Formula 1 chief Stefano Domenicali says the Las Vegas Grand Prix will have a bigger economic impact on the city than the NFL's Super Bowl that will take place in Nevada in 2024.
Grand Prix racing's inaugural race in Las Vegas will be held on November 18, with the sport holding an initial three-contract with the gaming capital of the world.
However, F1 has already made a long-term commitment to Vegas, having bought a significant piece of land near the city's famous Strip to house its pit and hospitality complex.
Earlier this week, Domenicali give the keynote speech at Preview Las Vegas, the annual event where local leaders discuss the city's economic future, and the Italian offered some insight into F1's economic impact on the region which will be an annual affair, contrary to the Super Bowl that will take place for the very first time in Las Vegas in 2024.
©CaesarsEntertainment
"Super Bowl will be for one year, but we’re going to stay for a long time," Domenicali said.
"We are going to have a continuous flag here in the city, and we are going to mark not only for the week of the event, but we are going to mark F1 in Vegas as a place where we will develop the sport."
Although the build-up to next November's race is proceeding normally, Domenicali warned that work would likely continue until the days preceding the showcase event.
"There will be a lot of things that will be ready at the last minute," he said. "That’s part of the game. But there is an incredible professionality here that we found in the community working with us."
Read also:
Formula 1's resident architects Hermann and Carsten Tilke have admitted that setting up Las Vegas' street circuit without disrupting life around Sin City's array of bordering hotels is the biggest challenge facing the renowned track designers.
Laying out the 6.12km, 14-turn street circuit in the heart of downtown Las Vegas was on paper a relatively easy task.
But bringing the venue to life as it winds past iconic locations like Caesars Palace, the Bellagio and the Venetian, without interrupting the flow of visitors to and from those landmarks is a daunting assignment.
©F1LasVegas/Twitter
"Construction of the paddock building is in full swing," said Las Vegas GP CEO Renee Wilm.
"The timelines on construction and setup will vary in each zone depending on installation, but we're really going to start the build in earnest as early as June.
"We do have plans for vehicular bridges, pedestrian walkways, business access points, and we are working very closely with the metro and fire [services] to ensure that we’re mitigating traffic and working with our local partners to try to mitigate any inconvenience.
"We know it’s going to be a difficult, challenging traffic weekend, but we think that the value we’re bringing to the city and the experience we are creating will far outweigh the inconvenience factor."
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
