How Can F1 Fix Its Vegas Image?

The Strip race is meant to dazzle yet year three and it still looks like set-up week.

In case you’re new to Vegas and F1, here’s the backstory.

The first time Formula 1 roared into Las Vegas was back in 1981, with the Caesars Palace Grand Prix turning a hotel parking lot into a makeshift circuit. The race returned in 1982 before disappearing for more than four decades. Then in March 2022 the Las Vegas Grand Prix deal was announced: starting in 2023 the Las Vegas Grand Prix made its debut with a splash: more than 316,000 fans attended and a global TV audience of 59.3 million, generating nearly $1.5 billion in economic impact.

The race was originally contracted for a three‑year stint (2023‑25) via the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority’s annual $6.5 million sponsorship. In August 2025 the deal was extended through 2027, with the LVCVA committing $10 million per year for the 2026 and 2027 events, and both parties signalling they intend this to be a long‑term fixture.

Every September, I stock up on patience. That’s when the F1 circus rolls into town.

Grandstands sprout in front of the Bellagio fountains like unwanted weeds. Lighting rigs snake up the Strip like a bad hangover. And traffic? Forget it.

By November, the chaos peaks. The race roars for three nights. Then… crickets. Or rather, cranes. Because it takes until damn near New Year’s to scrape the asphalt scars off our boulevard. For an event that lasts less than a week? That’s not spectacle. That’s sabotage.