Las Vegas is already a wild place, and it's about to get even wilder with a Formula 1 race on the strip in 2023. The announcement was made Wednesday that Vegas will join Austin and Miami as host cities for F1 races in the United States.
The event will be held in November 2023, though an exact date hasn't yet been announced. The track will take drivers past notable famous Vegas landmarks.
The 3.8 mile (6.2km) circuit will see cars flash by Caesars Palace, Bellagio Fountain and Mandalay Bay, as well as the ball-shaped MSG Sphere, which is currently under construction and set for completion next year.
Just look at this:
Here's the track layout for Las Vegas 🤩
The circuit will see cars race past Caesars Palace, the Bellagio fountains and Mandalay Bay, with the strip being used as a 2km straight. pic.twitter.com/5TbNqrXijB
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) March 31, 2022
This is absolutely bonkers, and F1 drivers and fans alike naturally had some strong reactions to this news:
We surprised our drivers with some news earlier this year…
Do you think they're excited? 😂#F1 #LasVegasGP @Vegas pic.twitter.com/wkgI5FtP7a
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 31, 2022
this is going to be a glorious shit show https://t.co/dipiqc6DSd
— Robby Kalland (@RKalland) March 31, 2022
Wow, this is going to be insane. https://t.co/StrNd7KObF
— Adam Papageorgiou (@PapageorgiouMBO) March 31, 2022
https://twitter.com/sws0712/status/1509569412793356299
Article Continues BelowYes, I have jumped in the F1 ban wagon. I absolutely love the Netflix series and have been following the races ever since season 1.
Anyone else’s pumped to have F1 coming to Vegas?!!!!https://t.co/IPSxUKGVwt
— GinoFromVegas (@ginofromvegas) March 31, 2022
While plenty of people are excited, other fans aren't pleased with the decision to race in Vegas, seeing it as nothing more than a gimmicky money grab:
https://twitter.com/MarkTechArc72/status/1509568321947156483
https://twitter.com/KlaasAnders/status/1509568485671809027
Congrats. This sport has officially turned into an entertainment business. What next? Half-race concerts by Drake and Rihanna?
— ADAM (@Adam30__) March 31, 2022
A number of people made the Monaco comparison, and this race will definitely have the feel of Monaco given the track layout and all the glitz and glamour of Vegas. While it's understandable to have some concerns about this face, there's no doubt that it should be really wild to watch.
Formula 1 is becoming more and more popular in the United States, boosted in part by Netflix's Formula 1: Drive to Survive. With the ever-growing popularity, F1 is taking advantage by bringing the sport to America, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see more cities get races in the future.
Vegas also continues to do as much as possible to bring more sports to the city. In addition to this race, Vegas is angling for an NBA team with a new basketball arena.