LAS VEGAS | The Grand Prix organizers have been racing against time for months to get the facilities ready in time for the race. Barring a major miracle, it would be surprising if they were able to accommodate their distinguished guests in a venue ready for the official opening ceremony tonight.
• Also read: Grand Prix of Las Vegas: extravagance and excess
When Le Journal donned the yellow vest and blue helmet to tour the site five days before the teams’ official arrival at the magnificent paddock, it was difficult to be completely optimistic about the schedule.
There was still so much to do. Even the impressive view of the new Sphere and the tall buildings of the Strip at sunset could not sufficiently convince press visitors.
In a city where the saying is that anything is possible, the extent of the work to be done might make them lie.
Construction began last fall on the nearly $300 million building on Koval Lane, just a stone’s throw from the Strip. Completion took place at the end of October. Nevertheless, hundreds of workers were still busy completing and, above all, arranging the rooms along the 300 meters of the structure.
A week before the event begins, workers are busy building the Paddock Club areas for the Las Vegas Grand Prix. PHOTO FRANÇOIS-DAVID ROULEAU Photo François-David Rouleau
On the top three floors, they filled the space with furniture and equipment that needed to be assembled and installed. Hundreds of pallets stacked all over the site were still waiting to be placed in the right places.
Real challenge
And in the company boxes on the other side of the starting gate, overlooking the stands where 18,000 spectators will be crowded, the scenario was identical. Workers began building spaces to accommodate thousands of spectators and guests.
The material and equipment is piled up on the paddock floor on one side of the approximately thirty meter wide area. The 300 meter long paddock is expected to host thousands of Formula 1 stars and special guests for the Las Vegas Grand Prix. PHOTO FRANÇOIS-DAVID ROULEAU Photo François-David Rouleau
Last week, five days before the F1 teams welcomed them to Las Vegas, work in the paddock was far from complete. Cranes and heavy vehicles crisscrossed the site to transport the material to the right places. PHOTO FRANÇOIS-DAVID ROULEAU Photo François-David Rouleau
Despite working tirelessly around the clock leading up to the official opening today, it was hard to imagine how the facilities could be able to provide an exceptional experience for the F1 bigwigs who paid up to more than $20,000 for a pair of tickets to offer service. When you spend that much money, you expect state-of-the-art service, not half-measures because you’re running out of time.
In short: Having placed big bets on its event and this new Vegas adventure, Formula 1 should learn its lesson and deliver a flawless event in 2024. Your contract with the Nevada authorities runs until 2033. In the city, encouraged in every possible way, we believe there is a certain effervescence.
Track to completion
When painters painted the asphalt in the sponsors’ colors in the first corner, work elsewhere on the race track had to be accelerated. Because the list of tasks that had to be completed before the first rotation of the wheel was endless.
Photo François-David Rouleau
As evidence of this, concrete walls and fences had only been erected on one side of the two-kilometer stretch. The vibrators also needed to be repaired. It is important to note that the same route will be open to traffic during the downtime on Thursday at the end of the celebrations, very late at night from Saturday to Sunday.
Outside the racetrack, workers from hotel establishments overlooking the track tried to complete the infrastructure for their customers. The ones in front of the Bellagio are spread over two floors in front of the famous fountain.
Furthermore, these temporary installations have sowed discontent and controversy among purists and visitors. To aid construction and improve views, Bellagio’s management decided to cut down most of its majestic trees near the road and relocate others planted near the water and fountains. Nevertheless, they will return to their place after the race.
A week before the event begins, workers are busy building the Paddock Club areas for the Las Vegas Grand Prix. PHOTO FRANÇOIS-DAVID ROULEAU Photo François-David Rouleau
No strike
To host the big F1 circus, Las Vegas had to overcome several obstacles. The latest: the threat of a strike by 35,000 restaurant and hotel workers at 18 casinos, including those owned by Wynn, MGM International and Caesars Entertainment on the Strip.
Photo Adobe Stock
The challenge ? Achieve a better quality of life for your members living in a region severely affected by rising costs. Both the city and the facilities could not afford this strike just days before the long-awaited race. Seven months of negotiations led to the parties reaching an agreement last Friday just hours before the deadline.
