2024 Calendar

[S griffin]

I don't mind two races in one country, providing it's a country where there's enough interest from the fans. That's why it works so well having two in Italy

[Alan52]

Originally Posted by E.B

I also still wish Australia was the season opener.

Their 2035 contract specified a number of years where they were going to be first race.2024 was the first of these.When Liberty couldn’t juggle the calendar for that to happen Australia was given an extension to 2036 and 2037 gratis.Pretty good trade off.

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by Skam85

Miami is bland and a nothing track.
Vegas was the race nobody asked for.

COTA is great, if there was another fantastic USA track then it would be no dramas at all.

this for me. if Maimi wasnt so pants (as i suspect Vegas will be as well) i would have no problems with multiple races in the US.

for me it stems more from an anti street course position. of course there are always outliers, but generally speaking Silverstone was a great reminder of why sports at this level are best played on and in purpose built facilities imo.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Skam85

One race per country is preferred, but two races in a country is also fine, see Nurburgring and Hockenheim.
Miami is bland and a nothing track.
Vegas was the race nobody asked for.

COTA is great, if there was another fantastic USA track then it would be no dramas at all.

Last year I gave Miami 2, this year 4. The race was an improvement on last year but it wasn't a particularly good race and I don't think it ever will be, so it's just a matter of time until it drops of the calendar.

Vegas is an unknown quantity but I have a feeling it will like Miami.

Agreed, COTA is great so problems there. There are other fantastic tracks in the US, like Mid-Ohio, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring but F1 would want all those tracks upgraded, which could be cost prohibitive as well as ruining the character of those tracks.

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Last year I gave Miami 2, this year 4. The race was an improvement on last year but it wasn't a particularly good race and I don't think it ever will be, so it's just a matter of time until it drops of the calendar.

Vegas is an unknown quantity but I have a feeling it will like Miami.

Agreed, COTA is great so problems there. There are other fantastic tracks in the US, like Mid-Ohio, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring but F1 would want all those tracks upgraded, which could be cost prohibitive as well as ruining the character of those tracks.

I agree with all of this. COTA is good. I have no strong opinion on Miami. Vegas is an unknown. Any track that ends up being particularly poor from a design/layout perspective needs to be questioned. Clearly the demand is high in the US from a commercial perspective and we have a strong motorsports history. I think the biggest challenges in the US are the high ticket prices and potentially poor circuits which might undermine demand. So Liberty/F1 needs to keep the long term viability in mind as they build out the calendar.

Richard

[broadrun96]

And there is a HUGE difference between a street circuit and that joke they ended up with in their own parking lot. So many better options and by not including the area around the stadium in other events F1 got the poo dipped end of the stick for the track, and it shows. Give it 3 more years and in the dust bin of history hopefully and maybe Vegas stays with more buy-in but doubt it. But I doubted COTA would last in the fall so what do I know

[Richard C]

Regardless of what you think about the need for the Las Vegas race, or viability of F1 street circuits, one thing to remember is how deeply invested Liberty is with respect to the Las Vegas race. This is not a race that is primarily driven/funded by a third party promoter or government, this is being run by Liberty itself. I think they spent $240M to buy the 39 acres of land. I have no idea what the budget is for construction of the paddock and other facilities. But they are all in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDj2nT6wIw0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h96csNF_zkE

With the large cost of all of this, I can't be shocked at the high ticket prices either. I wonder when they project to recoup all of that investment.

Richard

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

this for me. if Maimi wasnt so pants (as i suspect Vegas will be as well) i would have no problems with multiple races in the US.

for me it stems more from an anti street course position. of course there are always outliers, but generally speaking Silverstone was a great reminder of why sports at this level are best played on and in purpose built facilities imo.

This is sort of where I am coming from.

Going to a poor circuit, regardless of how much history or the country hosting is wrong. What I get aggrieved about is claiming that a country should be restricted to one (or none) just because of a dislike of the country involved.

Should USA have 3 races? If the circuits are good enough, then why not?

[Skam85]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

What I get aggrieved about is claiming that a country should be restricted to one (or none) just because of a dislike of the country involved.

Literally nobody said this.

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by Richard Casto

With the large cost of all of this, I can't be shocked at the high ticket prices either. I wonder when they project to recoup all of that investment.

Richard

Yeah, the Amex "deals" I received were in the area of 5-6k for prerelease pricing. And it doesn't seem to have much in the way of just a ticket, everything is packages and viewing from your hotel's stands.

Talked with my cousin who worked out there for years, there was some pushback from casinos at first and it appears the restricted sections at each casino and having half the strip open the entire event was key moving forward. And the gambling expected on the race and prop bets is expected to be INSANE. His friends at a few casinos weren't sure but they buy-in from the big guys means it's likely to stay as long as Vegas can function. They are more concerned about the city itself failing with water restrictions and heat

I am curious how a late night East Coast and early morning Europe race time will go but we have races at all times of the day so guess that's the usual East Coast bias everyone claims in the US