Lewis Hamilton is eagerly anticipating the second edition of the Grand Prix in Las Vegas. The British driver has often requested Formula 1 to organize a race in the gambling city, and is pleased that the premier class has finally responded. This gives Hamilton hope that his dream of racing in Africa will soon come true.
The Grand Prix in Las Vegas was first held in 2023. Despite not finishing higher than seventh place during the inaugural race in the gambling city, Hamilton was pleased with the American race. “One of the cool things is that I feel like I may have played a small role in (determining, ed.) these new races,” the Brit tells international media. “They asked where you wanted to hold a race and I always said Vegas. And suddenly, a few years later, we had a race in Vegas.”
As the race in Las Vegas was first on the calendar last year, the weekend did not go entirely smoothly. One of the biggest problems of the weekend were the loose manhole covers on the street circuit. Carlos Sainz was particularly affected by this error. His Ferrari car was significantly damaged during the first free practice session.
However, according to Hamilton, lessons were learned after the first edition. “I think what happened with the fans and I can’t remember exactly, but it wasn’t the smoothest weekend. However, the race was incredible,” says the Mercedes driver. “And if we go back now, I think they’ve made so many changes that it will be even better. But yes, certainly dancing under the night lights was just incredible.”
Africa
The decision by Formula 1 to organize a Grand Prix in Las Vegas also gives Hamilton hope for a race in Africa. “I’ve talked about Africa and we possibly have Rwanda on the map, which is great,” says Hamilton. “So I hope it comes in time, before I’m gone. That’s my biggest dream, to make sure I can race there before I retire.
