Two Americans in Las Vegas

There has not been a regularly-entered American F1 driver since last century, because the experiences of Scott Speed or Alex Rossi were short-lived… We wish good luck to Logan Sargeant now that the sport’s popularity in the US has reached unseen summits with three races organised in Miami, Austin and Las Vegas.

Forty years ago, the F1 had produced its show for the last time in Las Vegas, on the mediocre circuit designed on the parkings of the Caesar’s Palace with two Americans at the start: Mario Andretti, who replaced the injured Didier Pironi at Ferrari, and Eddie Cheever, the wingman of Jacques Laffite at Talbot-Ligier (picture above).

The 1978 World Champion was forced to retire, but Cheever obtained a remarkable third place finish, behind winner Michele Alboreto (Tyrrell) and John Watson (McLaren).

Alboreto will again prevail six months later in the streets of Detroit, for the last win of the legendary V8 Cosworth DFV, ahead of Keke Rosberg (Williams) and Watson (McLaren), for the swan song of the naturally aspired engines.