F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024 - The Essential Guide

Whether you love it or hate it, the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix is just around the bend (pardon the pun). While many cannot wait for the F1 spectacle to begin, others are dreading the disruption and chaos that it brings to the Las Vegas Strip.

Las Vegas Grand Prix backstretch, being enjoyed by the Sphere. (Image: courtesy of F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix)

There’s no doubting the Las Vegas Grand Prix is an awesome sight. The best drivers in the world, racing the fastest cars ever built through the bright neon Sin City backdrop is simply stunning to watch.

But, in order to put on such a good show, there’s a knock-on effect in terms of accessibility and traffic that impacts casinos, resorts, and Vegas visitors who just want to gamble or sight-see.

With that in mind, we’ve pulled together everything you need to know about the Las Vegas Grand Prix in one place.

From tickets to timings, drivers to disruptions, here is the full lowdown on the who, what, where and when of the Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024. So, whether you plan to fully embrace F1 or avoid it at all costs, our top tips will show you how.

The Las Vegas Grand Prix forms part of the F1 calendar of events to decide who wins the World Championship. In 2024, there are 24 F1 events in total and Las Vegas is the third-to-last race, or antepenultimate if you want to get wordy.

It's one of six Formula One races held at night. (The others are Singapore, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.) 

The 2024 event is the second Las Vegas Grand Prix on the current track following the inaugural event in 2023. 

F1 and Las Vegas have a 10-year agreement in place that they hope to carry on indefinitely. That will either be good news or bad news depending on which camp you are in.

The Las Vegas Grand Prix has not been welcomed by everyone. 

It’s a big hit with big F1 fans and Big Casinos, sure. However, there are just as many, if not more who claim it's disruptive and costs their businesses significant money ... all while making daily life insufferable in the months before and after the race for people who work on or near the Strip.

It has not yet been confirmed whether the same track will be used for the full 10 years or if another location in Vegas will be sought. However, F1 built a permanent paddock building just behind the Strip for an estimated $500 million last year (on top of land that cost $250 million), so it doesn’t look like they plan to move any time soon.

The Las Vegas Grand Prix takes place from November 21 – 23 with the key events and timings below.

All timings given are in Pacific Standard Time (PST)

In between the F1 main events, the Ferrari Challenge Support Race Series will also be taking place on the same track over the three days. This is made up of one practice event, one qualifying round, and two races. Grand Prix ticket holders will be able to see both events.

F1 Las Vegas is a global event - as global an event as the city has ever seen. Here is what time you will need to tune in to be able to watch the start of the race. 

• 23 Nov 10pm - Pacific Time (PST)
• 23 Nov Midnight - Central Time (CST)
• 24 Nov 1am – Eastern Time (EST)
• 24 Nov 6am – UK (GMT)
• 24 Nov 7am – Central Europe (CET)
• 24 Nov 14.00 – China (CT)
• 24 Nov 17.00 – Australia (AEDT)

(Image: courtesy of F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix)

The Las Vegas Grand Prix circuit is 6.2 km (3.8 miles) long, 12 – 15 meters wide and incorporates iconic Las Vegas landmarks along the route. The track is the second longest in F1 and drivers will complete 50 laps in a counter-clockwise direction.

The circuit has 17 corners, 3 straights, 2 DRS zones, a maximum uphill slope of 2% and a maximum downhill slope of -3.5%. The maximum speed is 366kph/227mph.

The most impressive stretch of the circuit is a 1.9km straight down the Las Vegas Strip passing famous casino resorts such as Venetian, Caesars Palace, Flamingo, Paris, Bellagio and Cosmopolitan. The route also includes a loop around the spectacular Sphere attraction.

Ten F1 teams have two drivers each, giving a total of 20 drivers competing in the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

A full list of competitors is below, and while there are many big names in the line-up, the spotlight is firmly on the top two.

Last year's winner Max Verstappen criticized the race as "99% show and 1% sporting event" before he took the checkered flag singing "Viva Las Vegas" over his radio. (Image: courtesy of F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix)

The world title duel between Red Bull's Max Verstappen and McLaren's Lando Norris could all be put to bed in Las Vegas if Verstappen can clinch a consecutive Sin City win.

The Dutchman pulled off a surprising victory in Sao Paulo last time out, and with only three rounds to go, he could clinch his fourth successive world championship title if all goes to plan in Vegas.

The only thing that could stop him is if Norris can outscore Verstappen by three points or more. So that’s one to look out for

So, let’s assume you’re in the pro Las Vegas Grand Prix camp and want to be involved in all the action on the ground.

There are a mountain of ticket options ranging from general admission and grandstands to clubs and top luxury packages. You can get one-day, two-day or three-day passes and can book anything from basic bleacher seating to the full VIP experience. It all depends on your budget.

Even if you’re staying on the Las Vegas Strip in one of the resorts on the F1 route, it is unlikely you will see the race without an actual ticket unless you’ve paid a premium price for the room. Many visitors last year reported having to watch the race on their TV, even though it was happening just outside.

The cheapest general admission tickets start from $99 for a one-day pass on Thursday, while the high-end packages can go up to $10,000 plus.

For full details of all the main viewing areas and tickets prices visit https://www.f1lasvegasgp.com/tickets/

If you prefer to watch the Las Vegas Grand Prix from the comfort of your home (or from your Las Vegas casino-resort room), then worry not. It is being televised in almost every country across the world.

Here are some of the key territories with the TV channels that have the broadcasting rights.

