GrandPrix247 2023 Race of the Year: Las Vegas

Las Vegas became the third F1 event to join the calendar stateside, and Formula One Management have invested heavily into this one, not relying on an organizer, but putting their own money at stake, and a big amount as well.

The race on the Strip has been heavily marketed since the announcement of its return, with a huge show promised, while all the teams also ramped up their off-track hospitality activities for the occasion.

However, not everyone was excited about Vegas, especially those who believed the sideshow would steal the attention from what is supposed to be the main attraction, which is the grand prix. The fact that there were outrageous price tags on tickets and weekend packages put the race in a bad light.

As it turned out, the show was amazing with all the razzmatazz that came with it, a star-studded opening ceremony kicking off the weekend in true Las Vegas Style.

As for the racing itself, we have to admit that it had a wobbly start with the drain cover that wrecked Carlos Sainz's Ferrari and the fans' experience after being denied FP2, FP1 already cut short, but maybe we have to look to the FIA for this one.

But the recovery from that incident was respectable, the organizers sorting out the drain covers in a matter of hours, and as the weekend progressed the incident was a forgotten, not by Fred Vasseur and Sainz though.

Now many may not agree that Vegas was a great weekend, while many others will believe it was a memorable F1 experience, but it is all that commotion around it that made it so eagerly awaited.

F1 promised a show in Vegas, and they delivered despite some hiccups, and in some way the racing was not affected or eclipsed by the side festivities. In fact, the race was really good, and Charles Leclerc and Ferrari made qualifying interesting as well.

Even Max Verstappen cosied up to the event, going from being grumpy to singing "Viva Las Vegas" over the radio on the cool-down lap, but maybe that was just the buzz of winning...

In the end, everyone, those with and against the Las Vegas Grand Prix, waited for it to happen with great anticipation and, to make things sweeter for the sport, it turned out to be a decent F1 weekend, and for that, we award it our Race of the Year award.