Lewis Hamilton is surprised that the residents of Las Vegas have to endure the Grand Prix
As the start of the Las Vegas Grand Prix was marred by incidents related to manhole covers, which damaged several cars, the Free Practice 2 session had to be postponed to 2:30 local time. A delay that is painful for both drivers and spectators, as well as the residents of Las Vegas.
Lewis Hamilton wanted to express his full consideration and understanding towards the residents of Las Vegas who have experienced enormous traffic problems in recent months due to the installation of the circuit.
I have heard a lot of complaints from the locals regarding the organization of the event. I think we need to be respectful of the locals here. There are so many people here who work so hard.
« We must make sure of it. There is a lot of money and wealth in this city » before adding, « So we must ensure that people are taken care of. We cannot be a circus that only presents itself with luxury and glamour, which, in my opinion, has a negative impact on people. I think these guys [Liberty Media] are working on it ».
And precisely, Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei offered official apologies to the residents of Las Vegas.
I would like to apologize to all the residents of Las Vegas, and we appreciate their patience and willingness to tolerate us.
He nevertheless insisted on expressing his thoughts on the repercussions that the Grand Prix will have on the city and its residents. « We will generate approximately 1.7 billion dollars in revenue in the region. So it is not only for the benefit of fans who want to watch. »
We hope that this will bring a great economic benefit to Las Vegas. We hope that this will be the most challenging year with all the ongoing constructions and that things will be easier in the future.
A temporary authorization from the city of Las Vegas
While the Free Practice 2 session was delayed following the incidents that occurred during the first session, the drivers resumed testing at 2:30 am, which is 11:30 am in France. As a result of this postponement, the session will finish at 4 am, the time when the circuit is supposed to be handed back to the residents and the city of Las Vegas. This deadline will, therefore, not be able to be met as the barriers will not be lifted before 5 am, affecting the local transportation quality.
Another consequence, security and organization asked the spectators present at the circuit to leave the stands and the racetrack area even before the start of the FP2, simply because they couldn’t guarantee the crowd’s movement at the end of the FP2, as the circuit had to be reopened to traffic.
The spectators present on site will have therefore only benefited from 7 minutes of practice in FP1 before waiting for 4 hours in the cold for nothing, due to the cancellation of FP2.
A fiasco that adds to the criticism already made by local residents of Las Vegas regarding the disorder caused by the implementation of the race track, right in the city center.
