They say that Las Vegas can be whatever you want it to be… and we want it to be a Formula 1 Grand Prix.

We’re all in for the Las Vegas Grand Prix. But for once, what happens in Vegas won’t stay in Vegas: it will be broadcast to a massive audience worldwide. This weekend’s race is the most hotly anticipated in, well, forever, and there’s a lot on the cards.

The Las Vegas Grand Prix comes with increased media duties and entertainment, a Jack Daniel’s livery enhancement, exciting McLaren activations with Google Chrome, and a ton of preparation to get ready for a brand-new circuit, and that is before any actual racing takes place.

Here to guide you through it all is Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri and Team Principal Andrea Stella, who have shared their thoughts ahead of our first race in ‘Sin City’ since 1982. We’ll also be sharing some stats, a guide to the circuit and tips on what to wear to stand out from the crowd this weekend.

Critical info

Round	22
Where	Las Vegas Strip Circuit
When	16 - 18 November
Lights out	06:00 MTC / 22:00 local
Follow	The website and the McLaren App for LIVE commentary and team radio

“It’s finally time for the Las Vegas GP! We’ve all been looking forward to this since it was announced last year. I’m excited to race on the Vegas Strip. I’m sure it’s going to be a special one with an incredible atmosphere.

“It’s a brand-new track for all of us. I’ve been preparing in the sim but experiencing it in practice will be interesting. We’ve had a couple of good races with four podiums in the last five races. I’m determined to keep the consistency going into the final two races of the season and end on a high.”

“I’m excited to head to Vegas and kick off the last double header of the season. It should be a fun one, driving in a unique location. I can’t wait to see what it looks like.

“Vegas is another new track for me, but it’s new for everyone else, so it should make for an interesting weekend. The team have done an amazing job with the car this season, and I’m hoping to get back in the points.”

Dice-ing around the Las Vegas streets

After sifting through over 30 designs and working through a year of construction, it’s finally time to try out the Las Vegas Strip Circuit. Located in the heart of the city, the track will be a sight to behold as we blast past sites such as the Venetian, the Bellagio, Caesars Palace and the Sphere.

The 6.2km, 17-turn street circuit wraps around these iconic Vegas landmarks and includes a 1.1-mile-long straight down the city’s famous Strip, which comes complete with a DRS zone and is likely to be the greatest overtaking opportunity.

It’s anticipated that speeds could reach 200mph down this back straight between Turns 12 and 14, which is as high as at Monza’s aptly nicknamed Temple of Speed. But they’ll be doing this at a significantly lower temperature than normal, with an average low of eight degrees Celsius and the possibility for it to drop to just four degrees.

The temperature will be a hot topic this weekend, as there’s a chance Vegas could break the record for F1’s coldest grand prix, which previously stood at five degrees Celsius at the 1978 Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.

Teams will want an ace up their sleeves to combat this, as it will substantially impact the tyres, which are at their grippiest in high temperatures. Getting the tyres up to temperature, whether in qualifying or after a pit-stop, will be one of the biggest tasks for drivers in this weekend’s grand prix. The reduced grip will impact cornering, and drivers are likely to take fewer risks with their braking, with walls waiting to punish any errors.

Make it Count

As part of Jack Daniel’s ‘Make it Count’ campaign, they have given the MCL60 a Tennessee twist at their world-famous distillery in Lynchburg. Throughout the entirety of the weekend, we’ll be running unique Jack Daniel’s-branding on the side pod rear and engine cover rear of both MCL60s.

As part of the campaign, Grammy-nominated artist Metro Boomin and other special guests will be joining us in the garage and performing live on Thursday, 16 November, when Jack Daniel’s take over the Virgin Hotel Curio Collection by Hilton. 

Last time out

Lando delivered his seventh podium of the season at the São Paulo Grand Prix, despite the team not expecting the circuit to be a strong one for us. The British driver flung himself from sixth to second at the start and managed the race expertly, navigating a Red Flag restart and a stern challenge from Lewis Hamilton.

Oscar was unfortunate not to score any points after getting caught up in a collision at the start of the race. The Australian was an innocent bystander in the crash between Alex Albon, Nico Hülkenberg, and Kevin Magnussen. The team managed to patch up his MCL60 enough to get him back onto the track after a Red Flag period, but he returned a lap down with damage remaining.

With two races to go, we’re currently fourth in the Constructors’ standings, 21 points ahead of fifth and 80 off third.

“We’re now heading into the final double header of the season, a season that’s showcased the team's hard work, focus and determination to achieve our mission to go back and fight for podiums.

“The Las Vegas GP will have an incredible atmosphere, and it is a new track for all. We’ll have some learning to do during sessions, however, I have no doubt that the team will deliver.”

Stat pack

• The last time F1 went racing in Las Vegas, McLaren’s John Watson finished on the podium
• Denny Hulme won in Las Vegas for McLaren in our title-winning 1968 Can-Am campaign
• In total, there were 31 potential layouts designed for this race
• The Las Vegas Strip Circuit will be the second longest street track on the F1 calendar, behind the Jeddah Corniche Circuit
• This will be F1’s first Saturday night race since 1985
• This will be F1’s third race in the US in the 2023 season, the most since 1982, when we last raced in Vegas
• Lando has finished in the points in each of his last 12 races, his longest streak in F1, and is the only driver other than Max Verstappen to have scored more than 100 points since the summer break
• Lando has scored a podium in five of his last six races
• Oscar has scored a podium in two of his last six races despite having never previously raced on any of these tracks
• Between them, Lando and Oscar have been named the Salesforce Driver of the Day in each of the last five races

Set your alarms

Free Practice 1	23:30 ET / 04:30 GMT / 15:30 AET
Free Practice 2	03:00 ET / 08:00 GMT / 19:00 AET
Free Practice 3	23:30 ET / 04:30 GMT / 15:30 AET
Qualifying	03:00 ET / 08:00 GMT / 19:00 AET
Race	01:00 ET / 06:00 GMT / 17:00 AET

Setting the scene

Where to start? Like we said in the intro, Las Vegas can be whatever you want it to be. F1 wanted the kerbs to be playing cards, so the kerbs became playing cards.

The city has it all, there is glitz and glamour by the bucketload, and something for all ages. As well as the usual suspects, like Caesars Palace, the Venetian, the Fountains of Bellagio, and Hoover Dam, Vegas even has a ‘heavy equipment playground’, where you can drive around in bulldozers and diggers.

If you really wanted, you could visit Las Vegas and spend all your time visiting restaurants and sampling the city’s unique food. Some weirder specialties include Café Hollywood’s L.A. Lasagna, Truffles N Bacon’s gigantic Belly of the Beast Burger, and Guy Fieri’s Vegas Kitchen & Bar Trash Can Nachos.

The Fit: Welcome to Nevada

It’s not easy to make a statement in a city as dazzling as Las Vegas, but with the help of Castore, New Era, Mitchell & Ness and Culture Kings, we’ve come up with a collection that will have you shining in amongst the bright lights.

The collection features a carefully curated selection of T-shirts, hoodies, bombers and caps in an array of striking, bold designs. All bets are off with this collection, and you can pair the pieces however you want, but if you want to guarantee you hit the jackpot with your fit, we’d suggest wearing one of the two Mitchell & Ness bombers over the green Vegas overhead hoodie, along with a pair of blue denim jeans and the Vegas 9FIFTY PC New Era cap. *Chef’s kiss*