Janne Palomäki
Liberty Media imagined that organizing the GP would be child’s play, writes Janne Palomäki.
Bruce Buffer, known as the voice of UFC, brought glamor to the Las Vegas GP. PDO
Liberty Media has undeniably given a bit of fluff to the F1 series more kick.
Some fans of more traditional track racing have been horrified by the speed with which the sport has been pushed towards the show world.
The peak of the development was felt during the past weekend, when the formula cars filled the pseudo-city of Las Vegas with their noise pollution.
Traditionally, F1 races have always had their own promoter, who bears the responsibility of organizing the respective GP. This time Liberty Media itself felt that the prize offered was so greatthat it did not agree to share the pot with anyone.
And how did it end?
A single pit cover can stand out especially on a new track where absorbent ground effect cars have never driven before.
George Russell’s Williams suffered similar destruction at the Baku street circuit in 2019 for the same reason as Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari on Las Vegas Boulevard.
It’s not an unforgivable mistake. But what should be done if no apology is offered?
The Las Vegas schedule was set so latethat the approximately 30 manhole covers on the track could not be filled with sand and asphalt until half past three on the night before Friday.
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The track officials took a nap before the start of the second free practice. PDO
In the end, the training sessions were held in empty stands.
At worst, the fans who paid thousands of dollars had time to see about eight minutes of training before the security guards kindly chased them out of the stands.
The working hours of the track staff had already ended before the F1 cars got up to speed.
In addition to everything, Liberty Media acts as a sleeper for all other competitions.
In its rather straightforward style, it often uses traditional tracks to enhance its corners, so that the fans’ experience would be the best possible.
Now it made a mistake. Still, it knew how to raise its hand as a sign of error.
– We have all been to concerts or matches that have had to be canceled due to weather or a technical problem, CEO Renee Wilm avoided responsibility in the organizers’ press release.
– That kind of thing hurtsand we hope people understand.
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The main grandstand was empty when the formulas were finally allowed to practice on the Las Vegas street circuit. PDO
It would be easier to understand if you could get a relevant compensation for the shockingly expensive ticket. The Las Vegas GP offered one-day ticket holders a $200 gift card to the fan shop.
That is, an eight-minute workout.
Those who bought a three-day ticket got nothing.
The compensation is either a joke or an outright insult, depending on the point of view. Of course, no one regretted the situation. That – in the promised land of lawsuits – would be an open invitation to the grindhouse.
That’s where the umbrella organization is headed anyway, as disappointed fans are about to file a class action lawsuit in Nevada court.
Liberty Media spins the events of the weekend on its head so that Las Vegas certainly saw the “race of all time” again.
It’s true that the lead changed like the ownership of a bubble wallet after the win in the everyman class.
Unfortunately, even that doesn’t make up for the first day of driving.
The neon paradise in Nevada is certainly a solid part of the near future of the F1 series. Next year, there will certainly be fewer children’s diseases, and it would be a big help if the schedule were moved a couple of hours earlier.
Then the possible problems could be solved within the working hours.
At this point, the eight-minute GP weekend went off the rails. PDO