What happened the last time F1 raced in Las Vegas?

F1 will race in Las Vegas this weekend for the first time in over four decades. The sport has been trying very hard to put the "Sin City" on the calendar since the new ownership took charge in 2017.

The race in Las Vegas will be the third F1 race in the USA in the 2023 season. It is the most amount of times the sport has visited the country in a calendar since the 80s, which incidentally was the last time they raced in Vegas.

The last race in Vegas was held in 1982, then termed the Caesars Palace Grand Prix. The race is mostly remembered for F1 cars racing in the car park of the iconic hotel, as well as the hot temperatures. The race was won by Michele Alboreto driving for the Tyrell Racing Team after Alain Prost started the race in pole position.

Keke Rosberg was able to clinch his one and only title in the sport after finishing fifth. He became the second driver to win the title with just one race win to his name during a season.

Williams F1 director gives his take on the struggles of the cold temperatures in Las Vegas

Williams head of vehicle performance Dave Robson mentioned that it would be tough for the team to grapple with the cold night temperatures and a slippery track surface, to extract the maximum performance.

As per Motorsport.com, Robson said:

“It is tough. I think that the combination of the track surface, which we know very little about, and how that will interact with the tyres will dictate how the weekend pans out. In terms of the track's layout, we've got a good understanding of that, and we can run it in the simulator and get a rough idea.

He added:

“Going to a new track like that, one of the main things will be that we go with a clear starting position, but we also have a whole host of options lined up ready to cover whatever actually happens. Certainly, we can't predict exactly how the car will behave in Vegas, so we will go there with plenty of options. So whatever happens we're able to cover that off as quickly as possible.”

It will be fascinating to see how F1 teams adapt to the conditions in Las Vegas this weekend, especially with the level of hype surrounding the event.