The Strip’s traffic situation is about to look very different between November 16th and November 18th. Grand stands are being installed on the side of the roads, hotels are filling up, and the city is welcoming racing fans from all over in preparation for the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The city will be hosting a round of the 2023 Formula One World Championship, with events going from Thursday, November 16th to Saturday, November 18th.
The Circuit
Many of Vegas’ streets are being prepped for the race, with a large portion of The Strip dedicated to two of the race’s main straights.
Each lap of the circuit will begin at a parking lot near Topgolf before making a hairpin turn to Koval Lane. There’s a 90° turn near the Caesars Forum that connects to Westchester Drive before winding around the new MSG Sphere. After that, it connects with Sands Avenue before turning onto The Strip near the Fashion Show Mall. The circuit then follows The Strip to the area around Aria, before hooking through a series of corners towards Harmon Avenue and back towards Topgolf.
The circuit length is 3.853 miles (6.201 km), with 1.181 miles (1.900 km) of it running down The Strip. The race will take 50 laps, putting the total mileage at 192.656 miles (310.050 km).
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The History
This isn’t the first time Vegas has hosted part of the Grand Prix… but it has been awhile. The last time was the 1982 Caesars Palace Grand Prix, a 2.268 mile (3.650 km) circuit that was situated in the scenic Caesars Palace parking lot. (Wait, seriously?) Yep, the course zigzagged through a series of turns in the parking lot, which, while not exactly extravagant, was meant to attract crowds to Vegas’ still-growing Strip.
Okay, not as exciting as the F1 race… but you get an idea for what The Strip looks like right now.
The 1982 Caesars Palace Grand Prix also marked the first time a country hosted three rounds in the same season. (Italy would later host three races in the same season in 2020.)
The winner of the 1982 Grand Prix was Italian driver Michele Alboreto, with British driver John Watson in second place and American driver Eddie Cheever in third.
The Events
There are a lot of drivers looking to participate in this year’s Las Vegas race. There will be three practices spread across November 16th and 17th. Practice 1 will last from 10:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m on November 16th. Practice 2 will be from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. on November 17th. Practice 3 will be from 10:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on November 17th.
The qualifying session will be from midnight to 1:00 a.m. on Friday, November 17th. The Grand Prix will finally kick off at 10:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 18th.
If you’re looking at watching the events, you’ll have a few options. If you’re hoping to see the events live and in-person, you can buy tickets on the Formula One website. If you’re staying at home—or visiting any of Vegas’ numerous sports bars—the race will be broadcast on ESPN and F1 TV Pro. Otherwise, you can try to find a good vantage point from Vegas’ Strip-facing hotel rooms, or really any other point that offers views of The Strip.
Check the Formula One website for more information on events and event times. Oh, and if you go to the events, write in and let us know what you think!
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