Formula 1 will not race alone this year at either of the two world championship rounds which offered no support events in 2023.
Formula One Management has confirmed the first support series to run at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which will be held for the second time in November. Qatar’s round at the Losail International Circuit, the only other event to feature no support races last year, was added to the Formula 2 calendar for this season.The Ferrari Challenge series will be the first championship besides F1 to race on the Las Vegas Strip Circuit. It will hold practice and qualifying sessions on the first day of the event, which runs from Thursday to Saturday, followed by one race on each of the other two days. The races will last around 35 minutes each.
“The addition of the Ferrari Challenge series further demonstrates our commitment to delivering an even bigger and better racing event than ever before,” said the race’s vice president of sporting and race operations, Silvia Bellot.
Despite the limited on-track action, the Las Vegas Grand Prix has some of the highest ticket prices of the season. Some F1 drivers voiced concerns over the high price of attending it and other races on the calendar last year.
Bellot said the extra races will improve value for fans. “We are thrilled that we can now offer fans twice the racing action for the price of a single ticket,” she said.
As F1 has only limited access to the roads which form the Las Vegas circuit during its race weekend, the opportunity to hold additional races besides the five F1 sessions is limited.
Ferrari Challenge races previously took place at the Japanese Grand Prix and Canadian Grand Prix earlier this year. The series began in 1993.
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DB-C90 (@dbradock)
5th September 2024, 7:44
I doubt that’ll have any impact on ticket sales.
Also doubt that anyone will watch even if they have tickets.
EffWunFan (@cairnsfella)
5th September 2024, 8:59
I guess it is all in how you read it, but it comes across to me as though ‘twice’ is a significant factor. I guess it would be if you’d started with two or three, but as it is, it’s the minimum improvement there could possibly be.
Coventry Climax
5th September 2024, 15:54
The Muppet show had a little helper boy, complaining with Kermit, who promised him a 50% salary raise.
Boy happily tells someone else, who asks: “But how much do you earn now?”.
Whereupon the boy replies “Nothing”.
Vegas and Muppet Show; difference is, the Muppet Show was actually created by intelligent people and had worthwile content.
SteveP
5th September 2024, 10:37
I seem to recall people pointing out last year that the prices in Vegas were so high that it was cheaper for someone within driving distance of Vegas to fly to one of the European races and do the whole weekend.
I didn’t realise at the time that Vegas was a single race event and thus even worse value for money than the fly to Europe option.
Coventry Climax
5th September 2024, 11:52
Adorn a monkey, even with a golden ring,
it still remains an ugly thing.
Jim from US (@jimfromus)
5th September 2024, 13:27
Wonder if these support events are also being run at midnight or whatever crazy time the F1 race runs at?
lynn-m
5th September 2024, 13:41
Doesn’t change the fact it’s one of the most uninspiring & boring circuits i’ve ever had the displeasure of watching F1 cars drive around. Hence why I won’t be watching this years race, With so many races on the calender now i’ve gone from watching every race to picking & choosing & these modern car park tracks are the first to be skipped as they are all just terrible.
It’s up there with Valencia, Sochi & those awful US street circuits from the 80s in that regard.
The fact that last years race was better than expected will never change the fact that the circuit itself is still terrible & that from the visual spectacle of just watching the cars lapping is simply terrible.
In that regard i’d much rather watch a dull race at a track like Imola, Magny-Cours or even Monaco than a moderately good race at a track like Vegas where there’s just no joy in watching the cars lapping.
But then show over sport & all that other modern nonsense I guess because i’m sure Liberty would love more boring street tracks like Vegas than some proper race tracks like Imola, Spa, Silverstone etc…
Asd
6th September 2024, 17:49
Last Vegas is one of the best tracks on the calendar. It’s basically a street Monza. I love it!
F1 NEEDS tracks like Las Vegas, because F1 needs variety. Most of the tracks these days are all the same, and after the destruction of the Hockenheim track nearly 25 years ago, F1 has been lacking a track of that kind – a speed oriented monster. Las Vegas offers that in a very nice package.
MichaelN
5th September 2024, 15:24
This whole Las Vegas thing is not for me, but there were plenty of fans at the track last year for whom it’s great that they’re getting more racing action for their money, even it’s not F2 or F3. The Ferrari Challenge cars are great machines.
lynn-m
5th September 2024, 16:37
still a rubbish track.
fine the race wasn’t too bad last year and better than most were expecting but the circuit itself is still horribly dull and just another car park track on a growing list of similar such circuits.
it’s up there with sochi & valencia in terms of been horrible to watch cars lapping on TV.
the whole thing is just ‘meh’ from a visual point of view and on a day when the racing itself is also poor it’s going to be a real slog to have to sit through given how it’s just not fun to watch cars lapping the track. when you get a duller race on a circuit like spa, monza, imola etc.. it is at least fun to watch cars lapping such wonderful circuits and that in itself can make a duller race more interesting to watch but when you have a bad race on a bad track it’s just an abysmal spectacle.
Maisch (@maisch)
5th September 2024, 17:39
I Fully agree!
I enjoy seing scenic tracks in nature, and seing enthusiastic fans all over the track, part of the fun. Vegas was horrible, on tv it looked like a prison car park with the high fences, if it wasn’t for the giant smiley globe the race could have been anywhere in the world, i couldn’t tell the difference.
SteveP
5th September 2024, 19:25
Do note that they run it at night – not to suit the euro market, because it doesn’t, it’s silly early morning.
No, the real reason for running at night is that you can’t see what Vegas really looks like when you strip off the light show.
It looks like all the worst parts of Brackley and Milton Keynes bundled together and on steroids.
Avro Anson (@avroanson)
6th September 2024, 6:38
They run it at night to suit the Australian market. Sunday afternoon here – beautiful.
Roger Ayles (@roger-ayles)
5th September 2024, 16:44
I remember last year the view seemed to be that it was a really good race but TBH I just didn’t really enjoy it and actually thinking back I can’t remember any of the supposed good racing that took place.
I remember really not liking the track, I remember Sainz hitting the manhole, Norris crashing & Max getting a penalty but I don’t remember any of the racing and that for me means it can’t have been that good from that perspective.
Usually when there’s been some good racing I always remember it, Like for as much as i hated that Valencia street circuit I remember the 2012 race been good and remember some of the good bits of racing. And even with Sochi I can recall a few good moments on an otherwise horrid track but with Las Vegas I just don’t remember anything.
I’m not even sure I recall that much about the circuit layout itself other than thinking it just wasn’t especially good and been bored driving it in the game & wishing i could have skipped it when doing a championship mode.
Dex
5th September 2024, 17:44
Will fans with paid tickets be allowed to watch them? Asking for an imaginary friend.
Simon
5th September 2024, 17:51
Of course not, organisers will probably charge a supplement. It’s Vegas we’re talking about, after all…
Crawliin-from-the-wreckage (@davedai)
6th September 2024, 6:03
Fantastic to see free enterprise at its finest.
I thought the salespeople who sold monorails and/or giant Ferris wheels were done.
But no sirreee Bob.
They have hit back and hit back hard with “an eye-catching ice rink to be be added to the top of the paddock club…”
Gary
6th September 2024, 12:45
I know, never happen, but can you imagine if the third US race “Las Vegas” GP were held at Road America instead?
isthatglock
6th September 2024, 17:28
Basically just another way for the rich dentist Ferrari club to come into town. It’s all about bringing in the rich for the Vegas hotels and casinos
Matt Clare
7th September 2024, 15:13
That track is a pig.
I love it.