F1’s promise to be less tough on Las Vegas in its second year

Despite some teething issues — Formula 1‘s first Las Vegas Grand Prix on and around the gambling haven’s iconic Strip was both an on-track and commercial success. After several hiccups during practice the race turned out to be entertaining, and the marketing and hospitality-driven hype around the race ensured the event generated more tax revenue than any other event in Las Vegas history, with the economic impact estimated at $1.5b. It turned what had been one of Vegas’ quietest weekends of the year, one week before Thanksgiving, into one of its rowdiest.

But that commercial success, a significant part of which flowed back to the Strip’s giant casinos and F1 itself, also came at a price for many of Sin City’s residents. 

Locals faced nine months of disruptions as F1 commissioned road resurfacing, built an entire paddock on the plot of land it acquired adjacent to the Strip, and then closed off some of Vegas’ main arteries for the race itself. The numerous construction projectsIt sent commuter traffic into disarray and also came at a huge cost for several local businesses who saw their properties largely cut off.

Some of them, like Battista’s Hole in the Wall and the Stage Door Casino, were unlucky to be based on Flamingo Road on the inside of the circuit, being pincered in between the Strip and Koval Lane, both of which form part of the 3.8 mile track. They jointly sued the Las Vegas Grand Prix, citing “wrongful interference with business rights” and demanding compensation for lost revenue, which they claim amounted to approximately $5 million over the course of 2023.

Tonya Markin, the co-owner of Battista’s Hole in the Wall, told the Nevada Current some local businesses were suffering from “F1 PTSD” when the build-up started for next week’s second running, fearing they will see “another big drop in our revenue.”

F1, which promotes the race itself, is well aware of the trouble it caused in year one, with Greg Maffei, the outgoing CEO of F1 owner Liberty Media issuing an apology for the disruption brought to the city after last year’s event. For year two,organisers have promised a smoother build-up, which started much later than last year as a lot of the ground work had already been done in 2023, including the one-off repaving process.

Steve Hill, the CEO and president of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), the destination’s…