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Las Vegas Grand Prix organisers drop sprint race BOMBSHELL
Las Vegas Grand Prix organizers have ruled out the idea of adding a sprint race to their Formula 1 schedule anytime soon, citing the logistical challenges of the Las Vegas circuit.
This year’s race will be the 22nd round of the 2024 F1 season, where Max Verstappen will aim to secure his fourth consecutive drivers’ championship title.
This November will mark only the second Las Vegas GP since its return to the F1 calendar after a 39-year absence.
The race, a unique street event that takes drivers through the famed Las Vegas Strip, has quickly become a high-profile stop on the F1 circuit.
Verstappen won the inaugural race in its current format last year, later celebrating by heading off in a limousine after post-race interviews near the Bellagio fountains.
Formula 1 has incorporated six sprint races into its 2024 season, with two held in the United States: one in Miami and another in Austin.
Verstappen won both, yet Las Vegas is choosing to enhance its main event in other ways rather than adopting the sprint format.
For 2024, organizers are adding a Ferrari Challenge support race to diversify the entertainment lineup.
Emily Prazer, chief commercial officer of the Las Vegas GP, spoke with media outlets to explain the decision, noting that managing the Strip’s road closures and the need to reopen them quickly make a sprint race impractical.
Las Vegas, she explained, faces unique constraints as a city-center event, unlike most street circuits.
“We have around 46 track openings that people don’t realize,” Prazer explained, adding that the tight timeline means there’s little room to fix the track quickly if a sprint race caused any issues.
Unlike the Singapore GP, where roads remain closed for a week to facilitate the race, Las Vegas cannot afford extended shutdowns of the Strip.
Prazer emphasized that such an option would be unworkable for the city:
“Can you imagine us and the council keeping the roads closed for seven days? It would just literally never happen,” she remarked.
As the only grand prix directly organized by F1 itself, the Las Vegas GP aims to deliver a memorable experience within its unique urban environment, making the logistics of an additional sprint race even more complicated.
Prazer concluded that Las Vegas is “quite comfortable letting Austin and Miami keep the sprint.”
The Las Vegas Grand Prix will continue to focus on enhancing its main event, inviting fans to experience the race live with hospitality packages.
Looking ahead, spectators can also start planning to attend the Las Vegas GP in 2025.
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