How F1 will use the Las Vegas sphere for inaugural Grand Prix
The Las Vegas Grand Prix is set to utilize the brand new, state-of-the-art Las Vegas Sphere venue in an innovative partnership between the racing series and the venue operators.
The race weekend from November 16-18, 2023 will see the 3.8-mile circuit wind around the Sphere, with F1 acquiring usage rights to the venue and surrounding land for the duration.
This has required rock band U2 to pause its residency at the Sphere from November 5 to December 1.
Venue Utilization
According to F1 CEO Greg Maffei, F1 has effectively leased the Sphere, gaining rights to use the venue's inner and outer video screens for advertising and branding throughout the race weekend.
This provides a revenue opportunity, with F1 the selling advertising directly or bundling it into sponsorship deals to offset costs.
F1 will also host an exclusive recovery brunch inside the Sphere on Sunday morning, screening race highlights on the venue's screens.
Maffei noted this was the extent possible for the first year but expects more integrated programming in the future as the partnership develops over the long term.
U2 residency impact
U2 played their final pre-race show on November 4 before the three-week pause for F1's takeover.
Lead singer Bono explained the break to fans on stage, lightheartedly introducing the band members as F1 drivers Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and Daniel Ricciardo.
Bono quipped that F1 was "something like rock 'n' roll, actually! Less dangerous." He returns to the Sphere on December 1, with the residency extending into February 2024.
Race weekend details
The iconic Las Vegas night race marks F1's arrival on the Las Vegas Strip. Practice sessions start on November 17, ahead of qualifying on November 18 and the main event on November 19.
The track layout utilizes iconic Las Vegas boulevards, including the Strip, winding around landmarks like the Bellagio fountains and Caesars Palace.
The Sphere will provide a high-tech centerpiece as the cars speed around the futuristic glass structure.
"We have a long-term relationship with the Sphere, and I think we will have more programming in place," said Maffei on enhanced future collaborations.
“We’re giving Las Vegas back to F1. If you don’t know what F1 is, it’s a sport where very tidy, lean, mean men and some extraordinary women climb onto rockets and try to stay on earth and not achieve orbit, something like that. A little like rock 'n' roll, actually! Less dangerous,” quipped Bono.
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