AT FULL SPEED

Formula One grand-prix racing is coming to Las Vegas; let the festivities begin.

It’s still months until the Las Vegas Grand Prix is held but the winner is already obvious: the hospitality industry. One Wall Street boffin after another has proclaimed Formula One racing to be the big-ticket item in Sin City this year or next … yes, even bigger than Super Bowl 2024, to be held at Allegiant Stadium. Formula One, meanwhile, revs its engines on Nov. 16-18 and promises to be a lucrative yearly tradition for the entertainment business.

For the race itself, most of the Las Vegas Strip will be converted into one giant straightaway, from The Venetian Resort and Treasure Island (see map) to Planet Hollywood. From there, the course takes a hard left on Harmon Avenue, wraps around Virgin Hotel Las Vegas and the newly constructed

By David McKee

“paddock zone” in Virgin’s back yard. Heading north on the Koval Lane back stretch, racers will slingshot around the MSG Sphere and pass Wynn Las Vegas on their way back to Venetian, 50 times around. May the best driver win.

A long, winding road

This isn’t Las Vegas’ first dance with Formula One. Such races were held in 1981 and 1982, but the spectacle didn’t stick. Organizers are clearly hoping that the 2023 iteration is different, especially in a Vegas that no longer relies upon gambling as its primary source of revenue. The Grand Prix will return in 2025, and again and again through 2032, having been green-lit by the Clark County Commission.

The third Grand Prix of the 2023 racing circuit (after Miami and the

United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas), the Vegas one will traverse a temporary, street-hugging track. Not only will this be the first season with three Grand Prix events in the U.S., the Las Vegas tourney will be the 1,10th race in World Championship history. While Grand Prix racing (particularly to viewers of the eponymous film) is synonymous with the casino town of Monte Carlo, why let Monaco have all the fun?

The 14-corner racecourse will offer many more thrills than the old days, when racing was confined to the Caesars Palace parking lot. Bringing Formula One back to Las Vegas was the brainwave of promoters Emily Prazer and Chloe Targett-Adams. As they prowled the Las Vegas Strip, it struck them as the perfect venue for Formula One action.

That was in 2019. Several years would pass before the idea came to fruition, largely because Formula One was fixated upon its Miami event, which bowed last year. But during the Covid-19 pandemic, as Formula One looked to patch together a viable series of races, Las Vegas started looking more and more attractive.

Enter race-franchise owner Liberty Media, which took it upon itself to cut through Clark County red tape and sell Sin City on the idea of Formula One excitement. CEO Renée Wilm lobbied the local powers that be over an extended period of time, wearing down resistance. It didn’t hurt that Liberty was a major player in U.S. sports (owning the Atlanta Braves baseball team) and radio.

Once she had the community’s go ahead, Wilm began planning, headquartered in a Wynn Las Vegas suite. A forested, 39-acre plot of land was purchased and cleared. This would become the site of the Las Vegas Grand Prix’s permanent paddock. She survived the dropout of concert organizer Live

Nation. Originally intended to be a copresenter of the race, Live Nation has fallen back into its accustomed role of providing concerts and parties.

That wasn’t all. The racecourse had to be excavated and resurfaced with a special, two-inch racing surface, something for which the county is expected to pony up an additional $40 million. The repaving project is anticipated to have a mid-September finish, leaving just enough time to get the course ready for the turbulence of race tires.

A citywide extravaganza is being teed up for Formula One weekend, headlined by local resident attractions Blue Man Group and the many troupes of Cirque du Soleil. Vegas-synonymous chef Wolfgang Puck will also be curating the culinary offerings for select grandstands.

