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LAS VEGAS – Although many fans attending the Las Vegas Grand Prix this weekend bought three-day ticket packages, the most expensive race in Formula One history forced others to opt for a cheaper option.
Some fans only bought Thursday tickets to see the opening day at the track, which was scheduled to include two one-hour practice sessions. Instead, fans only saw racing cars for eight minutes before the stewards canceled the first practice session due to problems with the water valve cover on the track.
The second practice session took place in full at 2:30 a.m. local time, but fans were not allowed to attend after the LVGP closed its fan areas due to the late hour.
No refunds were offered, there was no apology. On Friday evening, fans had the opportunity to redeem a $200 voucher for the LVGP online merchandise store – but only for those who purchased day tickets.
The Athletic spoke to three fans who were only in attendance on Thursday and agreed to share their reactions and experiences.
Tyler Thompson, 43, Phoenix
Thompson has been an F1 fan since he was a child in the ’90s, attending races on the streets of Phoenix. When the Las Vegas Grand Prix was announced, it was a no-brainer for Thompson to figure out how to handle the five-hour drive.
But Thompson quickly realized that ticket prices were “pretty crazy” and his son’s birthday party was this weekend anyway – so Thompson decided he could only do one evening of the F1 weekend before returning home.
He bought tickets from StubHub for the skybox area, the suites above the main stand. His first impression was extremely positive: short security line to get in, people greeting him upon arrival with trays full of champagne and wine, great food and cool furniture.
“I just went to the World Series (earlier this month) and that’s a shame,” Thompson said. “They had everything under control. It was fantastic.”
But it quickly unraveled after Carlos Sainz ran over the drain cover and race control canceled the first FP. The trackside screens showed that FP2 would be delayed, so Thompson walked around a bit. The line workers reassured him and said they would stay as long as necessary.
Thompson was optimistic after posting on the social media platform
“I thought, ‘Okay, maybe they’re just closing down the food and all that stuff,'” he said.
That was not the case. Up in the skybox, he and other customers were asked to vacate the premises. Thompson was confused because he could see teams on the other side of the track putting tires on the cars and warming them up. He brought this to the attention of security personnel, but was insisted that all fans must leave.
“Some people were pretty upset about the price of these tickets,” Thompson said of the $2,750 surcharge. “So they told us we could go to guest services and they would sort us all out.”
Las Vegas police officers soon arrived to emphasize this point and vacate the suites. Guests went to the guest services area, but Thompson said they were told, “There’s nothing we can do.” There’s nothing anyone will do. There’s no one you can talk to. We do not share your email address. You just have to go.”
Some fans became angry at this point, but since police were nearby, Thompson said he asked those from other countries to leave before they were arrested.
“Even the police said, ‘We don’t know why they’re kicking everyone out, but we have to enforce this,'” Thompson said.
The police force the spectators to leave the track before the second free practice session. (Photo by Kym Illman/Getty Images)
Thompson still didn’t give up hope, thinking he’d just find a spot to watch the cars on the way back to the hotel. But security personnel prevented anyone from approaching any viewpoint on the route, even if they stood on a ledge or even a driveway.
“It was like, ‘Come on, guys. Are you going to kick everyone out and still protect your privacy?’” he said. “You won’t gain anything by doing this. You just made yourself look like an asshole.”
The entire experience left Thompson with “a strong sour taste in his mouth,” he said.
“Formula 1 has always had this air of elitism where you don’t care about the average fan or the people who aren’t in the Paddock Club,” he said. “But if that’s really their thing, it makes me change my mind.
“To be honest, I don’t even think the race is any good anymore. I was just hoping that the spectacle would be somewhat fun. But now I don’t want to support them and their company if they behave like this and treat their fans like this.”
Thompson said he would have liked to see F2 cars or a special F1 car on track on Wednesday night to see if there were any problems before the actual F1 cars took to the track for the first time on Thursday. He accused the LVGP of being greedy and trying to get as much money as possible rather than trying to grow the F1 fanbase with the event.
