Las Vegas agrees two-year F1 extension as sport eyes 'permanent' home on the Strip

Las Vegas looks destined to become a permanent fixture on the Formula 1 calendar, after officials confirmed a new contract has been agreed through to the end of 2027.

F1 racing returned to Sin City in 2023 on an initial three-year deal, and while no formal announcement had been made beyond the end of this year, the Vegas race remained on the 2026 schedule when it was announced last week.

And now, speaking at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal this weekend, Emily Prazer - president of the Las Vegas Grand Prix and chief commercial officer of F1 - confirmed that a formal agreement is in place to keep racing on the Strip. 

'We've agreed collectively that we're going to do a two-year extension for 2026 and 2027,' she said, on a panel including high-profile Vegas GP stakeholders from various hotel chains in the city.

'We want to make sure that we're continuing to evolve what we're doing. But the intent is a much longer-term arrangement. As we all know, the race has had its challenges, but we're coming out the other side. So we want to make sure that it continues to work for both sides.

'So collectively, we sat down and agreed that was the best approach. We're very much planning longer-term, but that's kind of where we're at right now.'

While two years is the formal arrangement, all members of the panel were keen to stress that Vegas is seen as a long-term destination for F1. 

Steve Hill - Chief Executive Officer and President of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority - joked that the race would be around 'for as long as I am... and I don't just mean in this job'.

The Vegas race creates 4,500 jobs each year and has turned a quiet weekend in November into one of the city's most lucrative.

Initial complaints over the time of the race - with lights out at 10pm local time - have also been answered, with officials moving the start back two hours to 8pm.