F1 | Zak Brown is fully convinced the addition of Las Vegas on the F1 calendar “will add another glamorous market” and adds on Monaco: "We respect history, but I think you need to take into consideration the show that it puts on”
After the announcement of Las Vegas’s Grand Prix from 2023, Zak Brown is confident that these new tracks will be awesome markets for the future of the sport despite this means the replacement of historical tracks
The announcement came earlier this week; Formula 1 will host a Las Vegas Grand Prix from 2023, with a Saturday night race which will replace the traditional Sunday race.
The direct European rival of Las Vegas is for sure the historical Monaco Grand Prix, which now could be replaced in the F1 calendar. Indeed, soon after the announcement and Domenicali’s declarations in which he stated that F1 is thinking about 30-races per year, it looks like the F1 CEO is also considering which Grands Prix are going to be renewed and others which are going to be replaced.
In the last few years, Formula 1 tried to extend its horizons beyond Europe, with the addition of many circuits in Asia: Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi. But it looks like, already since 2021, the circus has also been considering his extension in the US, with the Miami Grand Prix announced later last year, and now Las Vegas, for a total of three US Grand Prix from 2023.
On this topic, Zak Brown specified how these decisions are made considering not just the sport, but also the show it’s put on and the economic contribution.
Indeed, Brown said: “You need to take into consideration history but then I think you need to take into consideration how’s the show it puts on. There’s also an element, which shouldn’t drive out decision but should be part of them, of what’s the economic contribution to the sport.”
Monaco has hosted Formula 1 Grands Prix since 1950, and in these streets overtakes are almost impossible to make. Now its presence in future F1 World Championship is at risk but its contract is up for renewal.
About Monaco, Zak Brown said: “I think Monaco needs to come up to the same commercial terms as other grands prix and also maybe needs to work with ways they can adapt their track because our cars have become bigger, and the racing has become more difficult. I’d rather have Monaco than not but, just like the sport is bigger than any one driver or team, I think it’s bigger than any one grand prix.”
For the American McLaren’s CEO, thinks that Miami, Austin and Las Vegas are the “perfect schedule from an American standpoint”.
He said: “These are three awesome markets. We want to respect history, but there’s not many sports that haven’t changed in recent times to adapt to a changing world.”
On the intention of Stefano Domenicali to extend the number of races per year to 30, Zak Brown added: “I’d love to see us in 30 markets, but race 21 or 22 times a year. Seventeen or eighteen as permanent fixtures and seven or eight that rotate because I do think to continue to grow the sport, the quality markets we can be in the better.”
