The Las Vegas Grand Prix of 2023 was very different from what was planned and anticipated by the organizers as well as the fans. Formula 1 fans have been gearing up for this highly marketed event which promised a premium F1 experience at the heart of Sin City. Followers paid hefty prices for the tickets and traveled from different parts of the United States just to witness the second last race of the season. Unfortunately, the event was almost a disaster.
The track was created at the Las Vegas Strip making use of the existing and busy roads around prime locations of the city including the newly built Sphere arena. With a length of 3.8 miles, the racetrack had a difficult layout. It consisted of 17 curves and an impressive 1.1-mile straight, making for a stimulating and dynamic racing experience. There was even more suspense for drivers and viewers alike since the much-anticipated battle was scheduled to take place across 50 laps.
Las Vegas hired security guards so residents and tourists can’t watch F1. pic.twitter.com/moydy3W20W
— Crazy Videos (@CrazyVideosOnly) November 18, 2023
However, a new video has surfaced on the internet that shows how the organizers of the Grand Prix employed multiple security guards. These guards had the crucial task of restricting curious locals from having a glimpse of the highspeed racing event. Such a move was highly criticized by fans and critics who believed that it was unfair to residents of Las Vegas as they had to compromise a lot for this event to occur.
Issues persisted since the inauguration of the Las Vegas Grand Prix which upset the fans
The first practice session on Friday morning revealed the challenges involved in planning the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Driving over an unfastened drain cover caused damage to the Ferrari driven by Carlos Sainz, which led to delays. Formula 1 postponed the second practice session until 2:30 A.M. local time to address the problem at hand and ensure the safety of the drivers which allowed authorities to fix the track.
🚨 Las Vegas Grand Prix has been hit with a class action lawsuit
The lawsuit has been filed by Dimopoulos Law Firm and co-counsel JK Legal & Consulting on behalf of the 35,000 fans who purchased tickets to Thursday’s practice run, the legal firms announced Saturday… pic.twitter.com/C8r7LY7TS5
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) November 18, 2023
This upset the fans who had to leave the grandstands without being able to watch FP2. Later on Friday evening, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and Las Vegas Grand Prix CEO Renee Wilm released a statement explaining their decision. They made it clear that the choice had been taken with the objective of effectively handling the capacity of shuttle drivers, hospitality employees, and public safety personnel.
Those who missed out on the practice session were given $200 vouchers as compensation which was even criticised by Max Verstappen. Fans were also displeased by the structure and seating arrangement as many were handed $5000 VIP passes with obstructed views. The event was made worse by the poor weather, which resulted in one of the coldest races in the sport’s history.
