Las Vegas Street Circuit
Nevada, USA · 2 races held
Race History
| Year | Grand Prix | Winner | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Caesars Palace Grand Prix | Michele Alboreto | Tyrrell |
| 1981 | Caesars Palace Grand Prix | Alan Jones | Williams |
About Las Vegas Street Circuit
This entry refers to the original Las Vegas venue of the early 1980s, the Caesars Palace Grand Prix, run in 1981 and 1982. The circuit was a flat, temporary layout laid out across the car parks behind the Caesars Palace hotel and casino, a far cry from the glamour of the Strip.
Despite its modest setting, the Caesars Palace track twice played host to the climax of the Formula 1 season, hosting the final round of both the 1981 and 1982 World Championships. After just two races, the event was dropped, and Las Vegas would not see Formula 1 again until a spectacular new street circuit on the Strip arrived decades later.
Memorable Moments
- 1981: Alan Jones won the inaugural race for Williams, while Nelson Piquet hung on to clinch his first World Championship despite finishing exhausted and physically spent.
- 1982: Michele Alboreto scored his maiden Grand Prix victory for Tyrrell, as Keke Rosberg secured the title with a fifth-place finish.
- 1981–1982: In a rare feat, the car-park circuit decided the World Championship in both of the only two years it appeared on the calendar.
Track Character
The Caesars Palace circuit was a flat, twisting layout marked out with concrete barriers across an asphalt parking lot, run counter-clockwise — an unusual direction that, combined with the desert heat and a relentless series of similar corners, left drivers physically drained. With little elevation change and few distinguishing features, it offered limited natural overtaking and is remembered more for the championship dramas it staged than for any great racing spectacle. It stands as a curious footnote in F1 history and a precursor to the sport's later, far grander return to Las Vegas.