F1 returns to Las Vegas this month, and the city's short F1 history is stranger than most.
1. The first races were held in a car park
F1 first raced in Las Vegas in 1981 and 1982, on a temporary track laid out in the car park of the Caesars Palace hotel. The 3.650 kilometre circuit had 14 corners.
Alan Jones won the first race for Williams. The site is now covered by the Forum Shops at Caesars and the Mirage.
2. It ran the "wrong" way round
The Caesars Palace track ran anticlockwise. Drivers used to clockwise circuits found it hard on their necks, and many disliked its flat, repetitive layout.
3. Three champions were crowned there, all in fifth
Nelson Piquet clinched his first title in 1981 by finishing fifth, then needed 15 minutes to recover from heat exhaustion. Keke Rosberg sealed the 1982 title in fifth place for Williams.
When the title was next decided in Las Vegas, in 2024, Max Verstappen finished fifth too, sealing his fourth championship in a row.
4. A first win for Alboreto and Tyrrell's first in four years
Michele Alboreto won the 1982 Caesars Palace Grand Prix for Tyrrell. It was his first F1 win and the team's first since the 1978 Monaco Grand Prix.
He was the 11th different winner in a 1982 season that had seven winning teams.
5. A loose cover stopped the first practice of the comeback
When F1 returned in 2023 on a 6.201 kilometre street track along the Strip, Carlos Sainz's Ferrari hit a loose metal cover in the first practice session, which was abandoned.
The damage forced Ferrari to fit new parts, and Sainz took a 10-place grid penalty. The race itself started at 10pm local time on a Saturday night, and Verstappen won it.
6. Both McLarens were thrown out in 2025
Lando Norris finished second in the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix, and team-mate Oscar Piastri was fourth. Both were disqualified after the race for excessive wear on the plank under their cars.
Verstappen won, and the disqualifications promoted Mercedes' George Russell and Kimi Antonelli to second and third.
Race it on Late Brake
Las Vegas isn't in Late Brake, but Monaco is one of its six real circuits, alongside Spielberg, Monza, Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps and Interlagos. Try the streets of Monaco against AI rivals, or take on the daily challenge.
Sources: Wikipedia: Caesars Palace Grand Prix, Wikipedia: 1982 Caesars Palace Grand Prix, Wikipedia: 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix, Wikipedia: 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix, Wikipedia: 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix