Check out the Las Vegas F1 track — VIDEO

Before the top Formula One racers take to area streets for the Las Vegas Grand Prix this weekend, the Review-Journal is taking you on a trip around the 3.8-mile circuit.

With most of the track’s lighting, barriers and signage already in place as race week kicks off, a trip down the Strip now creates the feeling that motorists are driving the course, as opposed to a normal cruise down one of the most famous streets in the world.

The three-day event kicks off Thursday with practice rounds and concludes Saturday night with the Las Vegas Grand Prix, when 20 F1 drivers battle it out on the street course, running on portions of Las Vegas Boulevard, Koval Lane and Harmon and Sands avenues.

The race will begin at the Formula One pit building on the northeast corner of Harmon and Koval, and move in a counter clockwise fashion toward the Sphere, where drivers will hit speeds of up to 193 mph. From the Sphere, racers will then head down Sands, toward the Strip, with top speeds once again expected to reach 193 mph. Drivers will then hit Las Vegas Boulevard until they reach Harmon, where they will head east and back toward the start/finish line at the pit building. The race features 50 laps, as it did during the 2023 event.

While the racing action will take place at night each day of the grand prix, the best way to take a look at the course for the average citizen is in the early morning, to beat the traffic and get a view of what the race has to offer.

The circuit’s highlight is the 1.18-mile-long straightaway on Las Vegas Boulevard, between Spring Mountain Road and Harmon. The straightaway is the second longest on the F1 calendar, with everyday motorists this week being able to experience this highlight of the race in its entirety — though at much lower speeds than the 217.8 mph Charles Leclerc hit during last year’s inaugural race on Las Vegas Boulevard.

Access to Koval’s portion of the circuit is fragmented to general traffic, as there is no access to the road from Harmon, near the pit building. The stretch that is drivable from near Flamingo over to Sands is parallel to the actual track; that portion of the circuit is only open to southbound traffic and in the opposite direction of the race.

Depending on the time of day, vehicle access on Harmon could be impacted, with no left turns allowed onto Harmon from the Strip during certain hours.

The somewhat winding stretch down Sands is fully drivable, with the portion of the course featuring the Venetian and Palazzo and Wynn flanking each side of the road.

During racing events each night, there will be road closures surrounding the 3.8-mile track. Planning ahead is the best way for motorists to avoid traffic issues caused by race-related road closures.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.