LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Formula 1 cars will reach speeds of more than 200 mph on the Las Vegas Strip this weekend as the Las Vegas Grand Prix returns for its third year.
Practice sessions begin Thursday with Free Practice 1 starting at 4:30 p.m. and running for one hour. Free Practice 2 follows at 8 p.m.
Friday’s schedule includes Free Practice 3 at 4:30 p.m., followed by qualifying at 8 p.m. The Las Vegas Grand Prix race starts at 8 p.m. Saturday.
Road closures and traffic impacts
Lane and ramp closures on Interstate 15 will continue through Sunday from midnight to 4 a.m. Ramps from I-15 to Spring Mountain, Flamingo and Harmon will close intermittently. Lanes will be reduced on Spring Mountain and Flamingo roads.
The Nevada Department of Transportation advises drivers to use caution in work zones and consider alternate routes.
Drivers near the 3.8-mile track on and around the Strip should expect slow speeds before, during and after races though Sunday as it transition from a hot track (during race events) to warm track with some public use available during off hours.
Limited free viewing options
Race organizers have blocked views from pedestrian bridges over the track. Metal fencing and sheeting obstruct every view of the street below from the bridges.
In 2023, film applied to bridge plexiglass was peeled off by people wanting to see the race. Clark County added metal enclosures for safety reasons: to prevent people from stopping on bridges and throwing objects onto the track.
Wednesday night at Harmon and Las Vegas Boulevard, the escalator to the pedestrian bridge was blocked off, requiring tourists to use stairs. The bridge creates a confined corridor with no view of the track.
Henderson will host a free Formula 1 watch party at Water Street Plaza on Saturday starting at 7 p.m. The event features a 42-foot screen, live DJ and food trucks. A pet supply drive for Henderson Animal Protection Services will offer chances to win tickets to next year’s race. Attendees should bring blankets and chairs. Alcohol is not allowed.
Race tickets remain available for purchase.
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