Formula One is becoming more and more popular among Americans. Racing has always been a fascinating sport that many enjoy watching, however, Americans have been more interested in NASCAR and IndyCar, until recent years. Now with the larger following Formula One is receiving in the states, a third circuit has been added.
Formula One Basic Info:
The idea of Formula One racing has existed for many years after Grand Prix Racing. Some of the earlier forms of racing date back to the 1890s. Formula One first started in 1946 right after the war ended. The FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) was created, and the first official Formula One race was held in May of the 1950s at the Silverstone Circut in England (F1 origins 2018).
In the year 2023, there will be 23 different races that span over 20 different countries. Currently, there are 10 different teams that compete in Formula One, with each team having two drivers. The race weekends last three days, starting on Friday and ending on Sunday.
Race Weekend:
The typical race weekend structure is Fridays being Free Practice 1 and Free Practice 2, then on Saturdays there is Free Practice 3 and Qualifying. Sundays are race day. The free practices allow the drivers to get a feel for their cars and the track. They can also analyze their times and see what needs to be improved before quali and the race.
The qualifying consists of three rounds. The five slowest drivers in round one are knocked out and are not able to participate in the next two rounds in the hopes of getting a better score. They will start in the back of the grid for the race in spots 20 to 16. The same rules apply for round two, where the five slowest drivers start in grid positions 15-11. The last round is for the 10 drivers left. The goal is to be in the top three fastest of the group to secure spots at the front of the grid come race day Sunday.
Sunday is race day! All of the different Grand Prix have a different amount of laps since the circuits vary in size. Formula One Grand Prix usually lasts around two hours and is very action packed with drivers battling it out all throughout the race. The fastest three drivers are awarded at the end of the race in a podium celebration that involves showering each other and the crowd with champagne.
Points System:
Drivers are only awarded points if they complete the race in the top 10 positions.
being in the top 10 is the only way to get points, however, the driver that secures the fastest lap can get one extra point.
First | 25 Points |
Second | 18 Points |
Third | 15 Points |
Fourth | 12 Points |
Fifth | 10 Points |
Sixth | 8 Points |
Seventh | 6 Points |
Eighth | 4 Points |
Ninth | 2 Points |
Tenth | 1 Point |
Certain teams will dominate, especially those that have better sponsors and have been successful in past years. Each team has a cap on the amount of money they can spend when it comes to creating the cars. Most the the teams do not have the funds that allow for all the best parts and upgrades. Currently, Redbull, Mercedes, Ferrari, Aston Martin, and McLaren are leading the Constructors Championship.
There are two different wins in Formula One, the World Championship for drivers and the Constructors Championship. The World Championship is won by one driver after all their points are added up at the end of a season. However, if a driver is dominating a season, such as Max Verstappen has been in recent years, the World Championship can be awarded when there is no possible way for any other driver to take the lead points-wise. The Constructor Championship is won through the points of both drivers on the team. Teams want to have the best cars and drivers, that way they can win the championship as it comes with better budgets for the next season.
Formula One in Las Vegas:
Currently, Las Vegas is undergoing massive reconstruction in order to create a perfect circuit for the upcoming Formula One race. Taxi, Uber, and Lyft drivers are having to renavigate the city as the main
road of The Strip is being torn up. The building of new paddocks all over the city will accommodate the mass numbers of people who will be flocking to Vegas to watch the race. Hotels have higher prices and are marketing for the race. Hotels' ability to accommodate all the people coming for the weekend.
Although there are many different aspects and components that are going into the creation of this circuit, the drivers are elated to be able to drive in Vegas. The driver most excited for the Vegas circuit is Daniel Riccardo, who is currently driving for Alpha Tauri.
The Strip Ripped Up:
Having traveled to Las Vegas during some of the construction on The Strip, there are lots of problems and traffic. After speaking with the Taxi, Uber, and Lyft drivers, they are not happy about all the different problems that the construction is causing. One driver was discussing having to learn new routes to hotels and other destinations since certain streets and entrances are closed. To make sure the roads are of good quality for the drivers Las Vegas has been trying to help with some of the traffic issues and inaccessibility to certain businesses by creating a temporary bridge.
