F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix 2023: Start time UK, grid…

F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix 2023: Start time UK, grid positions, weather and how to watch on TV

Formula One has embarked on arguably its most ambitious race ever this weekend with the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Co will race for 50 laps around the bright lights of the Mojave Desert on a brand-new track which features a 1.1-mile drag down the famous Las Vegas Strip.

F1 has been here before, with a couple of fairly underwhelming runs around the Caesars Palace car park in the early 1980s, and it is fair to say this latest excursion has divided fans and drivers alike.

And fears of F1 throwing all its chips on red and the ball landing on black grew with first practice cancelled after only a few laps due to a loose manhole cover damaging Carlos Sainz's Ferrari and the Alpine of Esteban Ocon.

Second practice was then delayed and extended to 90 minutes as a result, with fans removed from the stands before Charles Leclerc went quickest at a staggering 4am finish, local time.

Ferrari were again on top in qualifying, with Leclerc taking pole as he eyes his first win of the season. Sainz qualified second, but his contentious ten-place grid penalty means it will be Verstappen alongside Leclerc on the front row. Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris both failed to make it through to Q3.

Sunday's race is an early one for viewers in the UK, too, with the race taking place at 10pm local time on Saturday night. That means the temperature will plummet before the lights go out on one of the most intriguing events put on by a major sport in recent history.

When is the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix?

The race takes place on Sunday November 19, 2023 and starts at 6am GMT for fans in the UK.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc is on pole position for the Las Vegas Grand Prix (REUTERS)

F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix weather forecast

Talk of freezing temperatures has been a little exaggerated in the build-up to the grand prix, although it will certainly be cold by F1 standards.

Daytime temperatures should sit at around 20°C across the weekend but the actual track action comes at night, when the mercury will plummet to barely above 10ºC in the desert chill.

There is thought to be next to no chance of rain, at least.

How to watch the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix

TV channel: In the UK, Sky Sports will broadcast the entire race weekend live with race coverage starting at 4.30am. Free-to-air highlights will be shown on Channel 4 at 12.30pm on Sunday.

Live stream: Sky subscribers can watch the race live online via the Sky Go app.