Yahoo Autos Sprint race not on the cards for Vegas GP due to logistics
The Las Vegas Grand Prix does not believe a Sprint event would suit its schedule given average speeds and the complexity of its track.
Last year’s inaugural event was won by Max Verstappen in under 90 minutes, despite multiple safety car interventions that slowed the pace significantly. With the track offering an average speed of 150mph in qualifying, it is one of the fastest venues on the calendar and F1 and LVGP chief commercial officer Emily Prazer said that’s one reason why it is unlikely to join the other two American rounds with Sprint events.
“The race in 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] to how quick the track is, there wouldn’t be too much difference between the actual race and the Sprint, based on the performance from last year. We did look at it.
“I think one of the big takeaways from last year is how insanely good the racing was. So I think we’re quite comfortable letting Austin [Circuit of The Americas] and Miami keep the Sprint, because we’ve got so much more happening anyway and we’re in a really good place. We’re adding support races and hope to continue doing that over the next few years.”
Prazer noted that the large number of track openings on the Las Vegas street circuit layout also present difficulties for a shorter Sprint.
“I don’t think people understand the complexity of this race versus other street races,” Prazer said. “I think we have around 46 track openings — people don’t realize the complexity of that versus any other grand prix. Adding a Sprint would also create a nervousness of, can we fix the track if something was to happen fast enough, because of the complexity of Vegas versus even Singapore.
“I was in Singapore for the race and chatting to the promoter and they were like, ‘We don’t understand how you open and close the track the way you do.’ They keep the roads closed for seven days. Can you imagine us, the council keeping the roads closed for seven days? It would just literally never happen, ever.”
The nature of Las Vegas keeps a tight limit on the amount of time the city’s streets can be closed for racing. Andrew Ferraro/Motorsport Images
The race itself was the penultimate round of the Formula 1 season last year, and while there are two events still to follow Las Vegas this season it could crown a champion with Verstappen on the verge of a fourth drivers’ title. Although the date could move in future, CEO Renee Wilm says keeping it separate from Miami is a significant consideration given their similar target markets.
“I think there could always be room for optimization as we rethink the calendar in future years, but right now, where we sit on the calendar is a very exciting time,” Wilm said. “It is the [third] to last race, and it is a very good time of year in terms of kind of book-ending with Miami at the beginning and Las Vegas at the end.
“We are a lot of glamor and glitz, as Miami is, and having us separate on the calendar I do think is a good thing. Austin is a very different market. It’s the heartland of America. It’s cowboy boots and American flag and I think it brings in a different demographic of fan. So I certainly don’t think it’s a problem that we’re so close, because we really do bring out a different type of experience.
“One of the great things about Formula 1 is that we celebrate every geography that we race in. The U.S. is a pretty big country, and these are three very different geographies.”
