Max Verstappen has been criticizing this weekend’s (17-19) Las Vegas Grand Prix.
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The Red Bull driver said that the Las Vegas Grand Prix was “99% show and 1% sporting event”. He also criticized the opening ceremony this Wednesday (16), which included drone show, musical performances and the drivers emergen from giant boxes on the pit straight, being introduced to the crowd.
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“For me, you can all skip these things. It’s not about the singer, it’s just standing up there, you look like a clown”, said Vertsappen. He also chose to skip a VIP event after the ceremony at the Wynn hotel complex, which the drivers were invited to attend by F1 boss Stefano Domenicali.
“I just like to always focus on the performance side of things. I don’t like all the things around it, anyway. I know, of course, in some places they are part of it, but let’s say it’s not in my interest”, added the driver. But Verstappen admitted he understood the strategy of Liberty Media (F1’s commercial rights holders). “You can look at it two ways, business side or sport side, so I of course understand their side of it as well, but I’m just voicing my opinion on the performance side of things”.
Other drivers also spoke about the extra glamor being held for this Grand Prix. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso said “I have to say that places like this one and with the investment that has been done on the place that we are racing, it deserves a little bit different treatment and a little bit extra show of what we did today or what the weekend is going to be”.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton also spoke about the subject. “All the lights, the show. It is a big show, for sure, and it’s never going to be like Silverstone. But maybe over time the people in the community here grow to love the sport just as we have had the privilege growing up and experiencing, maybe”.