Liberty Media's ownership of Formula 1 in 2017 led to the creation of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, aimed at expanding the series' worldwide appeal.

When Renee Wilm approached the Clark County Commissioner's office in Las Vegas with the concept of a night race along the famed Strip, it was dismissed as nonsense.

"When we first came to town a few years ago and sat before everyone and said, 'We want to close the Las Vegas Strip and we want to encapsulate 60,000 rooms, but it's all going to be fine,' they all sort of looked at us like, 'What is this woman smoking?'" Wilm, CEO of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, told USA TODAY Sports in an August interview.

Early concerns with the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix

What the world saw early Friday morning during the first practice session of the Las Vegas Grand Prix was the difficulty of organizing such an event. Carlos Sainz, a Ferrari driver, wrecked his car by driving over an unsecured drain cover. Formula 1 postponed the second practice session until 2:30 a.m. local time to allow authorities to fix the circuit and make it safe.

On Friday evening, Wilm and Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali issued a statement regarding the situation.

"Our top priority at Formula 1 is the safety and security of our drivers, employees, and fans," added the statement. "Responsibility for the oversight of a Formula 1 event falls with Formula 1 as the commercial rights holder of the sport, the FIA as the regulatory body, and the local promoter, in this case the Las Vegas Grand Prix."

The executives explained why the remaining supporters who lingered to attend the second practice session were instructed to leave an hour before the start time. According to the statement, the decision was made to control the capacity of public safety officers, shuttle drivers, and hospitality workers.

"We acknowledge that this was disappointing," the statement said. "We hope our fans will understand based on this explanation that we had to balance many interests, including the safety and security of all participants and the fan experience over the whole race weekend."

The event will take place Saturday night at 10 p.m. local time (1 a.m. ET Sunday).

Ticket fees for the race, previously set at $2,000, decreased due to little demand.Fans complained that the race failed to connect with its core demographic, and the weather was less than perfect. The race is expected to be one of the coldest in Formula One history.

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Austin and Monaco contrasted to the Las Vegas Grand Prix

This season, Formula One includes 23 races across five continents, each with its own identity. For the first time in history, the United States has three distinct races. The Netflix docuseries "Drive to Survive" and social media have spurred increased interest in the nation, with fans connecting with Lando Norris through video games or Lewis Hamilton via fashion. In addition to the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the United States Grand Prix in Austin began racing in 2012, and the Miami Grand Prix started last year.

Prazer has worked with F1 on race marketing since 2017, and she says she understands the subtleties of each event. She stated that the success at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin fueled the conviction that the United States could support many races, particularly given the distance between Miami and Las Vegas, which is equivalent to that of London and the Middle East.

"Austin's been on the calendar for nearly 15 years, so they really set the precedent for us," she said, adding that the idea is to identify complementary racing markets in the United States that are far enough apart to not damage each other's value proposition.

The Singapore Grand Prix, another night event on a city track, and the historic Monaco Grand Prix were used to help shape the vision for Las Vegas. Monaco is recognized as Europe's gambling capital.

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Las Vegas Grand Prix led by a team of women

The Las Vegas Grand Prix has multiple women in senior positions, which is unusual in the sports industry. The Sport Integrity Global Alliance's March survey found that women held 26.9% of leadership posts in international sports federations.

Silvia Bellot, the Las Vegas Grand Prix's senior director of race operations, works with Wilm and Prazer. Her father was a race fan, and she joined the Las Vegas team after 12 years with the FIA, Formula One's regulatory body.

Wilm, who has a law degree, is experienced with working in a male-dominated field. She remembered being the only woman in the room when Liberty Media purchased the MLB's Atlanta Braves in 2007. She described it as a moment when she realized the value of speaking up and accepting her differences.

"I believe I acquired immune to it at a young age. "And I believe it can be a strength," she continued. "I constantly urge the ladies I've coached over the years to be comfortable with their voices and speak up. You garner a lot of attention since others may not expect you to speak your opinions so openly. So I've found it to be useful. And I do receive attention when I need it. I'd suggest always be yourself. Be sincere and open. And that has served me well throughout the years.