A luxurious experience

Seeing the spectacle won’t come cheap. Pack some krugerrand: A threeday pass will set you back as much as $10,000. However, in return for that lavish outlay, you’re promised treatment fit for a king. The key grandstand offerings break down as follows:

The Paddock Club. Even at 15 grand a pop, this select preserve has already sold out. In addition to exclusive access to the club itself, patrons are assured access to the opening ceremonies, concierge service, transportation (never to be undervalued in Las Vegas) and a “commemorative ticket box,” just for starters. Meanwhile, above the Main Grandstand you will find a…

Skybox. This will set you back a mere 10 grand. Occupants are promised “prime views of the start and finish line.” In a nod to the city’s history, the Skybox will be fitted out in styles designed to be reminiscent of the Rat Pack era. Live music and speciality cocktails will also be on tap, as will a dedicated service manager. Unlike other grandstands, your ticket to the Skybox gives you four-day access.

Koval Hospitality Zone Grandstand

Priced at $8,000, this experience is bifurcated between the Neon and Legacy zones. The first emphasizes partying, with live entertainment and “over-the-top” cocktails available to patrons. Legacy occupants get to meet Formula One legends in the flesh and will enjoy a prime view of the track, as this box puts the emphasis on the race proper, along with “unique and interactive activations.” Some gaming companies freely admit they’re still getting their Grand Prix ducks in a row. Such would include Caesars Entertainment, which recently announced viewing areas that include…

Club Paris ($5,500). Alexxa’s, Beer Park and Chateau Nightclub & Gardens at Paris-Las Vegas will be unified to create this experience, right at the heart of the racecourse. Your three-day ticket covers all food and drink, including special “action stations” serving premium, favorite dishes from Alexxa’s. The trackside terrace of Beer Park offers interactive games, food trucks, street food, beer, wine and cocktails. And inside Chateau Nightclub you’ll find disc jockeys spinning platters, as well as a custom-made lounge wherein you can enjoy passed hors d’oeuvres and desserts.

Heinken House ($8,000). From the defunct Neon nightclub has arisen this tribute to the famous Dutch beer. Racing takes a back seat to nightclubbing, as DJs do their thing and assembled party animals shake their collective booty. In addition to premium cocktails and interactive premium food stations, Heineken products will be at the forefront. Oh yes, the three-story Heineken House is promised to provide breathtaking terrace views of the Koval Straightaway.

Club SI ($7,000). It wouldn’t be a major-league sporting event without Sports Illustrated. The magazine and lifestyle brand is sponsoring “immersive” entertainment that includes celebrity guest appearances, popular DJ performances and panels. There will be not one but two VIP areas from which to view the race, as well as premium cocktails, “top-shelf” appetizers and food stations for the lucky elite.

Something for every budget

Prices drop dramatically at the Main Grandstand, which costs $2,500 over four days. What’s more, non-alcohol drinks are free and you’ll have assigned seating overlooking the East Harmon Zone. Who says you can’t get a bargain in Vegas anymore?

Not quite so much of a bargain is the East Harmon Zone Grandstand—$2,500 for only three days. But patrons also get free food and non-alcoholic drink, as well as assigned seating at a prime corner of the raceway. Similar amenities and benefits are on offer at the MSG Sphere Zone Grandstands, whose price tapers down to $2,000 for three days. Ditto the West Harmon Zone Grandstands, which have the same value proposition at $1,500 a head.

There’s even something for the Great Unwashed, namely General Admission, which goes for only $500 for three days. Get into shape: It’s standing-room only, with a view of the MSG Sphere Zone. At least the booze-free drinks and food are comped.

Going above and beyond in extravagance, there is the Wynn Grid Club, which offers the only five-day tickets. Details are a bit vague at this point, but your money buys you a year-round Club membership as well as admission to the opening ceremonies, comped “all-inclusive” (read: alcoholic) F&B, and the coveted commemorative ticket box.

With all that party-hearty entertainment on tap, we hope that the actual Formula One race won’t be an afterthought for spectators. But if it is, given the copious F&B, as well as the musical diversions onstage, thoroughly booty-shaken visitors will be forgiven if the three days in November are one high-speed blur.