Formula 1 Is Close to Returning to Las Vegas

An unexpected return

Las Vegas
A new Formula 1 race could come to Las Vegas before long.
Grant Cai/Unsplash

Forty years ago, Las Vegas was home to its own Formula 1 race. The Caesars Palace Grand Prix was held in 1981 and 1982 to determine the champion of that season; the downside, unfortunately, had to do with where exactly in Las Vegas the race was held. As a CNN retrospective on the race pointed out, the site was, for all intents and purposes, a parking lot. Not exactly the most evocative location for high-end sports drama — which might help explain why the race was only held for two years.

Now, however, Formula 1 seems close to making its return to Nevada, with Sports Business Journal reporting that an announcement could be made in the first half of 2022.

The article notes that the relevant parties — including F1 staff, local business owners and Nevada’s governor — have met repeatedly in the hopes of coming to an agreement. The route would make use of local roads, rather than a parking lot, and the planned course would involve the cars passing the Bellagio’s fountain.

As for the promoter of this theoretical race, that remains to be seen. Formula 1 did not reply to Sports Business Journal‘s requests for comment. And if you’ve ever wondered what taking part in the 1981 edition of this race looked like, wonder no more.

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