Since the circuit is a city circuit, that means the road has to be in good shape, meaning the roads are being completely ripped up, reconstructed, and re-paved. The medians and 5 to 10 inches of the road were removed before the re-paving was started. The new pavement is denser and better suited for Formula One cars (Sheckells, 2023). The cost of re-paving The Strip is $80 million alone, not including other construction costs (Wright, 2023).
The Strip will be shut down during the race to normal traffic, therefore temporary bridges are
being created to help. There is the creation of an overpass which will allow traffic of vehicles easier access to different destinations. With all the spectators that will be attending the race, there is the creation of multiple pedestrian bridges to help with foot traffic (Allen, 2023).
New Buildings:
Formula One races require many different areas for fans to sit or stand and observe the race. There have to be different sections for guests who have bought reserved seating tickets and grandstand tickets. This means that a Grandstand has to be built as well as the other bleachers. There is also the construction of the paddock
A paddock is where all the teams have a home base for the race weekend. It is where the teams prepare for the race. There are also a number of fans that are allowed in the paddock areas. Whether the people are invited or have special tickets that allow them to be up close with the action. The paddock being built in Vegas will be nothing but exceptional and Vegas is sparing no expense in its creation. It will be the length of three football fields, with the sponsor for it being Heinkin. The creation of the paddock will cost around $480 million (Sheckells, 2023).
Vegas Marketing:
Everyone is excited for this race and it has been the talk of many interviews and articles. In order to create as much hype and excitement as possible Formula One and teams have been going all out with the marketing. Some drivers went to Vegas and part of the Strip was shut down allowing them to race up and down and perform tricks with the cars. Redbull currently has a Formula One car hanging off of the Ceasars Palace and they recently created a mini video with Checo going all throughout the city in his Redbull car. There have also been many videos made to help with the promotion of the race as well. One is linked below.
Since Formula One is new to Las Vegas this construction will be a one-time thing, although the circuit will be used again in the upcoming Formula One season.
References
Allen, M. (2023, August 23). F1 shows off Temporary Bridge Design for las vegas grand prix. https://www.fox5vegas.com. https://www.fox5vegas.com/2023/08/23/las-vegas-grand-prix-shows-off-temporary-bridge-design/
Formula One Art & Genius. (2018, April 2). F1 origins. Formula One Art & Genius. http://www.f1-grandprix.com/?page_id=222
rookieroad . (n.d.). Formula 1 history. rookieroad.com. https://www.rookieroad.com/formula-1/history/
Sheckells, M. (2023, August 23). The $560M challenge of turning the Las Vegas Strip into an F1 race track. The Hollywood Reporter. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/lifestyle-news/challenge-las-vegas-strip-f1-race-track-1235566629/
Wright, J. (2023, June 6). Formula 1 officials request up to $40 million from Clark County to cover paving costs. Channel 13 Las Vegas News KTNV. https://www.ktnv.com/news/formula-1-officials-request-up-to-40-million-from-clark-county-to-cover-paving-costs
That’s so cool to see F1 is getting the exposure it deserves. It has become more and more popular. I hope it keeps growing as a sport
I had never heard about Formula 1 until reading this -- very informative! It going to be an amazing thing to witness once it's all done. One more thing to check out in Vegas is a plus!
I had NO CLUE that Formula One was even a thing! it seems to be taken really seriously and it's having an impact on a local economy and environment which is always interesting to see happen with events the size of this one.
Vegas always has the cool stuff, I didn't know anything about Formula One so this was very educational!
I knew pretty much nothing about Formula One, so this was an insightful post for me. What you shared about Las Vegas reminds me of how cities prepare for the Olympics—the economic, environmental, and social impacts events like this make on cities isn't discussed enough, so thank you for starting that conversation!