Las Vegas Grand Prix: What to know ahead of the F1 weekend

It’s the third grand prix in the Mojave Desert in this format, and last year’s race saw Max Verstappen celebrate his fourth F1 world title.

The title race is closer this year, with Verstappen and Oscar Piastri looking to prevent leader Lando Norris winning his first F1 world championship.

The time zone shift means locally, the race weekend starts a day earlier than usual, with practice on Thursday night and the race on Saturday night (local time).

Thursday and Friday evening could also see some light rain in the desert, as Saturday looks set to be dry.

HAKKINEN JOINS MCLAREN.: Ella Hakkinen, the daughter of two-time Formula 1 world champion Mika, has been added to McLaren’s driver development programme as the team ramps up its commitment to female talent.

F1 ACADEMY: F1 teams have signed a new deal committing to F1 Academy, with Cadillac to join from 2027.

UNLAPPED: For more analysis, listen to the latest episode of ESPN’s F1 podcast Unlapped with F1 writers Nate Saunders and Laurence Edmondson.

– How many points for a race win? How the points system works – Permutations: Where can the title be decided?

Las Vegas first held a Formula 1 grand prix in 1981 for two years before withdrawing. It was known as the Caesars Palace Grand Prix and it ran around the huge car park of the casino hotel.

The race wasn’t a success and the idea was shelved until recent years when F1’s new owners, Liberty Media, picked up the idea to build upon F1’s exposure in the U.S.

The race returned to the F1 calendar in 2023 and cost around $500 million. The street circuit is one of few night races on the calendar, and includes the city’s famous Strip and different landmarks around the city, such as the Bellagio and the Sphere.

Max Verstappen won his fourth world title as George Russell led a one-two with Lewis Hamilton for Mercedes. Verstappen only had to finish ahead of Lando Norris to clinch the drivers’ championship. He finished fifth, one place ahead of Norris who took the extra point for fastest lap.

Hamilton finished 7.5 seconds behind Russell after charging from 10th on the grid, while Carlos Sainz finished third.

In the UK, live broadcast coverage is on Sky Sports F1 and BBC Radio 5 Live, with highlights on Channel 4.

For news, analysis and updates, follow the coverage with ESPN’s F1 team Nate Saunders and Laurence Edmondson in Las Vegas and on social media.

Session times below in GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). Local time is (PST) Pacific Standard Time (GMT-8 hours).

Jump to: Circuit history & stats | How to watch | Championship standings

ARCHIVES: Looking back at the closest F1 titles, which ones were the closest battles?

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Lando Norris leads by 24 points ahead of his teammate, Oscar Pistri.

Max Verstappen trails by 49 points behind Norris, and 25 points behind Piastri.

As for a breakdown of podiums and wins, this is how it looks for the top three:

Circuit: Las Vegas Strip Circuit; Las Vegas, Nevada

Previous winners: Verstappen (2023), George Russell (2024)

Previous pole sitters: Charles Leclerc (2023), Russell (2024)

Friday Free practice one: 00:30-01:30 GMT Free practice two: 04:00-05:00 GMT

Saturday Free practice three: 00:30-01:30 GMT Qualifying: 04:00-05:00 GMT

Sunday Race starts: 04:00 GMT (live text commentary build-up from 03:30 GMT on ESPN.co.uk/F1).

– Standings | Calendar | Teams – 2025 F1 circuits: Their history, stats and why they’re special – Key facts on drivers, teams, venues, more – Reasons to root for each F1 driver, questions for every team – Meet the rookies: What to expect from F1’s Class of 2025

For fans in the U.S. only, watch live on ESPN and ESPN+ — view the schedule.

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