By bringing forward the start of the Las Vegas GP, F1 is taking the plunge and abandoning Europe in favour of the United States

La Formula 1 makes a new concession to the American market. In 2025, the Las Vegas Grand Prix will see its start brought forward by two hours, to 20 p.m. local time on Saturday (5 a.m. in France on Sunday). A change that will notably allow for broadcasting in prime time on the West Coast of the United States and before midnight on the East Coast, but which once again penalizes European fans who will have to get up very early to follow the American round, the penultimate race of the 2025 season which could be decisive for the title. Let us recall that Max Verstappen was titled in Las Vegas in 2024…

It's no secret: for several years, Formula 1 has been making efforts to attract the American public. Since 2023, there have been three Grands Prix in the United States (Austin, Miami, Las Vegas) while, at the same time, Grands Prix in Europe are becoming increasingly rare with the threat of new, more exotic candidates (Rwanda, South Africa, Thailand, etc.). Now, it is through a schedule adjustment, to match the expectations of the North American market, that F1 is trying to attract an even wider audience to Uncle Sam's country. Fans of the Old Continent will therefore once again have to set their alarms for the early hours if they want to follow the event live. Along with Australia, the Las Vegas Grand Prix will be the earliest event on the calendar for us, European viewers.

F1 in American time

“This change is based on the feedback and experience from the first two editions, in order to allow fans to better discover the destination while continuing to engage more spectators across the United States”, explained the organizers of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, whose contract – which expires at the end of 2025 – should soon be extended. A justification that does not convince everyone. This new schedule confirms the trend of recent years: F1 is resolutely turning towards the American market, even if it means abandoning part of its historic audience in Europe.

If F1 is looking to optimize the spectator experience on site, this change raises a broader question: is the discipline losing its soul in favor of a quest for new markets? The Las Vegas Grand Prix, which returned in 2023, is already establishing itself as a flagship event on the calendar, particularly due to its importance from an advertising and marketing point of view. But by dint of wanting to attract a specific and still very young audience, is F1 not running the risk of cutting itself off from some of its early supporters? It remains to be seen whether this change will be unanimous... or whether it will fuel even more debate on the direction taken by the discipline.

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