Formula One is one of the fastest growing spectator sports in the U.S. At the request of drivers, and the motive of further increasing American participation, F1 worked with the city of Las Vegas to host a race down and around the Strip for the first time since 1982. Fans had high hopes and expectations for the most anticipated race of the season, filled with high-profile cameos. However, the citizens of Las Vegas were not as thrilled, as the Strip was under construction for months. On top of this, windowed walkways overlooking the strip were covered to prevent people from sneaking an unpaid peek of the race, and hotel rooms tripled in price for the weekend.

The weekend started off with a bang, but not a positive one. Eight minutes into the first practice session, a man-hole cover popped up and hit the bottom of a Ferrari as it flew past, severely damaging the floor. Fans who each paid hundreds of dollars to watch the practice, were rightly outraged when the rest of the session was canceled to weld down the remaining covers throughout the track, and sued the organizers.

While it got off to a rocky start, the race itself proved to be an entertaining one, with 105,000 fans in attendance, and 1.3 million watching from afar. As this was the coldest Grand Prix ever recorded at four degrees celsius, the roads were slick, and ten cars drifted off the track in the first corner, damaging multiple cars. But, in a year dominated by Max Verstappern, who led over 1,000 laps, few battles took place at the front. Las Vegas shook this trend up with seven lead changes. Charles Leclerc, a Ferrari driver, and Checo Perez were strong contenders for first, but ended up fighting each other til the very end for second place as Max pulled away. Leclerc won, beating the second Red Bull driver by seventeen hundredths of a second. However, the front was not the only place with action. Throughout the race, there were 99 overtakes, double the season average. 

I think the weekend was an overall success and would give it a 3.5/5 stars. Formula One should have done a better job respecting Las Vegas, but the citizens eventually had a net benefit due to high city tax revenue. Additionally, the venue made a couple avoidable mistakes that cost the teams and spectators money and time, although they were eventually compensated, and such technical difficulties can be avoided next year. The race itself was one of the best of the season, and the track proved to be prime for overtakes, adding to the thrill of the race.