Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has stated that the upcoming Las Vegas Grand Prix will be the largest sporting event of the year.
Formula 1 is preparing for what is expected to be a star-studded weekend in Sin City this November, as the sport’s bosses look to build on the commercial success of the sport in the United States.
Vegas is the third American race to be added to the calendar, following Miami last season and the Circuit of the Americas in 2012.
The United States now holds more Formula 1 races than any other country, with no other nation having more than two.
Want to work in Formula 1? Browse the latest F1 job vacancies
The increasing embrace of America follows Liberty Media’s acquisition of the sport, with the new owners seeing the opportunity in the region thanks, in part, due to growing fanbase of the Netflix show ‘Drive to Survive’.
“It’s very kind of them to put the event on my 50th birthday,” Horner said on the Pardon My Take podcast.
READ: Max Verstappen’s secret to success revealed
“I think it’s going to be the biggest sporting event globally this year, I really do. I think the interest and the hype around that race – a Saturday night race down the strip in Vegas – who doesn’t want to be there? Who does not want to see that race? It’s going to be such a spectacle.”
Even though the title race is likely to be wrapped up when the drivers hit the track in Vegas, fans are still hopeful of an exciting night race around the famous city’s streets.
Formula 1 might be facing some competition for TV viewers though, as sporting fans face a choice of the F1 or the Cricket World Cup final during the Saturday.