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The Las Vegas Grand Prix is shaping up to be a potential title decider this year, with Max Verstappen of Red Bull leading McLaren’s Lando Norris by 62 points, and just three races remaining in the season.
However, the organizers of the Las Vegas GP have decided not to introduce a sprint race, even though Formula One has experimented with the format at other U.S. rounds, like in Austin and Miami. The sprint race, a shorter 100km event held a day before the main Grand Prix, is intended to provide fans with more on-track action. But since the Las Vegas race already takes place on a Saturday and last year’s race saw more overtaking than any other round, the organizers felt it wasn’t necessary.
Emily Prazer, Formula One’s Chief Commercial Officer, explained ahead of next week's second edition of the night race along the famous Las Vegas Strip that the idea of a sprint race had been considered but ultimately dismissed.
“I think one of the big takeaways from last year is how insanely good the racing was. We’re quite comfortable letting Austin and Miami keep the sprint because we’ve got so much more happening anyway and we’re in a really good place," Prazer said.
While the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin takes place at a purpose-built circuit, and the Miami GP is hosted at the Hard Rock Stadium, Prazer noted that the Las Vegas event has its own unique challenges. She pointed out that the circuit requires the opening and closing of 42 locations throughout the day. “I think adding a sprint would also create a nervousness of, can we fix the track fast enough if something was to happen?” she added.
Reflecting on the logistical hurdles, Prazer mentioned a conversation she had in Singapore with race organizers there, who were in awe of how the Las Vegas team manages to transform the city streets so efficiently. “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,” she said.
Renee Wilm, CEO of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, also expressed confidence in the current calendar placement of the race. With Miami held in May and Austin in October, Las Vegas is well-positioned. “We are a lot of glamour 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,” Wilm said. “It (Austin) is the heartland of America. It’s cowboy boots and American flags and I think it brings in a different demographic of fan.”
Steve Hill, CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors’ Authority, noted that the impact of last year’s race was significant. “November in Las Vegas is typically the eighth-best month of the year, November last year was the second-best month in our history,” Hill remarked.
Here’s the list of drivers along with their respective teams and points:
1. Max Verstappen (Netherlands) - Red Bull: 393 points
2. Lando Norris (Great Britain) - McLaren: 331 points
3. Charles Leclerc (Monaco) - Ferrari: 307 points
4. Oscar Piastri (Australia) - McLaren: 262 points
5. Carlos Sainz Jr. (Spain) - Ferrari: 244 points
6. George Russell (Great Britain) - Mercedes: 192 points
7. Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain) - Mercedes: 190 points
8. Sergio Perez (Mexico) - Red Bull: 151 points
9. Fernando Alonso (Spain) - Aston Martin: 62 points
10. Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) - Haas: 31 points
11. Yuki Tsunoda (Japan) - RB: 28 points
12. Pierre Gasly (France) - Alpine: 26 points
13. Lance Stroll (Canada) - Aston Martin: 24 points
14. Esteban Ocon (France) - Alpine: 23 points
15. Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) - Haas: 14 points
16. Alexander Albon (Thailand) - Williams: 12 points
17. Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) - RB: 12 points
18. Oliver Bearman (Great Britain) - Haas: 7 points
19. Franco Colapinto (Argentina) - Williams: 5 points
20. Liam Lawson (New Zealand) - RB: 4 points
21. Zhou Guany (China) - Sauber: 0 points
22. Logan Sargeant (United States) - Williams: 0 points
23. Valtteri Bottas (Finland) - Sauber: 0 points
