F1 to spice up Las Vegas Grand Prix with Ferrari Challenge race, ice rink

The Las Vegas Grand Prix will add a Ferrari Challenge support race to the second edition of the Formula One event in November after criticism of the limited track action on offer last year.

For those with money to splash and wanting ice in more than just their drinks, organisers said they also plan to install a skating rink on the roof of the Paddock Club hospitality building.

Formula One's third US round races down the Nevada city's famed Strip at night but offered only Formula One last year. Other grands prix, particularly in Europe, have a range of junior series and sports car races.

“We took on the feedback last year of not having a support race,” Emily Prazer, chief commercial officer for F1 and the Las Vegas Grand Prix, told reporters.

“Logistics last year were our No 1 concern. Now we feel more comfortable being able to extend the operating hours and track activity. It was just a year 1 confidence thing and now we’re feeling good about it.”

Having a support series will also help lay down rubber on the track and highlight potential problems before the F1 cars go out. Last year's first practice lasted eight minutes before being cancelled for track repairs, leading to a class-action lawsuit by disgruntled fans.

The Ferrari Challenge support series will be on all three days, with garages in the Fan Experience zone — a free daytime event on Las Vegas Boulevard with a daily 30,000 capacity.

“We wanted to make sure we’re embracing the community a bit more and educating the audience, particularly the Nevadans on what we’re doing around Formula One,” Prazer said of that ticketed event.

The second edition would be less hype and more about the sport and enhancing the overall experience for visitors.

“We've had to change our approach. We did the same in ticketing where initially we were like, right, it's a big, sexy new event and we're going to have a ton of hospitality. We learnt that lesson. We now have much more accessible tickets, GA [general admission] zones and something for everybody vs something for just the high end.”

The race is promoted by Liberty Media-owned Formula One and Prazer said it was something of an incubator to try out new things and push boundaries, with the ice rink an example.

“You would never see us do that anywhere else, but the intent is 'how do we create more of an entertainment proposition?',” she said.

“It's not an obvious connection with Formula One, but Vegas has got the Golden Knights [National Hockey League team]. We're doing a fun merchandise collaboration with the Golden Knights.

“The idea is, if you look at the size of the Paddock Club, making sure you activate all the space. It was one of those of 'what do we do?’ [moments]. It's a lot of fun.”