Why the Las Vegas Grand Prix starts at 1 a.m. EST

This will not be F1’s first night race. But with the five red lights scheduled to go out at 10 p.m. on Saturday night, the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix will set a record for the latest start time in F1 history — creating a challenge for the paddock and a conundrum for many of the American fans whose passion got the race off the ground.

Start times are always chosen to suit as many stakeholders and F1 fans as possible. For Las Vegas, the added task of turning a major thoroughfare into a race track and taking over one of the world’s entertainment capitals made finding the right balance extra challenging.

Renee Wilm, the CEO of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, told The Athletic the 10 p.m. local start time was “very much a compromise following multiple conversations with all the local stakeholders in Las Vegas.”

“We really tried to triangulate what was a good time for the locals,” Wilm added. “We want to be a good neighbor in Las Vegas. We’re here to race for many decades to come.”

Unlike other shows or sporting events held in stadiums or arenas, the LVGP requires closing off major streets, starting around 5 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and reopening them to traffic by 4 a.m. each day. (Monaco operates in a similar fashion.)

Wilm felt the scheduling of the grand prix fit in with other major events hosted in Las Vegas. “When you think about some of the later shows or even boxing matches, and other events, it’s very common to have a later start time for a show when you have dinner first,” she said. “Here, everyone will be enjoying our dinner at our track.”

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