F1 ‘will BLOCK punters watching Las Vegas Grand Prix if clubs don’t shell out millions of pounds in furious licence row’

FORMULA ONE have demanded MILLIONS from hotel owners to allow punters to watch the Las Vegas Grand Prix from their hotels.

The first ever Las Vegas Grand Prix will take place in November this year, with viewers able to watch the cars zip around the iconic Vegas strip.

GettyThe Las Vegas Grand Prix is due to be the most expensive Grand Prix of all time[/caption]

GettyRed Bull’s Sergio Perez drove on the Las Vegas strip as part of promo for the race[/caption]

GettyThe track will take in some of Vegas’ most iconic land marks[/caption]

The race will pass by a number of iconic landmarks including the MSG Sphere – which will open in September – as well as Treasure Island, The Mirage, the Bellagio Hotel and Caesars Palace.

The track design is 3.8 miles long from start to finish with top speeds estimated to be over 212 mph.

According to The New York Post, F1 bosses are demanding that hotels with a roof terrace, viewing platform or bar that overlooks the track pay £1,167-per-head to have the required licence to watch the race.

That would mean a hotel with a 1,500 seating capacity would pay £1.75million to ‘show’ the event.

The report claims that if hotel owners refuse to comply, F1 bosses will ensure they build barricades, stands and light stanchions that will obscure the view of the race from hotels.

A source told The New York Post that: “They are literally shaking people down saying they will obstruct views unless they pay them.

“It seems insane that they are asking money for a public event that is taking place in the streets.”

F1 bosses have reportedly threatened to shine lights into the viewing platforms of hotels that do not pay the licence fee, meaning punters will be unable to view the night time race.

The worry is that casino and hotel bosses will simply pass the cost of the licence fee onto customers for what is already a very expensive event to attend.

The act of asking for a licence fee from hotel and casinos is common practice in F1, given the precedent set by the Monaco Grand Prix.

Hotel and casino owners worry that the cost of a trip to Las Vegas will be so expensive for high-rolling customers that they will be scared off coming back – losing establishments much coveted repeat business.

Proprietors are already angry that the Las Vegas strip will shut down to construct the track – and they fear asking owners to pay up on top of this is simply too far.

Ticket packages for Las Vegas have not yet sold out – with Las Vegas being the most expensive race of the year.

The price of an average weekend ticket is £5,167, almost 50% more expensive than the Miami Grand Prix which prices at £3,137.

Las Vegas is the third American track to be added to the F1 season, following Miami and Austin.

The three of them represent the most expensive Grand Prix’s to attend for punters.

The most expensive non-American circuit to attend is the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.