Formula 1's eyes have been on Las Vegas for years, but for the first time in decades, we once again have a race date for the iconic venue, per Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal: November 16 to 18, 2023.
The information comes from a Letter of Intent (LOI) posted on Twitter by user @steelbaru, which has been confirmed as authentic by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. Back in March, sources confirmed that a GP would be taking place in Vegas on a Saturday night in November, but hard dates weren’t available at the time. Now, this LOI confirms the first race will run on November 18, with subsequent dates also set to be scheduled the weekend before American Thanksgiving.
There are a handful of other fascinating details in this LOI, including the fact that there will be no on-track activity after 4:30 a.m. ET, which is 1:30 a.m. local time. This currently tracks, as previous information stated that the race would start at 10 p.m. local time on Saturday — but it’s also likely that there will be other late-night track activity from both F1 and possible feeder series.
Stern’s report also includes the following info about “guerilla marketing”:
The document states that the LVCVA will work with stakeholders like local casinos to avoid guerilla marketing attempts and to develop “systems to monitor the perimeter and vicinity of the circuit and any other areas within the Las Vegas region where infringements might be expected to take place during the event period.” F1 also appears interested in trying to have legislation passed in Clark County to help protect its commercial rights. As previously announced, the document confirms that the LVCVA will pay $6.5M annually to help assist with various aspects of the race like public safety, security, volunteers, marketing support, circuit construction and securing space in the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Other details include the massive amount of supplies needed for the event, including 1,200 fire extinguishers, 900 volunteer marshals, 15 cranes, 18 tow trucks, 18 ambulances, and five medical intervention vehicles.
This agreement is currently non-binding, so it’s possible that things could change — but I have to be honest, there’s nothing in this LOI that’s terribly egregious. I wouldn't be shocked to see these details hit the ground running.