The 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix marked a significant shift in Formula 1 scheduling. Held on a Saturday, it was the first Grand Prix in 38 years not hosted on a traditional Sunday. This weekend will see the second edition of the Las Vegas GP maintaining this trend.
Las Vegas Shines on Saturday Night
Occurring on Saturday, 23rd November, the Las Vegas Grand Prix combines glamour with high-speed racing in a unique spectacle. The previous year’s event had an electrifying debut featuring Kylie Minogue’s concert and an opening ceremony involving all 20 drivers along the start-finish straight. Max Verstappen’s victory in a race with 99 overtakes—more than any Grand Prix since China 2016—cemented its place as a thrilling addition to the F1 calendar.
This Saturday night race concept is primarily driven by Formula 1’s ambition to attract the maximum global audience. Situated in Nevada, Las Vegas operates on Pacific Standard Time, eight hours behind the UK and nine behind Central Europe. If the race was held on a typical Sunday at 10 pm, it would be early Monday morning in Europe, forcing many fans to miss the live action due to work or school commitments.
Conducting the race during the day was never an option for Formula 1 due to Las Vegas’s reputation as a nightly entertainment hub. Night-time racing under neon lights enhances the city’s iconic vibrant skyline, providing a fitting backdrop to the world’s best racers speeding down the famous Strip.
Maximising Audience and Revenue
Formula 1, which is also the event promoter, requires the Las Vegas GP to be a financial success. Saturday scheduling, therefore, helps maximise viewership across time zones, offering fans a more accessible timing of 6 am GMT or 7 am CET. This careful timing allows ample global reach without alienating key European markets.
Promotion-wise, ensuring high television ratings is crucial, considering the immense investment F1 has put into this event. The Las Vegas GP’s scheduling and promotion strategies aim to transform it into a key fixture of the F1 calendar.
2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix: Full Schedule
The Grand Prix schedule begins on Thursday evening local time in Las Vegas:
Thursday, 21 November/Friday, 22 November
- Las Vegas GP Free Practice 1: 6:30 pm local time, 2:30 am GMT
- Las Vegas GP Free Practice 2: 10:00 pm local time, 6:00 am GMT
Friday, 22 November/Saturday, 23 November
- Las Vegas GP Free Practice 3: 6:30 pm local time, 2:30 am GMT
- Las Vegas GP Qualifying: 10:00 pm local time, 6:00 am GMT
Saturday, 23 November/Sunday, 24 November
- Las Vegas GP: 10:00 pm local time, 6:00 am GMT
Historical Context of Non-Sunday Races
The Las Vegas GP in 2023 wasn’t the first Formula 1 visit to the city. The Caesars Palace Grand Prix in 1981 and 1982 also took place on a Saturday. Historically, non-Sunday races were common. The British Grand Prix, for instance, was held on a Saturday until 1975.
Notably, the Indianapolis 500, part of the calendar from 1950 to 1960, occasionally occurred on various days of the week, aligning with certain traditions in American racing. This variability shows F1’s past flexibility with scheduling.
As Formula 1 evolved, Sunday races became the norm, making the 1985 South African GP, held on a Saturday, the last in decades to break that tradition until Las Vegas’s revival of the concept. Overall, there have been 77 official F1 world championship races on days other than Sunday.
