306,000 according to Formula 1, 139,000 according to the police. What might sound like an old joke about protester counts on a strike day is actually about the number of spectators counted throughout the Las Vegas GP weekend. If the discipline proudly displayed the number of 306,000 during the broadcast of the race, the local police did not arrive at the same result, with a total almost three times lower…
According to local television station 8NewsNow, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's public information office reported that by their count, 32,000 people attended the practice sessions on Thursday, 50,000 spectators were present on Friday for the practice sessions and the qualifying and finally, 57,000 people attended the race on Saturday evening, hence the total of 139,000 spectators over the entire weekend. However, for Formula 1, these figures do not take everything into account and are therefore distorted.
According to the championship, local police figures only included tickets scanned in fan zones and grandstands managed by F1, but not spectators present in the paddock or other areas of the venue which are mostly managed by the surrounding casinos (including certain stands along the Las Vegas Strip), and therefore not by F1 itself. The number of 306,000 spectators is therefore an estimate set by the discipline, taking into account the crowds in the stands and in the ancillary areas.
Las Vegas eyes long-term deal
Regardless of the number of spectators present in 2024, it is in any case lower than in 2023, when 315,000 spectators were there for the return of F1 to the Sin City. A second edition less popular despite better organization on site and a weekend without major problems. Remember that in 2023, FP1 was canceled and FP2 was contested behind closed doors following the incident suffered by Carlos Sainz with a manhole cover that came off as the Ferrari passed.
This year, the Las Vegas Grand Prix did not unleash the crowds despite the stakes for the championship. Moreover, on social networks, several spectators were surprised to see partially empty stands during the race… the exorbitant price of tickets probably had something to do with it, with four-figure sums for Sunday alone. Despite everything, Formula 1 intends to come back and stay for a long time in Las Vegas. If the Grand Prix contract – operated directly by Liberty Media – must end in 2025, the promoters had received authorization to organize races on the roads of Sin City for a period of 10 years, from 2023.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), responsible for promoting tourism, conventions, meetings and special events in Southern Nevada, is expected to begin discussions with F1 in early 2025 to establish a longer-term agreement for the organization of the Grand Prix in Las Vegas.
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