The Las Vegas Grand Prix has a very limited but deep history in F1. The championship body’s efforts to breathe life into the race appear to be more successful than those of the 20th century, as we’re now approaching the third Grand Prix in the city since the sport returned to Sin City in 2023.
Vegas has seen the famed speed of F1 cars in previous decades, but who won those races?
Who Won the Last 4 Las Vegas Grands Prix? Looking at F1 History in the City
There is a limited list of winners in the Las Vegas Grand Prix, given its narrow history.
1981 — Alan Jones, Williams-Ford
Alan Jones is a landmark of Williams’s initial success in Formula 1. In 1981, he partnered with Carlos Reuteman for the team’s second consecutive constructors’ title run after bagging it the year before, in addition to the drivers’ championship.
The 1981 campaign came down to the season finale in the Caesars Palace Grand Prix in Las Vegas, as eventual champion Nelson Piquet was fighting for the title to the very end.
Piquet’s P5 finish was enough for him to seal the championship, while Jones took the win to walk away with a 3rd-place finish that season.
1982 — Michele Alboreto, Tyrrell-Ford
The following season saw a midfield team finish the season strong, as Tyrrell-Ford’s Michele Alboreto pulled off a pole finish after starting from third in the Caesars Palace Grand Prix. His P8 finish in the championship made him the best Italian driver in the field that year.
Williams-Ford star Keke Rosberg, the 1982 champion, came home in fifth to clinch both titles in Vegas, with his teammate, Derek Daly, right behind him.
2023 — Max Verstappen, Red Bull
It took F1 more than 40 years to return to Vegas, but its return was a grand spectacle, featuring a redesigned track that highlights some of the city’s most iconic landmarks.
None other than the defending 2-time champion, Max Verstappen, went from the front row to pole after starting in P2 next to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
While the Dutchman took home maximum points, he had already sealed the title four races prior, when he won the Qatar Grand Prix.
2024 — George Russell, Mercedes
Verstappen saw a significant drop-off the following year, as he finished the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix in fifth. Both Mercedes and Ferrari outpaced the Red Bull star, with George Russell taking pole ahead of Lewis Hamilton, Carlos Sainz, and Leclerc.
McLaren struggled in the race, which many expect could be the case this year as well, shaking up the title race between Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, and Verstappen.
