After a 5 year hiatus, in 2012, the United States hosted its first Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas. The Austin, Texas-based race track has since been a regular on the F1 calendar and was the only venue to host an F1 race over the Atlantic.
This was the status quo until Miami joined the F1 calendar in 2022, and this year sees Las Vegas making its debut. The sin city is set to be the 3rd venue in the USA to host an F1 race.
Vegas’s glamour is aimed at making F1 races a spectacle in itself. F1’s owners Liberty Media are focused on making the event a major crowd-puller for years to come.
The race is set to remain on the calendar until 2032. F1 has also poured nearly $500 Million into acquiring 39-acre land to build a pitlane, paddock, and its new headquarters. But the rise of Vegas does not threaten COTA’s prominence.
COTA was built for racing, Las Vegas was not
COTA Chairman Bobby Epstein welcomes F1’s decision to host 3 races in the USA. The US has a large growing fanbase for the sport and has already overtaken Europe as F1’s biggest market.
But the threat of two other races in the USA won’t harm COTA’s charm. Epstein said, “Sometimes competition is good. We can have a lot more as long as there are enough fans. But I believe that we aim to stand out and provide the best experience for the fans.”
Unlike Las Vegas and Miami, COTA is a pure race track. Miami is a street track built around the Hard Rock stadium. While the Las Vegas GP will take place on ht city’s streets, including the infamous Strip.
Apart from F1, the track also hosts MotoGP, NASCAR, IndyCar, the Americas Rallycross Championship, and the American Le Mans Series, among others. And this is what separates it from Vegas and Miami and is sure to attract hardcore racing fans.
Epstein added, “We were built for racing. The strip in Vegas was not necessarily built for racing, but it’s a fun place. It’s an international world-class destination.”
Las Vegas GP can be successful too
The COTA chairman believes all 3 racing venues can coexist on the F1 calendar. And with F1’s mark on the USA growing, there won’t be a single race that would look not match the ratings of the others.
However, he believes COTA will surely continue attracting real racing fans. Las vegas cannot provide this as it’s more of a spectacle. He claimed, “It’s going to make great TV. I don’t know how long people go back and buy tickets for it.”
He added, “Vegas is much more like dinner and a great show, and then probably the casino or whatever you go to. You get a couple of hours of on-track entertainment. We’ll find out if people want more than that because I think they do.”
Epstein believes modern fans want a better experience from races. Thus increasing the need for venues to host concerts and other features to make them more attractive. However, the Austin-based track has already obtained a legacy status amongst American fans which is something the other 2 haven’t.
