Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Chief executive of Formula One Bernie Ecclestone shake hands during the Formula One Russian Grand Prix. Photo / AP
F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone is in discussions about hosting a grand prix on the streets of Las Vegas.
"Vegas say they are ready to go and it would be on The Strip for sure," said Ecclestone, referring to the famous road which runs through the centre of Las Vegas and
is lined with casino resorts including the Bellagio and Caesars Palace.
F1 last raced in Las Vegas in 1982 on a track in the Caesars Palace carpark but it failed to get support from within the industry due to the makeshift, temporary nature of the course. A race on the streets would have more permanence and do a better job of showing off the local landmarks.
"Vegas would be a fantastic addition to the F1 calendar and would be successful for so many people involved," said leading F1 sponsorship agent Zak Brown. "It's a great fit for the F1 brand and would draw a lot of interest from sponsors in one of the most important strategic markets for F1 - America."
A senior source in the US racing scene added that F1's track designer Hermann Tilke had visited Las Vegas several times to work on the layout of the course, showing that the project is at an advanced stage. "Tilke has made a couple of site visits. I knew that if he had gone along there must be something to it," said the source.
