Abu Dhabi to bring down curtain on record 24-race F1 calendar

Abu Dhabi will host the final race of the 2023 season after Formula One's governing body announced a record 24-race calendar.

Yas Marina Circuit is contracted to host the final race of the F1 season until 2030 and will stage the 2023 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on November 26.

A new addition to the calendar will see Las Vegas make its floodlit debut a week before. Monaco, meanwhile, signed a new deal to secure its place on the calendar until at least 2025.

"The presence of 24 races on the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship calendar is further evidence of the growth and appeal of the sport on a global scale," said FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem.

"The addition of new venues and the retention of traditional events underlines the FIA’s sound stewardship of the sport," added the Emirati.

The Las Vegas Strip circuit takes a November 18 date as the season's penultimate round and third in the United States. It will also be the first race to be held on a Saturday since 1985.

"The Las Vegas Grand Prix is going to take F1 race weekends to the next level," said Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali. "The entire city is buzzing with excitement for next year's race."

The Grand Prix's 6.12km track along the famed Las Vegas Strip will see drivers roar past landmarks such as the Bellagio Fountains and Caesars Palace at an event expected to attract 170,000 fans.

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco celebrates after setting the pole position in the qualifying session at the Monaco racetrack on Saturday, May 28, 2022. AP

Monaco, historically F1's most glamorous race, had its future thrown into doubt earlier in the year amid contract renewal talks.

Formula One said a new three-year deal had now been signed with