Las Vegas F1 commercial director opens up on possibility of Sprint Race format for future editions. Las Vegas is not interested in a GP with the Sprint Race format.

Las Vegas is not interested in a GP with the Sprint Race format

This has been confirmed by Emily Prazer, the commercial director of F1 and the Grand Prix on the Strip: here is why Liberty Media prefers the traditional weekend format.

F1 heads toward the Las Vegas GP

It is the third GP in the United States on the calendar but the only one without a race using the Sprint format. The organizers of the Las Vegas event, however, do not seem interested at the moment in changing this approach and, on the contrary, have expressed particular satisfaction that the event on the Strip takes place during a classic weekend with three free practice sessions. This has been confirmed by Emily Prazer, who is the commercial director of Formula 1 and the Las Vegas GP: this race is, in fact, the first to be directly organized by Liberty Media without the involvement of third-party promoter committees.

The commercial director of F1 speaks

“We are not aiming to turn the race into a Sprint,” she said, as quoted by the magazine The Athletic. “The event itself already feels like an event with the new format. Just think about the speed of the cars, how quick the laps are, and the circuit… There wouldn’t be much difference between the traditional race and a Sprint Race if we consider last year’s performances. We reflected on it, but one of the most important lessons we learned in 2023 was just how incredibly beautiful the race was. That’s why we are quite happy to leave the Sprint Races to Austin and Miami, because in Las Vegas we are already in an extraordinary place, and so more things happen than usual during a weekend anyway.” – she pointed out.

Why Las Vegas prefers the traditional format

“We are adding support races,” Prazer added, “and we hope to continue doing so in the coming years. I don’t think people realize the complexity of this race compared to other street GPs, but we open and close the track to traffic and have about 46 crossings on the circuit. Moreover, adding a Sprint would also create some nervousness… Would we be able to repair the track quickly enough if something happened? I was in Singapore for the GP, and the promoters couldn’t understand how we manage to open and close the track the way we do. There, they keep the streets closed for seven days. Can you imagine if we asked the Las Vegas City Council to close the streets for a week? They would never let us hold a GP!”