Why The Las Vegas Grand Prix Is Formula 1’s Biggest Bet Ever

After years stuck in neutral, F1 is finally getting into gear in America, thanks to a high-rolling, 200-m.p.h. gamble in Sin City.

_{By Suzanne Rowan Kelleher and Brett Knight, Forbes Staff}

Next Saturday at 10 p.m. local time—that’s 1 a.m. on Sunday for East Coast night owls—Formula 1 racing will return to Sin City after a 40-year hiatus with the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix. Set against a neon-drenched cityscape, the high-octane spectacle will see 20 drivers take 50 laps around the 3.8-mile street circuit, with its 17 turns winding past the new MSG Sphere. After two quick bends and a hard left, it’s a straight shot down the Las Vegas Strip at speeds up to 212 m.p.h., racing past the Venetian and Caesars Palace and zipping between the famed Bellagio fountains and the Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas.

“Vegas is going to be the biggest sporting event on the planet this year. I mean, it’s going to be insane, that race,” says Christian Horner, team principal of series champion Red Bull Racing. “I’ve never seen interest in a Grand Prix like this one.”