Red Bull ace and three-time world champion Max Verstappen is enjoying a dominant run in Formula One. The invincible Dutch driver has 17 wins to his name this season. With only two races to go on the 2023 calendar, Verstappen would aim to extend the unbeaten run and finish the year on a high.
Well, for the penultimate race weekend of the ongoing F1 season, Max Verstappen arrived at the Sin City of the United States of America, Las Vegas. The inaugural Vegas GP will go on floors on Saturday, and the qualifying session for the same recently concluded. However, moments after setting foot in the sin city, Max has been on a non-stop rant about the off-track events. Amid criticism from a top driver, the Grand Prix organizer hit back with a brutal jibe.
CEO Of Las Vegas GP Authority Hits Back At Max Verstappen Over “Chippy” Criticism!
The inaugural season of the Las Vegas Grand Prix kicked off on an exciting and glamorous note. Ahead of the race weekend, the authorities held a pre-race drivers introduction show, followed by celebrity performances. Overall, it was a complete entrainment show, which left Max Verstappen bemused. The Red Bull driver has a reputation for minding his business while racing. He does not like to engage in off-track shenanigans as he deems it a distraction and unnecessary drama. Unsurprisingly, Max had the same opinion about the Las Vegas GP as well. During the media day, the Dutchman said he felt like a clown on the stage during the drivers’ introduction ceremony.
Moreover, he says the Las Vegas Grand Prix is a 99% entrainment event with an infusion of 1% of motorsport. Needless to say, the GP organizers didn’t take the criticism well. Steve Hill, the CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, hit back at the reigning F1 champion. In a statement, he called Max Verstappen nervous. “Max has been a little chippy, frankly, about the race here. I don’t know if that’s because he’s just a little nervous or what,” said Steve Hill. Undoubtedly, the CEO’s comments will add more spice to this drama. But Verstappen is in no mood to stop his rant anytime soon. He later criticized the track layout by terming it “unexciting.” He feels the lack of speed corners and narrow track width reduces the number of overtaking chances. That is not something he enjoys.
Verstappen’s Worst Fears Come To Life In Las Vegas!
It seems Max Verstappen was bang on with his track layout assessment after all. A day later, the Red Bull driver criticized the circuit, and chaos erupted during the FP1 session. A drainage manhole opened up and hit Carlos Sainz’s car, causing extensive damage. Not only that, the FP1 session had to be abandoned, and the subsequent practice session was delayed by a couple of hours.
The race marshals filled those manholes with cement to conduct the rest of the weekend’s proceedings smoothly. However, even during the qualifying session, cars struggled to find grip as Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen witnessed underwhelming results. Charles Leclerc will start on pole, whereas Verstappen settled for P2.