F1 and Las Vegas have history – but 1980s Caesars Palace car park ‘fantasyland’ soon turned into a damp squib
The IndependentLas Vegas has always been a playground for grown-ups.” John Watson recalls the stateside years like they were yesterday. Bernie Ecclestone’s grand plan to expand F1 in the United States, as well as Las Vegas’ eagerness to expand its entertainment portfolio beyond gambling and boxing, saw the infamous Caesars Palace Grand Prix concocted. We woke up in Las Vegas thinking ‘Wow, this is fantasyland!’ It was quite spectacular!” But soon the contrast between the lavish spectacle supplied by the hotel and the underwhelming sporting show became evident. The sport is in quite a different position today, heading into a race speeding down the world-famous Las Vegas Boulevard and this time past the Caesars Palace hotel. open image in gallery John Watson was in contention for the 1982 title heading into the final Caesars Palace Grand Prix “What Las Vegas is going to do now is go through the motions,” he says.
History of this topic
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