Will there ever be a sprint race in Las Vegas? 'Would create nervousness'
Red Bull Content Pool
F1 News
The organisers of the Las Vegas Grand Prix have stressed they are happy with hosting a traditional Grand Prix weekend, rather than a sprint race weekend. They believe adding a sprint could create a lot of nervousness.
With the addition of the Las Vegas Grand Prix in 2023, there are now three races in the US per season. In 2024, both Miami and Austin hosted a sprint race. This sees jut one practice session, followed by qualifying for the sprint on a Friday afternoon. The sprint race takes place on Saturday morning, with traditional qualifying and Sunday's Grand Prix taking place in their usual slots.
Will Las Vegas host a sprint F1 weekend?
The Las Vegas GP is already being held on Saturday night (local time). Formula 1's Chief Commercial Officer Emily Prazer is quoted by Reuters about the possibility of hosting a sprint in Vegas. "I think one of the big takeaways from last year is how insanely good the racing was. We're quite comfortable letting Austin and Miami keep the sprint, because we've got so much more happening anyway and we're in a really good place," she said.
"I think adding a sprint would also create a nervousness of, can we fix the track fast enough if something was to happen?," she added. Last year, Carlos Sainz hit a drain cover, which ended up cancelling the first free practice session.
The 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix starts the final part of the Formula 1 season. Max Verstappen can secure the title in America. He currently has a 62-point lead over Lando Norris with three Grand Prix and one sprint race remaining.
This article has been created in collaboration with Corwin Kunst