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Year 3 of the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix delivered record viewership.
The 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix averaged 1.5 million viewers on ESPN, a 68% increase from 905,000 viewers last year, ESPN announced Tuesday. Saturday’s race also eclipsed the 1.3 million viewers from the inaugural race in 2023.
F1 is averaging 1.3 million viewers on ESPN through 22 races, and could break the full season record of 1.21 million viewers —with a boost from Nielsen’s new Big Data + Panel measurement. There are two races remaining on the calendar, which will be the end of F1’s eight-year run on ESPN as it is set to move to Apple TV next year.
The start time for this year’s Las Vegas race was pushed back by two hours. The first two editions of the race started at 10 p.m. local time (1 a.m. ET) while the new start time of 8 p.m. PT and 11 p.m. ET created a wider viewership window across the country.
F1 chief commercial officer told Front Office Sports last year that the later timeslot was chosen to accommodate the racing series’ significant international audience in Europe and Asia. But it drew the least domestic viewers of the three U.S.-based races over the last two years.
“We listened, we adjusted it, and we hope that this year, it means that everybody is understanding that we are really trying to make that change,” Prazer said on the Unlapped podcast last month.
Viewership for 2025 U.S. F1 races:
- Miami (May 4): 2.1 million on ABC
- Austin (Oct. 19): 1.5 million on ABC
- Las Vegas (Nov. 22): 1.5 million on ESPN
There were other issues, though.
A suspected loose manhole cover interfered with the race’s second practice on Thursday night, causing two disruptions and an early end to the session. The incident comes two years after Carlos Sainz ran over a loose manhole cover during a practice session that delayed the session and damaged his Ferrari.
After the race, several drivers complained about the quality of the track in the Sin City, even when compared to other street races like Monaco and Singapore.
“I think the type of asphalt is not a Formula 1 standard, to be honest,” said Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonzo, a two-time world champion. “It’s too slippery, and we cannot put the tires in [the right] temperature, and there is no grip, and it’s extremely bumpy, at the limit of being safe to race. I think for the future, we need to talk with the FIA if this is acceptable or not for the following years.”
F1 will race in Las Vegas until at least 2027, though the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported last week that there are already discussions to extend F1’s contract in Vegas to at least 2032.
