The Las Vegas Grand Prix was enjoyed by the drivers

The Las Vegas Grand Prix was heavily criticized by Formula 1 fans. Some drivers were even reluctant to race on this track. The concerns almost materialized on Thursday evening when Carlos Sainz had an accident while passing over a sewer grate. The FP1 had to be canceled after only 8 short minutes.

After this incident, the rest of the weekend went rather well. On the sports front, the qualifications were interesting and the race was eventful. The second place was confirmed following an overtaking maneuver in the final turns.

An appreciated path

Despite initial hesitations, the drivers changed their preconceptions. The long straight of the Las Vegas Strip suggested that cars with high top speeds could escape. The Red Bulls were once again at risk of dominating. However, this straight allowed for a large number of overtakes.

During the podium interview, Charles Leclerc, who started in pole position, admitted to greatly enjoying the race: “I loved this race. There was no better race to start in Las Vegas.” A few minutes later, speaking into the microphone of Canal +, he explained that he had doubts before managing to overcome them during the qualifications: “On Wednesday, when I saw the track, I thought it wouldn’t be a nice track to ride on. Ultimately, I had a lot of fun in the qualifiers, which led to a crazy race.”

An entertaining race

The hosting of this Grand Prix in 2023 was able to take place, notably with the removal of certain races, such as the one in Le Castellet. These disappearances of circuits in Europe are becoming more and more frequent. In this context, Formula 1 enthusiasts strongly criticized the arrival of new circuits, which appeared to be unexciting. « There has been a lot of negativity regarding the presence of three Grand Prix in the United States and discussions about the comeback of classic European races », explained Lewis Hamilton. « But it produced a better race than most of the circuits we visit. So, hats off to the people running the show and I look forward to coming back and hopefully having a better race here next year. »

Despite a complicated race on his side, Lewis Hamilton also praised the Las Vegas GP. The race was fantastic. It was one of the best races, he declared. People, all the media, were very negative about this race. On my side, I thought to myself “let’s wait and see how it goes.” In the end, it was a great race! It’s like Baku, but better.

The contract signed between Las Vegas and Formula 1 could extend over ten years.