Formula 1’s first brush with Las Vegas came in 1981 and 1982, with the Caesars Palace Grand Prix held in the parking lot of the famous hotel.

• The layout was tight, flat, and uninspiring — widely disliked by drivers

• Despite crowning two world champions (Piquet in ’81, Rosberg in ’82), the event was poorly attended and dropped after just two years

• The original Vegas races are remembered more as a novelty than a sporting success

After decades away, F1 returned to Las Vegas in 2023 — not as a gimmick, but as a centerpiece of Liberty Media’s U.S. expansion strategy.

• The new race was promoted directly by F1 itself — an unprecedented move that showed the event’s commercial priority

• Designed to be a global entertainment mega-event, not just a race

• Held on a Saturday night under the lights, becoming only the third true night race in F1 (after Singapore and Qatar)