“I completely understand that it is a business, but more than anything, their attitude puts me off and makes me hesitant to go back and spend my money with them,” he said. “I’d rather go to COTA.”
Positive for Thompson: StubHub said via email that his tickets were protected by the company’s “FanProtect Guarantee,” which he said means they will refund him even though F1 doesn’t.
Connor, 24, Las Vegas
For months, Las Vegas native Connor (who asked that his last name be kept secret) was an outsider among the locals. While everyone else seemed to be complaining about the race, Connor was always positive and was happy to have secured a ticket for Thursday when prices fell within his range ($200) at a sale for locals.
Connor and his girlfriend were looking forward to at least being able to see the cars on track, even if they couldn’t take part in the race (“We assumed Max (Verstappen) would win anyway,” he said.)
Last night he left work and went straight to the track where Connor bought some souvenir merchandise and grabbed a drink before taking his seat.
“It was chilly for at least five minutes,” he said.
After FP1 was canceled he updated his schedule for
That’s why Connor was actually happy to hear the news that F1 fans were forced to leave the track at around 1:30am, as he assumed that meant they would all get a refund or perhaps even replacement tickets for Friday would.
But that was not the case. Connor said he might still watch the race on TV, but became angry when he looked at all the pictures from F1 accounts he followed on Instagram on Friday. The whole experience left him feeling like an idiot for spending his hard-earned money on Formula 1.
“The drain thing – it’s one of those things in sport where it affects me. I’m not angry that there was a problem,” he said. “But what makes me angry is that I don’t even apologize or give a refund.
“All along I was one of the people who defended Formula 1 when they were here and said, ‘No, no, it’s going to be great.’ So that’s pretty brutal. I have to get enough of it.”
Diego Alvarado, 25, Los Angeles area
Diego Alvarado, a motorsports fan of all stripes, was excited when he heard about F1 racing in Vegas. The problem was that he couldn’t afford tickets.
But two months ago, Alvarado noticed that hotel prices had plummeted. So he got a reservation at a strip hotel that only cost $300 for the entire weekend and decided to look for tickets afterward.
In fact, Alvarado found a resale ticket in the T-Mobile Zone at Sphere through Ticketmaster for $275 (including fees), a price down from the original price of more than $1,000.
Unlike many fans who stayed after just eight minutes of practice, Alvarado saw the writing on the wall and left the track with his girlfriend. Instead, they went to the Omnia nightclub to see a Steve Aoki show.
Alvarado scrolled through his during the show When FP2 finally took place, Alvarado walked the strip and tried to see the cars from different angles – through fences and elevated walkways.
“I didn’t spend thousands of dollars like others, but I still think about how many hours I had to work to buy my Thursday ticket,” he said. “That’s where a lot of my frustration comes from.”
Alvarado said the $200 merchandise voucher can only be used at an online store and still requires fans to pay shipping on all purchases, which he found ridiculous.
As for the rest of the weekend? Alvarado will stay in town and play by ear.
“I’ll try to look at Ticketmaster or one of those resale sites to see if there’s a way to find something at a reasonably reasonable price,” he said. “The backup plan is just to walk around the strip and see what I can find, because that’s really all I have.
“I want to see the events. I want to watch the race. I think it’s all really cool. But I don’t know how to do it.”
More of The athleteLas Vegas Grand Prix Coverage:
F1 news live updates: Lewis Hamilton excited about ‘opportunity’ at Las Vegas GP
F1 Sphere takeover: From traffic chaos to the “incredible backdrop” of the Las Vegas GP
Why the first Formula 1 Grand Prix in Las Vegas was a complete failure – and a “lesson learned”
Las Vegas GP hotels focus on Formula 1, from Bottas haircuts to ‘shoey bars’
Our detailed description of the Las Vegas Strip Circuit
Why the F1 Grand Prix of Las Vegas starts at 10pm PT
Formula 1’s ‘unacceptable’ night in Las Vegas: How a water valve cover stopped practice
(Main Image: Kym Illman/Getty Images)