LAS VEGAS | Despite what the news reports say and despite the marketing of the race this week in the heart of the Strip, this is not the first Grand Prix in Las Vegas. In 1981 and 1982, the big F1 circus ended its season in the Nevada desert.
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Australian Alan Jones won the inaugural edition behind the wheel of his Williams. The following year the Italian Michel Alboreto imitated him in his Tyrrell.
What caught the eye during these first visits to Las Vegas, however, was the unusual race track built in the parking lot of Caesars Palace. The 3.6 kilometer long track had 14 corners so tight it resembled a go-kart track.
Furthermore, and rather unusually, it was the famous actor Paul Newman, who was also a driver, as race director.
Gilles Villeneuve, Alain Prost, Keke Rosberg, Nelson Piquet and several other big names in the discipline took part in these editions.
Driver requested
Vegas no longer looked like it does today, with its dozens of huge, luxurious establishments. The drivers then complained about the dust on the track and the curves of the winding race track, which abruptly entered the quadrangle of the property north of Caesar’s Palace three times.
During counterclockwise turns and several sudden turns that required braking, the pilots had to withstand significant centrifugal forces. Additionally, the track was lined with tall concrete blocks, leaving no room for error.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY LAS VEGAS NEWS BUREAU
The organizers would have liked the route to run along the famous Las Vegas Boulevard. However, since it was state property, the government authorities refused.
Despite then Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone’s desire to establish itself in the United States, these two editions struggled to attract 35,000 spectators. It was a failure.
26 years later, the Indy Formulas of the Champ Car Series rolled through the streets of downtown Vegas, east of the Strip, inaugural the 2007 championship. More than 40,000 spectators attended the race, exceeding the capacity of the surrounding temporary grandstands Street circuit.
Impossible
This return to Vegas would never have been possible if the single-seaters hadn’t rolled down Grand Boulevard. It was the heart of the major project.
Instead of reaching out to commercial partners in the region, including hotels, Liberty Media and F1 planted their idea in the minds of Nevada and county and city officials.
Seeing a real shower of gold and incredible visibility around the globe, they gave the cars the green light for the nearly two-kilometer journey along the famous strip.