![]() ![]() With the Grand Prix looming, the unions were better able to leverage their bargaining position, Velotta said, thus getting a better deal than they might have imagined back in April.īuilding the racetrack has caused months of traffic delaysīut for many residents, the Las Vegas Grand Prix has already brought a few headaches. After seven months of negotiations, the three major hotel-worker labor unions all reached a deal with MGM, Wynn and Caesars the week before the F1 race, avoiding a workers’ strike during the F1 festivities. Hotel labor unions in the city have also made recent gains. “They’re going to benefit greatly because of the luck of where they’re located.” The track for the Grand Prix goes right by the hotel. Velotta cited Ellis Island Hotel, a small casino that may be unfamiliar to people outside of the city. Some small businesses along the a 3.8-mile racetrack circuit have also profited. “So initially, it looked like a pretty big deal, and a great deal, in terms of extending our international marketing.” “Las Vegas will be on TV screens across the world, because people will want to tune in to this Formula One race on the Strip – iconic boulevard that it is – and people will get a better understanding of what Las Vegas is all about,” Velotta said. In 1982, the last time Vegas hosted a Grand Prix, the cars raced on a track in a parking lot next to Caesar’s Palace. It also marks the first time F1 cars will be racing on the Strip itself. The event is the first Formula One race in Las Vegas in more than 40 years. “I think it’s going to be truly a one-of-a-kind race.” It’s almost superseding these European tracks and it’s crazy to see,” driver Alex Albon told CNN affiliate KTNV. “We’re now coming to America and in terms of fans and passion, it’s amazing to see. Bizuayehu Tesfaye/TNS/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Getty Images The construction site where Formula One was building a four-story, 300,000-square-foot paddock building, as seen on May 30, 2023. ![]() That’s huge for Vegas, which has seen its international visitation numbers plummet in the wake of Covid-19, said Velotta, who has lived in the city for more than 30 years and has been covering Grand Prix preparations for months. In recent years Formula One has seen a huge boost in popularity in the US, thanks to the success of the Netflix docuseries “Formula 1: Drive to Survive.” The Vegas event is expected to attract more than 100,000 spectators each day, and one Nevada analyst projects it will pump more than $1 billion into the local economy, calling it “the single largest special event in Las Vegas history.” The race marks the first Formula One event in Las Vegas in 41 years Said reporter Richard Velotta of the Las Vegas Review-Journal in an interview with CNN, “I’d say upwards of 90% or more (of Las Vegas residents) are not happy about it at all.” ![]() Residents have complained on social media and to local news outlets about steep prices, event-related traffic gridlock, barriers blocking public views of the Strip and their sense that the event is geared to high rollers but not to the average fan. “We are redefining the racing experience with the world-renowned hospitality and entertainment that only Las Vegas can offer.”īut for locals, the reality is a little more complicated. “(The Las Vegas Grand Prix) is set to make history as one of the largest sporting events in Las Vegas, creating unparalleled economic benefits to Southern Nevada while showcasing this incredible destination to the world,” said Renee Wilm, CEO of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, in a statement to CNN. But the Grand Prix is part of an ongoing push to make the desert playground into a sports mecca: In the past five years the city has landed an NHL team, a WNBA team and an NFL team, and looks poised to attract an MLB team as well. Sphere plans to stage boxing and MMA fights, and in February, the city will host the Super Bowl. Outside of boxing and rodeos, Las Vegas has not historically been associated with live sports. Just don’t expect most local residents to be excited about it.į1 has invested more than half a billion dollars in the three-day event, creating a star-studded spectacle complete with fancy parties, celebrity chefs and musical performances by J Balvin, Journey, John Legend, Keith Urban, Steve Aoki and many others.Īfter two days of practice and qualifying runs, the race itself will take place Saturday night, allowing for peak visuals with the drivers zooming past such illuminated landmarks as Caesar’s Palace, the Bellagio fountains, the Paris hotel’s faux Eiffel Tower and the new Sphere entertainment venue. One of the most hyped events on the 2023 sporting calendar, Formula One’s inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix arrives this weekend, promising race cars roaring down the iconic Las Vegas Strip at 200 mph for the first time in the city’s history. ![]()
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