Question of the Day - 14 September 2023

[Editor's Note: As in our F1 QoD last week, we consulted with Peter B., an expert on the Formula 1 scene, for the answers to the first two questions.]

Last year's race cars on the Strip was a promotion using older-model cars set up with much higher ground clearance than what they use during the race, so they weren't affected by bumps and the white lane-separation markers. Some even had lights mounted underneath for dramatic effect. Only one car at a time was running in a straight line between the Caesars Palace and Paris driveways at a much slower pace than actual race speed, so there was no danger of any debris thrown up by the tires hitting a following driver. They also used a hard-rubber less-sticky compound tire that wouldn't pick up any pieces of asphalt or gravel from the pavement.

Regarding employee parking during F1, a temporary vehicle bridge at Flamingo across Koval provides access to The Cromwell garage and the Flamingo, LINQ and Harrah’s garages via Linq Lane. The Cromwell employee parking lot is at Flamingo.

LINQ Lane connects to Krueger Dr., which connects to a stretch of Koval that's not part of the circuit. The entrance to the Wynn employee parking garage is there. Wynn employees use the pedestrian bridge across Sands to get to the Wynn. This bridge also connects to the Sphere and the Palazzo garage, but that garage is on the circuit and cannot be accessed while the track is “hot."
Krueger also has access to the back of the Venetian and Casino Royale parking garages.

Another temporary vehicle bridge across Harmon connects the south and north parts of Audrie St., giving access to Planet Hollywood and the Elara via the Miracle Mile parking garage. The Paris/Horseshoe parking garage is also on Audrie.

An alternative to the vehicle bridges is the Monorail. Race organizers are working with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, which owns the Monorail, to move employees in and out of the circuit. The Monorail will run 24 hours a day over race weekend. (And yes, we know that employees at casinos on the west side of the Strip will have to walk, in many cases, a goodly distance; we're just reporting on the plans.)

A park-and-ride shuttle service is also under consideration.

As for the Bellagio fountains, this is one of many many questions we've been receiving over the past months that we don't know the answers to. If you've submitted a specific question about the race like this one and it hasn't been answered, that's why.

If we had to guess, however, we'd say that the Bellagio fountains will be shut down for the race. It will be cold the night of the race and eruptions of water from the lake will make it even colder for the spectators in the grandstands in front of Bellagio. Besides, they'll all be facing the opposite direction, with no one wandering the Strip looking for the water show. We also imagine that the fountains will be shut down before and after the race while the grandstands are in place. For how long? We'll see.