Defending champion Max Verstappen likened this week's Las Vegas Grand Prix to a show with too many entertainment events, rather than a traditional F1 race.
The F1 race returns to the famous entertainment city of the US after 40 years and is part of the series of promoting this sport by Liberty Media Group, the owner of the commercial copyright of the F1 race. Accordingly, the Las Vegas Grand Prix is held in the area around a series of famous hotels, casinos and nightclubs on the Las Vegas Strip entertainment area of the "Entertainment Capital of the World".
Liberty Media has been working for years to make Las Vegas the third F1 race in the United States on the current F1 calendar, convincing the city and the Las Vegas entertainment industry to accept the major disruption that comes with hosting a major street race and investing nearly $0.5 billion to make it happen.
On Wednesday 15 November - the opening day of the race, Verstappen and 19 other drivers took part in the final part of a 30-minute music show featuring famous artists such as Kylie Minogue and Journey. This is considered the opening ceremony of the Las Vegas race. 10 pairs of drivers from 10 F1 teams entered the stage via an underground lift in front of the crowd at the starting area of the race.
Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen (left) and Sergio Perez at the opening ceremony of the Las Vegas Grand Prix in the US on November 15, 2023. Photo: AFP
After the show ended and he returned to the track and held a press conference as usual at the races, Verstappen seemed dissatisfied. "This race is 99% entertainment and only 1% sport. Having to stand there, the drivers look like clowns. For me, such frivolous things should be cut down," said the Red Bull driver.
Several riders were unhappy with some of the changes made to their schedules in Las Vegas, including a last-minute request from race organisers to postpone a press conference to a party at the Wynn Hotel – one of the race’s founding partners – at 10.30pm on Wednesday.
Verstappen and several drivers have declined to attend. Aston Martin has left Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll at home, sending team owner billionaire Lawrence Stroll in their place. Verstappen has said he has “no interest” in the party. Attending the party would mean some teams would have to change their media schedules on a day usually reserved for interviews. This could further impact other internal team meetings, such as technical preparations for the race weekend.
The Las Vegas F1 race is seen as a symbol of the development of F1 in the US, and is considered to have huge commercial potential for the organisers. Verstappen said he had no problem with the race, but felt there should be no sideshows. "I understand it completely and you can look at it in two ways - the business side or the sporting side. So of course I understand the organisers' intentions. I'm simply expressing my opinion on the efficiency side of the job. The organisers still make money whether I like it or not. It's not up to me, but I'm not going to lie. I just always say my opinion on the positives and the negatives, that's who I am," said the defending champion.
Another young driver, Lando Norris, believes F1 is more of a spectacle than it was a few years ago. The McLaren driver said: "I know a lot of these shows are just part of the race and I'm not against it. I've never been a big fan of the sideshows we have to put on like in Las Vegas. It's not something I enjoy doing. My desire is just to come here and race."
In contrast to Verstappen and Norris, Daniel Ricciardo, who is known for being very friendly with spectators, was full of praise for the organization in Las Vegas. "Don't get me wrong, I like races where the spectators can be outdoors and can rent a tent, a bit isolated, whatever - but I'm a Las Vegas guy. So to be able to race here, it's great," said the Alpha Tauri driver.
"I'm even more amazed that the organisers put this together. We drove on the track last night to have a little look around, because walking at 2am is too late for me. This is probably the most exciting race I've ever had. I'm so excited," Ricciardo added.
Lewis Hamilton is a strong supporter of expanding F1's presence in the US, as well as other countries. He is also co-producing an F1 film that is set to film at the Las Vegas race this weekend. The Briton supports F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali's strategy to increase the popularity of F1 by bringing the sport to entertainment cities like Las Vegas.
"It's great to be here. It's exciting - a great track, lots of lights, great energy, a big buzz. It's one of those iconic cities. This weekend is definitely a big show. It's never going to be like Silverstone in terms of the tradition and the purity of the sport. But maybe over time the Las Vegas F1 community will grow and love the sport," Hamilton said.
Fernando Alonso also expressed sympathy for the organisers. The Aston Martin veteran said: "Races like this, with the huge investment that has been made, deserve a little special treatment, and a few more sideshows. I'm ready to attend more sideshows like this. But maybe the organisers should somehow find a suitable balance for the drivers' schedules."
Charles Leclerc agrees that the race has too many side events, but admits that if they don't do it in Las Vegas, it would be difficult to do it anywhere else. "Putting more showbiz elements in place would attract new fans. We also need to take advantage of the side events in a famous city like Las Vegas and create something around it that can attract people who are not interested in racing. This could attract more fans to the sport in the years to come. The most important thing for me is that the DNA of the sport remains intact," said the Ferrari driver.
Minh Phuong
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