Why the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix Could be a High-Stakes gamble for Formula 1

 Abstract

The addition of the Las Vegas Grand Prix to F1's 2023 calendar is a sign of the new approach Liberty Media is bringing to the sport, but even if fans love the idea, will it really be a good choice for Formula One? Or will it just be a high-stakes gamble?

The 2023 F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix

After an absence of 41 years, the Las Vegas Grand Prix is back on the Formula One calendar. Since the announcement in March 2022 and the confirmation at the start of the season, everyone has been looking forward to seeing the most advanced pieces of motorsport racing through the streets of one of the most iconic cities in the United States. Both fans and shareholders love this return that will match glamour and racing in a sort of Monaco’s vibe.

The last Grand Prix held in Las Vegas, dated in 1982, saw the first win of Michele Alboreto and the crowning of Keke Rosberg as a world champion but it was also marked by many critical points relating to the structure of the circuit (concrete walls and high-speed corners) and the high temperatures (in the 1981 race Nelson Piquet fainted from exhaustion just after the race). Safety was not a priority at the time, but even by their standards the circuit was considered unsafe by many drivers.

All these circumstances, together with the lack of interest from the fans at the time and the economic situation of the city in the 1980s, led Formula One to leave this idea in the closet until this season.

The dark side of the 2023 F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix

Although it is certainly a good idea in terms of revenues and for the fans, the return of Las Vegas to the F1 calendar may not be a wise decision for the sport. There are two reasons for this:

-The track,

-The weather.

The first issue has to do with the layout of the track, which, like all the last circuits added to the F1 calendar, is a street circuit surrounded by barriers, just like the Jeddah circuit in 2022. The mention of this circuit is not a coincidence, they are really similar in some aspects and in that edition of the race we saw the crash of Mick Schumacher that just showed how this kind of circuit are unsafe for drivers, even with all the safety standards that Formula One cars have got today.

The second problem has to do with the weather. The race will start at 10 pm with a forecast temperature of between 5 and 10 Celsius degrees (from 41 to 50 Fahrenheit degrees), a temperature that will not be enough to generate heat for the tyres and therefore the drivers could easily lose control of the cars and make more mistakes. In addition, the tyres could also behave unpredictably, with much more graining and a higher risk of puncture due to the thermal stress they will be subjected to.

These two aspects will come together in one of the main areas of focus for the FIA and Liberty Media, which is driver safety. It is important to emphasise how much the mix of track layout and temperatures can affect driver safety, with tight walls, high speed corners and a lack of grip all potentially putting drivers in dangerous situations.

Will The Las Vegas high Gp be a High-stakes gamble?

Even if the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend is not started yet, this is the best time to think about it and about all the possible outcomes to understand if the choice to come back in Vegas is a really a high-stakes gamble that will pay off or not.

There have been many tragedies in the history of F1, dark pages of motorsport that have taken away some of the bravest drivers. Most of the time, this tragedies could have been avoided if a decision had been made beforehand. Of course, nobody wants to see injuries (or worse), but when you look at the background of this Grand Prix, the safety concerns must be really high.

There is also the possibility that this Grand Prix could end like the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa in 1969, when the race was cancelled for safety reasons. Although this may seem an unbelievable scenario, in the hypothesis that the cars will not have any grip due to the low temperatures, it is the only reasonable solution to avoid safety risks and prevent a repeat of the 2006 Indianapolis debacle.

In conclusion, it is clear that the Las Vegas Grand Prix will be a turning point for the future of Formula One. if all these concerns remain so, we will probably see more races like this and we will all acknowledge the great management decision made by the Circus. On the other hand, if this high-stakes gamble fails, FIA and Liberty Media will have to rethink their approach to the Formula One calendar and about the sport in general.