formula One
Although the event was far from flawless, organizers can be pleased with a race that lived up to the splendor of Sin City
The morning after the night before in Las Vegas could easily have been one of guilt and regret for Formula 1. While the circuit was dismantled and the Strip returned to normality on Sunday in Sin City, Formula 1 could instead think about being among the lucky few heading out over the weekend. At least in terms of perceived success, if not cash.
The race itself was a blast, a contender for the best performance of the season. The fear that the racetrack could be another street procession turned out to be unfounded. Instead there was real racing and overtaking, with drivers admitting their expectations had been disappointed. The upside-down pig that the track resembles – in turns 14, 15 and 16, where there were a lot of overtaking maneuvers and with a curly tail sticking out – had proven capable of delivering a real winner.
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Still, it was a difficult path to the flag. Thursday night’s debacle, which saw the first practice session abandoned after a drain cover hit Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari and then fans banned from the second session, was a terrible start. As was the rather insulting compensatory offer to spend $200 (£160) on the GP shop in Las Vegas, considering the cost of the ticket. A lawsuit has since been filed seeking damages for the 35,000 viewers who felt there was a poor response.
There was also dissatisfaction on site throughout the weekend. Small businesses and workers were angered by the disruptions imposed on the city. Some said commutes were lengthened by more than two hours, while others complained that route restrictions had drawn customers away from their businesses.
Then there were the practice times: qualifying at midnight and the race at 10 p.m. They were decided in a compromise with the city to minimize disruption during road closures, but they took brutal action against the teams. In the paddock, the sight of misty-eyed staff spoke volumes and a number of team bosses and drivers expressed concerns.
All of this can be addressed before next year and could be improved. In the meantime, the city will assess whether the deal worked for both it and Formula 1. Revenue was projected to increase between $1 billion and $1.7 billion, and if the race hits those numbers, Vegas and the sport will likely continue for at least the ten years of the current deal.
There should also be some pride in the fact that we have achieved everything in a relatively short space of time since the race was confirmed in March 2022. The logistics were immense and a lot of effort and money went into making it work. Illustrated on a practical level, the number of workers directing traffic and arranging people was staggering on a walk from one part of the route to another. Hardly 50 feet would go by without a (usually) friendly face waving a glow stick at the players.
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There were plenty of staff on site in the fan areas too – not four grumpy teenagers wearing high-visibility vests and moodily sucking on Gauloises, as at some European races, but hundreds of staff holding up signs that read: “Can I help?” “ ?”
In addition to the flashy and cliche that is part of the city – a wedding band in the paddock and endless Elvis impersonators – there were also small details. The teams’ hospitality units featured their logos in gorgeous, retro-Vegas-style neon signs.
None of this was cheap, of course, and F1 is expected to lose up to $700 million. However, this is a one-off investment that involves renewing the track and purchasing the land to build a pit and paddock complex, which will now be converted into Formula 1’s US headquarters for the rest of the year. Another feature will be announced later this week.
This partly explains the other major point of contention, that of ticket prices. The average price for a three-day ticket was $1,667. Perhaps one reason why it didn’t sell out 105,000 copies. This could also be solved with a cheaper, no-frills stand.
Las Vegas Grand Prix: F1 reaches Sin City – in pictures
Imagine the equivalent of the great Rivazza corner in Imola, a billowing pyramid of fans in the heart of Las Vegas. Unfortunately, this is probably a pipe dream, but the problematic prices were evident in the number of people desperately trying to watch from outside the barriers erected to prevent illegal viewing.
Some ingenious minds discovered that there were outdoor escalators that they could go up and down that offered a view of the track. With an enterprising “Beer here!” The guy arrived at the base shortly afterwards and did a roaring trade before being dragged on.
Before the race, world champion Max Verstappen had disparagingly described it as a “99% show, 1% sporting event”. Even if it was actually a kind of extravagance over the course of the week that many people won’t like, in the end the meeting was also very convincing from a sporting point of view. There’s a lot to sort out, but Formula 1 should have room for at least one meeting of absurd, over-the-top entertainment, and Las Vegas has made a case for leaving it alone here.
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