• US: ESPN and ESPN Deportes
• UK and Republic of Ireland: Sky Sports F1, Channel 4 (highlights)
• Canada: RDS (French), TSN (English)
• Australia: Fox Sports, Foxtel, Kayo
• New Zealand: Sky Sport, Prime (highlights)
• Brazil: BandSports, TV Bandeirantes
• Africa: SuperSport

You can check who has the broadcasting rights in your specific territory by going to F1 Broadcast Information | Formula 1®.

The 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix reportedly generated an estimated $1.5 Billion Dollars in economic value. If correct, that is more than any other event in Las Vegas history, including the Super Bowl. 

According to reports, the average visitor over the F1 weekend spent 3.6 times more than a typical Vegas visitor would spend. However, it must be said there are some questions over the accuracy of these figures. 

Four Las Vegas businesses are currently suing F1 and Clark County for loss of revenue relating to the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix. These are Ellis Island Hotel and Casino, Battista’s Hole in a Wall restaurant, Stage Door Casino and Ferraro’s Ristorante.

Let’s be honest, if you’re not an F1 fan, then visiting the Las Vegas Strip during the Grand Prix weekend is going to be a tad restrictive.

The heart of the Strip is basically handed over to F1, not only over the Grand Prix weekend but also in the weeks before and after the event to an extent.

If you’re visiting Vegas as a tourist, then you will miss out on some key attractions. 

For one, the legendary Bellagio Fountain Show has restricted viewing and access from around eight weeks prior to the event. The front of the fountains is cordoned off while grandstands are erected so you can’t walk in front of them. That means you can only view them from the side or behind, and neither give close to the full effect.

The same is also true of the Venetian outdoor gondola attraction. The lagoon is drained at least three weeks before the Grand Prix to allow for a huge F1 viewing platform to be built. The indoor gondolas are still running as normal though.

The High Roller Wheel at the LINQ is the biggest tourist attraction that is completely out of action for the three days of the race. Meanwhile, the Paris Eiffel Tower attraction is still open, however, if you want to take a ride up during race times, you’ll have to pay $450 for the privilege. 

Las Vegas Boulevard during the F1 race. (Image: courtesy of F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix)

For visitors who enjoy live casino shows and entertainment, some shows are canceled over the weekend and of those that remain, many have reduced shows or different start times.

Canceled shows include: Awakening at Wynn, Shin Lim at Venetian, X Burlesque at Flamingo and Carrot Top at Luxor. Shows with amended schedules include ‘O’ by Cirque du Soleil at Bellagio, Absinthe at Caesars Palace and Mystere by Cirque du Soleil at Treasure Island. It’s a good idea to check your casino resorts website for details.

If you’re in town to gamble, then be aware that several restrictions are in place in terms of pedestrian access over roads, bridges and walkways specifically during race times.

You will not have the flexibility to casino hop as much as usual, plus, security is extremely tight so some areas are completely off limits to non-Grand Prix ticket holders.

Casino players will have no problem gambling in the resort you are staying in. That said, if you’re staying in a resort on the Grand Prix route, then it’s worth checking with your hotel or host about whether you can move freely to other casinos around you. 

The F1 route doesn’t touch the south end of the Strip, so anything south of Park MGM, including MGM Grand, New York-New York, Excalibur, Luxor and Mandalay Bay, will have free access. Similarly, resorts north of Wynn aren’t on the route, so Encore, Resorts Word, Circus Circus, Fontainebleau and The Strat aren’t affected in terms of pedestrian access. This is also true of Downtown Las Vegas, which is completely separate.

Travel and transport is a key talking point with the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Because the race takes place right in the center of the City on, let’s face it, the main access road and tourist hotspot in Las Vegas, it can lead to quite a lot of issues.

Even pre-race preparations cause road closures, traffic congestion, delays and hiked up ride-share costs due to drivers taking longer routes to get anywhere.

It is, therefore, essential that you go fully prepared for inevitable delays and disruptions to usual services.

The easiest way to get anywhere on the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend is walking. That means comfortable shoes, and lots of fluids to keep you fit and able.

Over the race weekend there will be rolling road closures each day before the roads are reopened each morning. Taxis and rideshares are still available but you will likely sit in traffic for long periods of time and prices are therefore higher.

Shuttle buses are available but they are only for ticket-holders who have brought premium packages such as Paddock Club, Wynn Grid Club, and Garage guests.

One option that is still available to visitors is the Las Vegas Monorail and tram services.  The Las Vegas Monorail runs on the east side of the Strip from MGM Grand in the south to Sahara in the north. The stations closest to the F1 route are Horseshoe/Paris, Flamingo/Caesars Palace, and Harrah’s/The LINQ depending on where your tickets are located. The Monorail costs $5.50 for a single ride and $13.45 for a one-day pass. You can also get a three-day pass for $29.95.

On the west side of the Strip, free trams run from Mandalay Bay to Excalibur and again from Park MGM to Bellagio with stops at Aria, Vdara and the Shops at Crystals along the way.

Download the official F1 Las Vegas App to help with transport and directions. It features a detailed digital map and you can create customized routes specific to your current location, end destination and see real time road openings and closures.

If you are in Las Vegas purely for the Grand Prix and want to soak up as much F1 excitement that you can, then basically the Strip becomes your playground.

The different F1 teams set up camp in various resorts and you can go along and see the cars up close, take part in games and events and even do some meet-and-greets too.

For many, the build up to F1 races is just as good if not better than the race itself and Vegas sure knows how to put on a show, so you can expect outstanding fan zones and experiences.

This is a great way to make the most out of the Las Vegas Grand Prix whether you have a ticket or not. Check out the F1 website and each of the teams websites for further information. You can even contact the casino resorts directly to find out what they have planned.