Formula One caravan arrived in the sin city of Las Vegas for the penultimate race weekend of the 2023 season. The venue is making a debut this year, and thus, the excitement around the circuit is enormous. However, the reigning F1 World Champion, Max Verstappen, is not bemused by the same, particularly with the circuit layout.
The street circuit of Nevada does not look Formula One-ready at all. The FP1 session was cancelled earlier today due to the opening of manholes. A certain manhole hit the floor of Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari, which caused massive damage. Subsequently, the FP2 session was delayed by two hours for inspection. Thus, Verstappen’s resentment is making sense now.
Max Verstappen Says F1 Cars Not Suitable For Narrow Street Tracks!
Even before the entire manhole instance erupted during practice sessions, Max Verstappen had issued caution over the sustainability of the street circuit of Las Vegas. During media day, the Red Bull driver said that he does not enjoy driving on narrow street tracks. He feels the modern-day F1 cars are heavy, and it makes overtaking difficult on high-speed corners. Additionally, the low grip also works against the drivers, which kills the excitement of driving for Verstappen. “Obviously, the scenery will look great driving through the strip, but the layout itself is not the most exciting,” said Verstappen.
Further, Max Verstappen also opened up about how drivers’ input is not being considered during the selection and formation of track layout. He says the organisers and stakeholders are the ones investing loads of money. The drivers are just there to drive. So why would anyone seek their opinion? Further asked if he would do the same, Max said absolutely. However, that does not mean he supports the narrative. Verstappen feels seeking drivers’ opinions would only help the sport in the long run. Just let the drivers feel included. The decision-making power should lie within the respective authority. But a little insight from the drivers, who Max believes are the most important part of the sport, won’t hurt anyone. “As long as everything goes well, you can say everything is working well. But let’s see how long fans also like this,” said Verstappen.
Verstappen Calls Out Pre-Race Events Held At Las Vegas!
Las Vegas Grand Prix, the most anticipated race weekend of the season, kicked off this week with a glamorous and exhilarating pre-race event. A special driver’s introduction show was held in the sin city where each and every driver graced the stage. However, not everyone had a great time during the event, especially Red Bull driver Max Verstappen. He said he felt like a clown on the stage.
“I don’t like all the things around it. For me, you can all skip these kinds of things,” said Max Verstappen. The Red Bull driver added that the Grand Prix looks more like an entertainment event and not nearly close to a sporting event. It’s something he does not adore and would have loved to give it a miss. But it’s a part of his job as he had to mark his presence.
