Liberty Media went all in for its first weekend on the Strip. Here an in-depth analysis on how the Las Vegas GP performed on various aspects
The 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix is now in the books. The penultimate weekend of the year, preceding the closing event in Abu Dhabi next weekend, leaves behind various considerations, regarding the strengths and weaknesses of a highly anticipated media event.
THE INVESTMENT
Liberty Media went “all in” for the event on the Strip, positioning itself as the organizer with a spending of hundreds of millions of dollars. They purchased land on which they built the entire paddock and box area, later intended for office use in the remaining part of the year.
Liberty Media took charge of the entire organization, replacing the usual promoter, managing all aspects of the event firsthand, and creating a “spectacular” setting to build anticipation for the event.
The result of the investment is not immediate but will be seen in the medium to long term. Las Vegas will be on the calendar until at least 2032, and it will be then that the final financial success or failure will be assessed.
MEDIA ASPECT
The event was promoted and advertised in full American style. Starting from the on-site presentation a year ago, with Hamilton, Russell, and Pérez racing on the Strip with LEDs under the cars, the Las Vegas GP was marketed as the sports event of the year, surpassing even the Super Bowl.
High-profile names were enlisted to promote the event. On Wednesday evening, the presentation ceremony, reminiscent of the Super Bowl halftime show, featured world-class singers providing a backdrop for the drivers in front of the main stand. A kind of opening concert in pure USA style never before seen for an F1 race.
The overexposure led to some exaggeration: declaring the Las Vegas GP “the best of the year” at the end of the race is simply out of place, but is part of the Formula 1 entourage’s enthusiasm, also a result of the great relief in seeing things run smoothly after the anxieties of the first day.
Was the Las Vegas Grand Prix a media success? For those who organized it, clearly yes – and how could it be otherwise – but for the viewer on the couch, apart from the aerial shots of the Strip, there wasn’t much different from a typical city where Formula 1 currently races.
THE CIRCUIT
Regarding the circuit and its layout, the race was generally appreciated for the various battles throughout the 50 laps. However, this is a result of a relatively common practice when F1 visits a new city circuit.
In the era of DRS, creating a layout with long straights ensures overtaking. We see it in Baku, we saw it in Jeddah, in Miami, and now in Las Vegas. The on-track shots are identical, to the point that Jeddah and Las Vegas could even be confused in some sections.
When it comes to racing, the heart of the matter is reached. The Las Vegas layout was designed to promote overtaking (and it achieved this result), but from a technical standpoint, it doesn’t stand out with features that elevate it above others. Few corners, several at 90 degrees, a slow chicane, and just four fast corners, three of which can be taken almost flat out. The rest is made up of straights (and DRS).
TIMID ANTICIPATION
The race in Nevada experienced, especially from the European perspective, a timid anticipation and even preventive criticism of its conduct. At the end of the Sao Paulo GP, it emerged – clarified by several insiders, not just on social media as reproached in recent days – that temperatures in Las Vegas would be much lower than the annual average.
At the time of the Interlagos race, there were forecasts of 4/5 degrees in the air, a situation that didn’t occur. Although, in fact, asphalt temperatures never exceeded 20 degrees throughout the weekend, forcing, for example, running in qualifying with more fuel on board to complete more laps without being able to exploit the “single lap” advantage.
Another preventive criticism concerned the pit lane exit, which, according to some reconstructions, would be in the racing line. This, too, immediately proved to be an incorrect assessment because there was not a single crossing problem over the three days.
SCHEDULE
The local timings of the Las Vegas race left more than a few doubts at the end of the event, especially in light of the events of the US Thursday night. After issues in FP1 – starting at 8:30 local time and lasting only a few minutes – FP2, scheduled for midnight, began when it was 2:30 AM in Las Vegas. Identical timings for Friday, with FP3 at 8:30 and qualifying at midnight. The race started at 10:00 PM local time.
For the European audience, the inconvenience was relative, as the timings were comparable to those of Suzuka with the event located on the opposite side of the world. However, more insiders complained about the weekend planning. This is an aspect that will likely be addressed, in preparation for the next edition to avoid sessions finishing in the early hours, something that has never happened before.
Problems
What happened in FP1 on Thursday night in Las Vegas is serious and cannot simply be hidden behind what is called the overall success of the event. Liberty Media had the spotlight on them for a divisive event, seen as an attempt to ideally snatch Formula 1 from its European roots to bring it to a new dimension that reflects the new ownership.
For this reason, the manhole cover popping off after 8 minutes of FP1 and the hours of work to check and seal all the others on the track is a very low point, because it opens the door to controversy over whether more focus was placed on the “show” than on the sporting aspect in organizing the event.
It should not be forgotten that only due to fortunate circumstances, Carlos Sainz didn’t suffer severe injuries. The manhole cover tore through the floor, chassis, and even damaged the Ferrari’s seat. The Spaniard reported not feeling his legs for several seconds. It could have been much worse both in terms of physical damage and to the cars if it had happened, for example, during the race with all the cars on the track.
As reported from AP Sports journalist Jenna Fryer, the last inspection of the circuit was carried out only on Thursday morning, due to the final work and the impossibility of closing the track to city traffic, which was already paralyzed. The inspection passed successfully, and yet there was a problem.
It’s clear that all necessary precautions will be taken for the next edition, but justifying what happened by pointing out that there have been other cases in the past doesn’t seem to be the best message.
SPECTATORS
There are, however, those who did not have a positive experience in Las Vegas, namely the fans who had purchased a ticket for Thursday only, where FP1 and FP2 were supposed to take place.
In the end, after 8 minutes of the first session, spectators were asked to leave the facility after 1:30 AM for logistical and safety reasons, with FP2 starting at 2:30 AM local time after repairs to the manhole covers and ending at 4:00 AM, the time when the roads were scheduled to reopen to traffic.
The statement released by F1 at the beginning of the second day – rather bland and without any form of apology – evidently was not enough to calm the waters since, a few hours later, the initiation of a class action against Liberty Media emerged.
IN CONCLUSION
While on one hand, the F1 organization expresses enthusiasm for the Las Vegas weekend, even exaggerating in emphasizing the event and “selling” the beauty of the product, as with every first edition, there are still open points to address for the next season. The race was sufficiently eventful but average, without particular peaks. Temperatures, although not as predicted, still influenced strategies and tire management. Certainly, the problems of FP1 will not recur after the cold shower on Thursday night, although a discussion on the FIA side regarding penalties in certain cases will be needed.
In conclusion, the judgment on Las Vegas is pending, waiting to see how things will go next year. However, there is a feeling that Liberty Media needed this event more than F1 as a sport.
Cover image: Red Bull Media
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#7 | GP EMILIA ROMAGNA 