We’re headed back to the Las Vegas Strip for the final triple header of the year, and the first of the three races that will decide who is crowned the 2025 Formula 1 Drivers’ World Champion.

Known as the entertainment capital of the world, Las Vegas will open its doors to Formula 1 for the third year in a row, looking to deliver another action-packed Grand Prix that combines the glitz and glamour of the City of Lights with the grit of wheel-to-wheel F1 racing.

Lando and Oscar have been back at the factory this week, where they spent time catching up with the team, reviewing our last race in Brazil, and looking ahead to our upcoming outing in Las Vegas. During their time back in Woking, we spoke with Lando, Oscar, and Team Principal Andrea Stella, to get the lowdown on this weekend’s Grand Prix.

In our Round 22 preview, we’ll feature their thoughts along with the reasons why we love the Las Vegas Grand Prix, what the main challenges are, and our suggestion of what to wear.

"Las Vegas up next! Driving down The Strip is quite a cool experience, and I’m looking forward to seeing all the fans in the US for the final time this season.

“I’ve been doing a lot of preparation at MTC with the team for the final triple header. We go into Vegas having worked hard for a good haul of points in the last two races, showing strong pace in Mexico and Brazil.

“Vegas has been a challenging one for us in the past, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be trying our hardest to extract maximum performance from what’s available within the car. I’m feeling really good and motivated. I’m ready for this final push.”

“I’m looking forward to getting back in the car in Vegas. I’m concentrating on performance, building a strong weekend and maximising every opportunity.

“It’s a high-speed track, and it’s always fun to race down The Strip. The cooler conditions are an interesting variable, and the layout usually allows for plenty of overtaking.”

“We have reached the final phase of this long season, a triple header that begins in Las Vegas and ends in Abu Dhabi via Qatar. Spanning 12 time zones and over 8,000 miles as the crow flies, it will be three intense and tiring weeks for the team trackside alongside the men and women based in Woking at the MTC and MRC. I would like to thank them all in advance for their incredible dedication this season.

“The first event is in Las Vegas, a distinctive race due to the atmosphere and the scenery that accompany it. This Grand Prix is symbolic of Formula 1 today, a sport that is growing in popularity and is enjoying unprecedented success in the USA.

“From a technical point of view, it is a difficult race for us on paper, and we certainly did not shine in the two previous events there. We saw once again in São Paulo how tight is the competition on the track: a few thousandths of a second are enough to make the difference, for better or for worse. The preparation for each session, therefore, takes on even greater importance because every detail is crucial to making the most of the potential available. It is in this spirit that we arrive in Nevada, aware that we still have a long way to go to achieve the goals we have set ourselves and that we are facing very strong opponents.”

Why we love the Las Vegas Grand Prix

If you pulled up images of every circuit on the calendar and asked the general public to name the country where they were located, few would be easier to guess than Las Vegas.

Located in the heart of the dazzling City of Lights, the circuit’s décor, surroundings, and the many landmarks it comprises leave no doubt as to where you are in the world. The kerbs even lean into Vegas’ casino culture, featuring the four suits in a standard deck of cards: hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades.

It’s a city packed with landmarks, including the historic “Welcome to Fabulous Vegas” sign, the Luxor Pyramid and Sphinx, the High Roller, and the Neom Museum, while the circuit itself incorporates one of the most famous streets in the world: The circuit’s main straight is positioned on the city’s famous Strip. And as drivers make their way around the 6.2km, 17-turn street track, they take in sights such as the Sphere, the Eiffel Tower at Paris and the Bellagio Fountains.

You can also combine a trip to Vegas with an excursion to the Grand Canyon, known to provide one of the world’s most breathtaking sunrises. If you head for the West Rim, it’s around a two-and-a-half-hour drive away from Vegas, while the South and North Rims are roughly four and a half hours away.

Away from F1, there are also plenty of other sports to take in, with Las Vegas home to the Las Vegas Raiders NFL team and the Vegas Golden Knights NHL team.

What are the challenges?

The Las Vegas Strip Circuit is a high-speed, temporary track designed to feel as fast and full throttle as the city it’s situated in, combining long straights with heavy braking zones that invite overtaking. The challenge is to pull off these moves between the street circuit’s barriers, which leave little room for error.

This is evident from the first two corners, a left hairpin on the back of a 200 metre straight that presents drivers with their first chance to make a move. Another is followed swiftly after, with a DRS zone between Turns 4 and 5, where drivers who started battling at Turn 1 can continue to fight.

A more technical section follows, between Turns 6 and 9, ahead of the next overtaking opportunity, which begins at the 12th corner for just over a mile down the city’s famous Strip through to Turn 14, seeing cars hit around 210 mph.

If a driver hasn’t been able to get their move done by the time they’ve reached the end of this straight, which is the second longest on the calendar, or if they’re looking to bounce back having just been overtaken, then they’ll get another bite of the cherry at the chicane between Turns 14 and 16.

Finally, there’s one last opportunity to attempt a pass at the circuit’s final turn, a full-throttle corner where cars hit around 195mph.

The season so far

Lando achieved a clean sweep last time out, taking Pole for the Sprint and the Grand Prix in Brazil, before converting both to victory. After retiring from the Sprint and being handed a penalty in the Grand Prix, Oscar managed to execute a solid recovery drive to fifth. With just three rounds to spare, Lando leads the Championship with 390 points, ahead of Oscar on 366.

The fit

Reiss have released their latest Grand Prix specific capsule ahead of this weekend’s race in Las Vegas, combining the ‘vintage motorsport’ chic of their 2025 McLaren collection with the streetwear style that the United States has become famous for.

Each driver has their own range, with Lando’s featuring two long-sleeve T-shirts, while Oscar’s comprises a matching T-shirt and hoodie. Discover how the full collection came together and what inspired Reiss’ designs here.