LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix is coming up fast. Race weekend arrives in two weeks and our valley is gearing up for Formula 1 to take over the Strip.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen won the inaugural GP last year and the stakes are high for the race's second go-around. While the lane closures and traffic sparked frustration for many locals before the first race, Formula 1 and most racing fans viewed the 2023 GP as a huge success.
Sports reporter Nick Walters sat down with Silvia Bellot, the VP of racing and sporting for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, to discuss what her and the team at the Las Vegas Grand Prix learned from the first year.
“The first thing that we learned is how to set up such an amazing race like we had," Bellot said. "People think that it's easy to set up a race like this. Most of the races in the F1 calendar are based on already-established circuits. The ones that are around, they are not based downtown like Las Vegas Street Circuit. Closing Las Vegas Boulevard, one of the busiest streets in the world, it was a challenge in itself."
"We took a lot of learnings from year one," Bellot continued. "We apply them in year two at different levels on the track side as well to our fans as well. New ticketed options and also on the build process. We’re making it much smoother this year. I hope the people here in Las Vegas can see that."
Bellot says that organizing the night race and transforming a bustling street into a racetrack wouldn't be possible anywhere else but Las Vegas.
"I say to everyone when I talk about our racetrack that this could not happen anywhere else other than Las Vegas. We’ve got some of the best companies that can make this build process happen. We also have the best entertainment in the world, in terms of shows, music, but also in sports right now. And all of these just can happen in Las Vegas."
You can go to KTNV.com/F1parties for more information on fan events through race weekend.
