The drivers’ view of Vegas! New video from Formula One’s safety car shows what Lewis Hamilton and Co will see on the brand new track – and stunning overhead TV shots from The Strip

• Formula One returns to Las Vegas for the first time in 41 years this weekend 
• The drivers will weave between the iconic hotels and bright lights of Sin City 
• DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news 

Stunning on-board footage shows the view Formula One drivers will enjoy as they hurtle around the new track in Las Vegas.

The sport is back in Vegas this weekend, for the first time in 41 years, with organisers spending $410million to create an unrivaled spectacle in the desert.

On Thursday, Formula One released dash-cam clips from on board the safety car as it made its way round the 3.8-mile track that takes drivers down the famous Strip of Sin City.

The film shows how drivers will pass under lights illuminating the names of some of the more iconic hotels in Vegas, including The Mirage.

The video also features footage from the skies above Sin City, showing how Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and Co will weave around the city in the desert.

They will pass the Bellagio and Flamingo en route down Las Vegas Boulevard before turning left and eventually wrapping round the state-of-the-art Sphere.

New footage shows the view that drivers will enjoy as they hurtle around the track in Las Vegas

Lewis Hamilton and Co will pass the iconic hotels and bright lights of The Strip in Sin City

Race week began in earnest on Wednesday with a glittering Superbowl-style opening ceremony, that saw John Legend and Kylie Minogue among a number of high-profile artists to perform in a dazzling 30-minute show.

The penultimate round of the season is being billed as the greatest show on earth but world champion Verstappen has hit out at the event.

‘It is 99 per cent show and one per cent sporting event,’ said the 26-year-old. ‘I was just standing up there, looking like a clown.

‘I guess they (F1) still make money whether I like it or not. So it’s not up to me. But I’m not going to fake it. I voice my opinion on positive things and negative things. 

The track takes drivers down Las Vegas Boulevard and passed the state-of-the-art sphere

‘It is 99 per cent show and one per cent sporting event,’ said world champion Max Verstappen

‘That’s just how I am. And you know, some people like the show a bit more. I don’t like it at all.

‘I grew up just looking at the performance side of things. And that’s how I see it as well. I like to be in Vegas, but not so much for racing.’

The Dutchman was criticised by rival Hamilton, who said: ‘I hear there are a lot of people complaining about the direction that (F1 CEO) Stefano (Domenicali) and Liberty has gone. But they are doing an amazing job.

‘The sport continues to grow. It is a business and you will still see good racing here. It is a country to tap into and really captivate the audience.’

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