking the strip, it may not be what you where hoping for, but we will wait and see.
One thing is for sure, those of us who have been to Las Vegas and been on the strip know how epic the occasional Lambo or Ferarri sounds when they blaze by. I cant wait to hear 20 F1 cars tearing down the same road - it will be epic.
Best guess course route
I wanted to provide some links to Las Vegas GP resources. Its pretty few and far between but I will add them as I come across them.
https://www.f1lasvegasgrandprix.com
https://joesaward.wordpress.com/2022/03/31/las-vegas-and-formula-1/
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