The world of Formula 1 and motor racing boasts a number of phenomenal tracks, all with their own unique layouts. Some are built specifically for racing events, but some utilise certain roads in larger cities, with those roads being shut off for the duration of the event with proper fencing and barricades.
This is a fairly large undertaking, as can be seen from tracks like the Circuit de Monaco, where a large portion of the city’s winding and narrow roads become the track for the Monaco Grand Prix.
As many F1 fans will know, next year will see the introduction of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, with their new track winding through the Vegas streets and past some iconic buildings at night. But what can we really expect from this intriguing new addition to the sport? Here’s what we can safely predict.
Celebrities
As we’ve seen with some of the more popular races, such as Silverstone, we get to see lots of famous faces roaming around during the grid walk, and this is often one of the most intriguing parts of the day for some.
Watching Ted Kravitz and Martin Brundle from Sky Sports hastily seek out legends in the world of F1, and unexpected celebrities is a humorous and exciting experience that has become almost a tradition in Formula 1.
One thing that has become apparent is that American celebrities aren’t used to this treatment and naturally don’t know who these pundits are. The first Miami race saw these F1 icons getting snubbed at every turn, leading to some awkwardly chaotic yet entertaining pre-race coverage which made the whole event that much more fascinating.
The chances are that we’re going to see some very similar responses from the celebrities attending the race in Las Vegas, and many will be there simply as a media stunt.
Will any be interested in talking to the regular pundits from the world of F1, or will there be lots more disinterested and confused faces as Brundle approaches them expectantly? We can safely guess what the answer is.
A Party Atmosphere
For those who will actually be there in person, you can expect to enjoy the incredible party atmosphere that Las Vegas offers. Casinos, live music, clubs, bars, and other entertainment venues make up the city, and this never stops.
From the early hours of the morning well into the night, Vegas is a city that is always on. This will truly be an insane, once-in-a-lifetime experience for the average F1 fan to attend, and we’re certain there will be some interesting stories coming from the advent of this race.
During the race itself, we’re expecting security to be fairly tight due to the proximity to all of the many partygoers that may not be there to watch the F1 itself, but it’s likely to be somewhat rowdy compared to any other F1 race day, due to the pervasive party mentality that will infect the crowds and possibly even the teams themselves.
If you’ll be one of the many seeking a ticket to enjoy the Las Vegas Grand Prix of 2023, it’s worth making the most of your time there and enjoying the Las Vegas lifestyle alongside the Grand Prix.
After all, the event will be taking place at night, and you’ll have lots of time to kill. Hitting the casinos will likely see you brushing elbows with some major celebrities during the weekend, and you’ll want to make sure you get some practice which you can do via www.onlinecasinos.co.uk.
Sprint Race
A new feature in Formula One is sprint races, which take place on certain Saturdays. It’s been confirmed now that there will be a total of six different sprint races in 2023. This was confirmed by the World Motor Sport Council, comprising officials from the FIA and certain other reps in the world of F1.
If you don’t know what a sprint race is, it’s simply a shorter, intense race held before Sunday’s main event, which will decide the final grid for the Grand Prix. This moves qualifying back to Friday, and the results of this will determine the grid for the sprint race.
The sprint races are designed to go for around 100km, so naturally, lap numbers will vary between different sprint races. However, it’s generally a third of the number of laps than the main race, give or take a few, as the main Grand Prix is a 300km distance.
The main purpose of a sprint race is to make things somewhat more exciting for fans, shaking up the grid and giving fans much more value for their money.
Because of this, it makes sense that this could take place in Las Vegas, especially for their first race. Not only that, but a faster, more chaotic sprint race is much more attuned to the American racing culture.
A Tight Championship
The 2022 championship was decided fairly early, with “Super Max” absolutely dominating the competition. The Red Bull team, with the talented and calculating Christian Horner at the helm, are going from strength to strength, with nobody seemingly being able to contend with them. However, as F1 fans will know, things can change very quickly between seasons.
Take Hamilton’s awful performance this year after being close to winning his eighth championship just a year ago. This year he has sat relatively low on the table due to the many issues Mercedes have had with their cars and potentially a lack of drive and motivation from the once-great driver.
Of course, with Mercedes finally getting to grips with the issues their cars were experiencing and with Hamilton’s motivation again getting back to normal levels, he’s again getting into the top five spots regularly.
Sadly, for Hamilton, this was too little too late, as Verstappen has absolutely cleaned up this year with a whopping 14 Grand Prix wins already.
However, after the slight controversy regarding Red Bull’s pay cap, in which they will pay a $7 million fine and will receive a 10% reduction in their aero research, as well as the resurgence of the Mercedes team, 2023 may be a much tighter championship than ever.
