F1 announced the addition of the Las Vegas Grand Prix to its race calendar last year. The race will take place during the long weekend of Nov. 16-18, 2023.
The F1 street race will be a rare occurrence during the year when the Vegas Strip is closed to auto traffic. Unfortunately, unlike the annual New Year’s Eve closure of the Vegas Strip, the street will also be closed to pedestrians.
Preparations for the F1 race around the Vegas Strip are underway and already causing havoc among locals and visitors. The main tourist corridor of Las Vegas has seen massive traffic from road closures for months to pave the 3.8-mile circuit.
The good news is that the end of Las Vegas Grand Prix paving is in sight. The last phase of paving begins this week and will end in early October as originally planned.
Once the paving is completed, prep work will continue as grandstands, barriers and more have to be installed throughout the circuit as the November race gets closer. The bottom line is that the first year of prep for the Las Vegas Grand Prix is causing headaches heading into the race.
The pain won’t stop when the race is taking place. It will probably be worse. The Las Vegas Grand Prix circuit will completely shut down the Vegas Strip between Wynn and The Cosmopolitan for hours at a time for race weekend.
Additionally, walking around the Vegas Strip will likely be impeded by numerous grandstands on the west side in front of Bellagio and The Mirage.
Las Vegas Grand Prix 2023 race schedule
Las Vegas Grand Prix race events will take place from Nov. 16 through Nov. 18. Technically, the race should end just after midnight on Nov. 19. Race events will take place on the Vegas Strip on the following nights:
Thursday, Nov. 16
Practice session 1: 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Thursday, Nov. 16 and Friday, Nov. 17
Practice session 2: midnight – 1 am
Friday, Nov. 17
Practice session 3: 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Friday, Nov. 17 and Saturday, Nov. 18
Qualifying: midnight – 1 am
Saturday, Nov. 18
Las Vegas Grand Prix: 10 pm-midnight
Gates open daily at 6 p.m. for Las Vegas Grand Prix ticket holders.
Las Vegas Grand Prix road closures
There will be numerous road closures each night during the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The main issue for tourists will be that the Vegas Strip will be inaccessible by car from Resorts World to Aria.
The following roads will be closing each day before race activities begin starting at 5 pm.
- Las Vegas Blvd. heading south between Genting Blvd. and Aria Pl.
- Sands Ave. between Las Vegas Blvd. and Howard Hughes Pkway.
- Harmon Ave. between Las Vegas Blvd. and Lamar Circle.
- Koval Lane between Sands Ave. and Tompkins Ave.
- Spring Mountain Rd. between Mel Torme Way and Las Vegas Blvd.
- Flamingo Road heading east between Via Del Nord and Linq Lane
After the practice sessions and the race, barriers will be removed along the Las Vegas Grand Prix circuit. All roads should be open to traffic by 2 a.m. each morning.
Getting around the Vegas Strip during the F1 race
Navigating the Vegas Strip will be a challenge during race weekend for those with and without Las Vegas Grand Prix tickets. In addition to the road closures, there will be congestion for pedestrians trying to walk around the Vegas Strip.
Visitors will be able to walk around during the race but won’t be able to see any race action due to grandstands and protective barriers. The glass on the bridges crossing the Vegas Strip will be covered. Police will be on hand to keep people moving throughout the Vegas Strip.
Crossing the Vegas Strip will be different. F1 is adding three temporary bridges that cross the Vegas Strip. These bridges will be open to everyone until race events begin. Afterward, only those with F1 credentials and hotel guests with proof of occupancy will be able to use the bridges.
Anyone looking to travel during the weekend might want to try the Las Vegas Monorail behind numerous casinos on the east (MGM Grand, Flamingo, Venetian) side of the Vegas Strip.
Expect cool temperatures in Las Vegas this November
The daytime temperature in Las Vegas is beautiful in November. However when the sun goes down so do the temperatures.
A rough estimate about Nov. temperatures appears as though high temperatures will be around 68 degrees each day of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The nighttime lows during Las Vegas Grand Prix race activities should drop to around 55 degrees.
It’s way too early for an accurate forecast but if the skies are clear, the high temperatures will feel closer to 80 degrees. While great for the afternoon, this will make the evenings feel cooler than 55 degrees.
The very long-distance forecast is a good estimate of temperatures during the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Those attending the race activities should prepare for a drastic cooldown as the night progresses.
