Broadcast Times, Cost, Speeds, And More

The driver that’s already won the Driver’s Championship may not see it as the best circuit for racing, but the Formula 1 Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix will be eye-popping eye-candy that will move the visuals at or beyond the iconic Monaco Grand Prix.

With it being the first race to run down the iconic Strip, a night race in the Pacific Time zone in the U.S., and a host of other firsts, the numbers behind the race are as large as a progressive jackpot. Here’s the race by the numbers.

3.8 – The length of the circuit in miles or 6.201 kilometers

14 – The number of turns in the circuit. Jokingly called an “upside down pig” by Oracle Red Bull principal Christian Horner, the circuit will see the fastest racing on the schedule next to Monza.

50 – The number of laps in the race.

193 – The total miles in the 50-lap race

147 – The insane average speed in miles-per-hour that race officials anticipate the race will have based upon driver simulation (237 kilometers-per-hour).

212 – Top speed in miles-per-hour expected as the cars race down the sweeping main straight of the Strip (342 km/h)

Nov 16-18 – This weekend marks the second to last race on the Formula 1 season. Free practice 1 (FP1) runs on Thursday the 16th from 8:30pm-9:30pm PT, with Friday the 17th hosting FP2 (midnight-1am) and FP3 (8:30-9:30pm PT). Qualifying and the race itself are on Saturday the 18th by many hours apart. Qualifying is at midnight-1am PT with the race start at 10pm PT.

10pm Pacific/1am Eastern on ESPN– If Formula 1 was looking to garner a sizable U.S. audience on television, then having the start when many are in bed might not be the best recipe. If the idea is to reach a large global audience, yet still host a night race, then the start time works. Europe will be able to have their breakfast watching the race, and the hope is that the visuals will be so enticing for the U.S. audience that they’ll tune in late. See the entire race schedule for the ESPN family of networks in the U.S. at the bottom of this article.

$400-$500 million – The exact amount hasn’t been fully revealed, but Liberty Media, who owns Formula 1, has said the cost to host the night race in Las Vegas could run from $400 million to as high as a half-a-billion U.S. dollars. That’s because Liberty is the promotor of the race. They also have invested $240 million by purchasing land near the end of the Strip to construct the garages, the main luxury suites, the race control, and the start/finish grandstands, all of which are permanent. Throw in temporary grandstands, and re-paving the entire circuit and the total cost comes into focus.

10 – The initial number of years that Liberty Media, Formula 1, and Las Vegas have entered into to host the annual race.

1 – Number of popup Formula 1 wedding chapels being built for the race

$15,000 – The cost per person ($5,000 per day) to access F1’s Paddock Club which has been built for the Las Vegas race. The amenities included access to the club, opening ceremonies, concierge service, transportation, a commemorative ticket box and F&B. Sorry, even if you have the money the club was sold out 8 months in advance.

$7,630 – Cost to get into Club SI. Sports Illustrated has taken over the Margaritaville at Flamingo is transforming it into club/hospitality zone.

12 – Number of main artists set to perform at the Opening Ceremonies on Nov. 15. Artists include John Legend, Tiësto, Andra Day, Bishop Briggs, J Balvin, Journey, Keith Urban, Steve Aoki, Swedish House Mafia and will.i.am. That’s just the Opening Ceremonies. Everyone from Gordon Ramsey and more is involved in some type of party in Sin City for the race.

4 – The number of playing card suits being painted specially for the kerbs around the circuit.

Star Spangled 1 – There will be no grand choir or massive band performing the National Anthem for the race. In incredibly Las Vegas fashion, Donnie Osmond will perform it prior to the race.

3 – With the addition of Las Vegas to the race schedule, the United States has rapidly jumped from just one F1 race on the schedule to three in the span of as many years. After the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) race near Autin, Texas was the lone race since 2010, the Miami Grand Prix was added in 2022, and now Las Vegas showing the global racing series has finally made in-roads into the U.S. market after decades of lukewarm interest.

48 – Expected air temperature in Fahrenheit degrees for the race. While warmer than what was initially anticipated, it will test the team strategy and Pirelli tire selection throughout the race.

1981-1982 – The last years that Formula 1 raced in Las Vegas. It has been deemed the worst races in the global series history and was nothing more than a circuit laid out in the Ceasar’s Palace casino parking lot.

100,000 – The anticipated number of those attending each day of the three-day race event.