2023 will see Las Vegas host the 3rd American Grand Prix of the season. Sin City returns to F1’s calendar for the first time in nearly 4 decades since the 1984 Caesars Palace GP, and this return has got everyone hyped.
The 2023 Las Vegas GP will be the penultimate round of the championship. The race will be held on the neon-lit streets of Vegas. Which means we could see the cars race on the iconic Las Vegas Strip.
Vegas’ addition to the F1’s list of venues was a more strategic choice. In recent years F1 has seen a spurt in the sport’s popularity in the USA. F1 decided to commit to their American crowd by delivering a race in an extremely popular location.
LEWIS HAMILTON.
LAS VEGAS STRIP.
WOW. WOW. WOW!#LasVegasGP #F1 @LewisHamilton pic.twitter.com/MSWUjd6xXY
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 6, 2022
Although the race is looked upon more or less like a marketing endeavour by the sport. But the 2-time world Champion Mika Hakkinen believes the sport made a wise choice by choosing the city as a location.
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Las Vegas GP to generate a bigger fanbase for F1 in the US
The growth F1 has seen in the United States over the last few years has prompted the Las Vegas GP. The sports focus has shifted from Europe and the Middle East to the Americas, resulting in three regional races in a year.
F1 is unbelievably popular nowadays, and the USA is now the biggest market for F1. In fact, Mika Hakkinen claims Americans are finally catching up with the sport after numerous attempts to popularise it.
Hakkinen recalls, “There have been so many efforts in the past to make Americans understand what F1 really is. And finally, they are starting to understand. They are excited about F1.”
Tensions were running high between the Team Principals at this group meeting 😅
Drive To Survive Season 5, now streaming on @netflix 📺
#F1 #DriveToSurvive5 pic.twitter.com/Tonx3pxANa— Formula 1 (@F1) February 27, 2023
A big catalyst in F1’s popularity boom is Drive To Survive. The Netflix Docu-series has propelled the sport’s popularity and generated a cult following for F1 in the US. Mika added, “The Netflix show introduced a whole new picture about F1. That it’s about people, not fancy cars driving around. ”
Vegas is the place to be, says Hakkinen
Las Vegas GP was carefully curated by F1 to grow its fanbase. Vegas is an important city and is the Entertainment capital of the US. The city is well known for its glitz, and casinos make it a great venue to race at.
Hakkinen reasons, “For Americans, Las Vegas is an important place. It’s full of superstars, musicians and magicians.” Hakkinen knows that the presence of these stars during race weekend matters for the race to be a commercial success.
Grand Prix in Las Vegas Strip, big Netflix shows… #F1 nowadays is a whole different sport compared to what it was +30 years ago when I drove my first GP in Phoenix. It’s different in USA and different everywhere.
And in my opinion… it’s great! Elvis will be played🎶 pic.twitter.com/xTwQWC1Ixr
— Mika Häkkinen (@F1MikaHakkinen) February 27, 2023
Mika added, “Las Vegas is the place to be. And going there makes F1 a star too. That’s why F1 needs to go to Las Vegas. I’m sure it’ll bring more glamour into F1.”
The race is set to remain in the F1 calendar until 2032. The race is also estimated economic impact exceeding $1 billion. F1 has also invested $500 Million in building its new 300,000 square-feet headquarters at the strip. This shows that the city is key in the sport’s future plans.
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