An organiser of the Las Vegas Grand Prix has insisted the race is only focussing on itself after criticism around the United States hosting three races in 2023.
Las Vegas joins the Formula 1 calendar a year after the first Miami GP as another US city track, but with a South African race falling through and the iconic and historic Spa at risk of losing its place in F1 beyond 2024, some fans have questioned one country hosting three races.
“We’re going to prove it, we’re not really concerned about the other races,” Brian Gullbrants, COO of Wynn Resorts North America, said when asked by Total-Motorsport.com. “We’re concerned about Las Vegas and we’re happy to be there.”
The Wynn Las Vegas hosts the ‘Million Dollar All-Access Experience’ – billed as offering ‘personally curated race weekend offering unprecedented access’ from start to finish.
The $1 million package offers six people a hot lap of the track with an F1 driver, pit lane access and plenty of VIP mingling over four nights in Sin City.
But with so much focus on the glitz and glamour of the weekend, the grand prix has also faced criticism around its affordability for normal – not million dollar – fans.
Hosting the race in such a busy city means there’s very limited space for grandstands, with only 1,800 tickets released at the cheapest price point of $500.
There’s plans for 30,000 more tickets even cheaper than that, with the catch that fans won’t actually see the track, they’ll be watching on big screens within earshot of the race.
However, the organisers speaking at Silverstone assured the media that they have catered for fans on every budget from entry-level to luxury.
Other F1 tracks have welcomed us
Gullbrants‘ comments came alongside three other key organisers of the event, with the focus very much on the bright lights of Las Vegas. ‘We have more champagne and tequila than anywhere else in the world’ was one of their brags, and it’s clear their aim is to make it the biggest party in F1.
“There’s plenty of demand for three races in the US and they’ll be geographically distributed and they’re all going to be sellouts, so we’re thrilled to be part of that,” said Steve Hill, CEO and President of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
“All of us have been to a number of races, there’s a little bit of a family around Formula 1. The other races have been exceptionally helpful, exceptionally outgoing in helping us learn from them so we really appreciate the collaboration we’ve got.
“There’s a little bit of competition, it’s kind of like these guys, they know what’s good for Las Vegas is good for each of them, so we all go together to bring things to Las Vegas, it seems like it’s the same in Formula 1. So we look forward to looking with those races to help elevate the entire sport.”
