The Las Vegas Grand Prix had its inaugural round last year, and it was a major success for the Nevada city. Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority Chairman Steve Hill explains why he expects the Grand Prix to be a success every year from now on.
“We knew it would be important, but the attention…” Hill said. “And frankly, F1 has done a fantastic job preparing for this race. They're doing it again this year and yes, it's two or three times more marketing value than we expected, and we would have been happy with a third of what we got We were going to be thrilled with what we expected, but what we got was eye-opening.”
Hill explains that this success was felt in the city and goes in favor of the Grand Prix: “The success is such that it is obvious that it will continue. What we are all doing is trying to find that balance point with the sustainability of the race in Las Vegas, so that everyone involved is Glad to have it.”
“That's really the definition of success, at the end of the day. We probably won't be able to match the first year's numbers, and we don't need to for it to be a success. If the numbers were lower by half, it would still change the situation.”
“I said it was the greatest weekend we've ever had. November in Las Vegas is usually the eighth best month of the year, while last year's November was the second best month in our history. The difference is huge.”
“We're not going to find that consistently and I don't think anyone should expect that. But if we can do anything, we strive to move the needle every week and we achieve that about half the time. weeks of the year, the other half being just what normally happens in our town.”
“It doesn't just change a week, it changes a month. There's not a lot of things that can do that and it's going to happen again this year, probably not to the same level as last year, which is all totally understandable, but wherever he goes, it's such a big event that it makes a real difference, even in Vegas.”
No Sprint in sight for Las Vegas
Las Vegas doesn't hold a Sprint, but Formula 1 COO Emily Prazer is at peace with that: “I think we have no problem letting Austin and Miami keep a Sprint, because we have so much else to do anyway and we're in a really good situation.”
“We are adding support races and hope to continue to do so over the next few years. I don't think people understand the complexity of this race compared to other street races, and I think the reality is that we open and close this trail.”
“We have about 46 track openings and people don't realize the complexity of this race compared to any other Grand Prix. I think adding a sprint would also create some nervousness in terms of track repairs. track if something happens.”
“I was in Singapore during the race and I spoke with the promoter who said 'we don't understand how you open and close the track the way you do'. They keep the roads closed for seven days. “
