Why is the Las Vegas Grand Prix on a Saturday? The reason behind the change of day as Max Verstappen can wrap up championship this weekend
Formula 1 returns to America for the third and final time this season with a potential championship deciding race.
Max Verstappen, who dominated the early part of the season before a slight wobble, is on course to wrap up the World Drivers’ Championship.
There is another interesting wrinkle in Las Vegas and that is the race taking place on a Saturday.
It will be the third race this season to take place on a Saturday after the season-opening Bahrain and Saudi Arabian races were moved due to Ramadan.
But the race in Vegas has been moved for a very different reason, as they look to capitalise on the surroundings.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix will take place on Saturday instead the traditional Sunday
Part of the reason is the desire from officials to see the track lit up by the surrounding Las Vegas strip
Max Verstappen can claim the World Drivers’ Championship in Las Vegas
A traditional F1 race weekend will see drivers take part in first and second practice sessions on Friday.
That is followed by a third practice session followed by qualifying on the Saturday with the race taking place on Sunday.
However, that will not be the case this weekend, this is due to a combination of wanting to accommodate as many viewers as possible as well as their desire to see the track lit up by the Las Vegas strip.
Due to the latter, race organisers have decided the race should take place at 10pm local time.
Should that happen on Sunday, those in Europe would be watching Monday morning at 6am.
Plenty of A-list stars turned out for last year’s race including Brad Pitt (right) who will star in the racing film F1
The Bellagio hotel is one of the sites that has been touted as a potential host to any world championship celebrations
As a result, Saturday night was chosen in the hopes that they can accommodate both their American and European audiences as F1 aims to grow their base in the USA.
There are a number of ways that Max Verstappen can wrap-up the World Drivers’ Championship in Sin-City.
The simplest method would simply to be to finish ahead of title rival, Lando Norris with them both scoring points.
That would be enough to see the Dutch driver lift his fourth-consecutive title in what has been a historically dominant spell.
F1 officials in Las Vegas are tentatively putting together plans in the event the 27-year-old seal the title.
‘I am sure that we would be able to pull some ideas out of our hat, maybe pre-arrange some pretty exciting opportunities,’ said Renee Wilm, chief executive of the event.
‘When you consider the properties on the Strip – Wynn and Encore are second to none in terms of the highest class of hospitality.
‘Then, of course, you have the Bellagio further down the Strip, with those iconic fountains, and the level of VIP service that the Bellagio offers.
‘There are so many opportunities to highlight the drivers, and particularly if we actually do have the benefit of being able to get a champion [crowned].’
