Yesterday morning the Las Vegas Grand Prix. A race that has caused a lot of talk, fromunknown temperatures, safety problem related to manholes poorly fixed. Liberty Media took a considerable risk by choosing to run in such an atypical place, but the result was anything but disappointing. On the other hand, there is no such thing as just show in this sport. So let's analyze the pros and cons of the Las Vegas GP, e.g Let's see if it was an all-round success or less.
Why promote Las Vegas
After pulling the sums on the Fanta pilots, the time has come to focus on the grand prix itself. There is not the slightest doubt that the one in Las Vegas, from the entertainment side, was a success. We witnessed a multiplicity of battles that we too rarely see during a season, especially in the current one. From the duels between Leclerc and the two from Red Bull, to Sainz's comeback, to arrive at the wonderful performances of Stroll and Ocon. There was no shortage of twists and turns, like the carom at the start, the contact between Verstappen and the Mercedes of Russell, or the hard bang of Norris. In short, a set of episodes that kept the audience in suspense from start to finish.
Two main factors ensured this success. The first, the low degradation, which allowed the riders to push harder than they hoped after doubts about freezing temperatures. The second one, the layout in itself. The track of Las Vegas it seems specifically designed to encourage overtaking. Three long straights and two DRS zones that force the teams to extreme set-ups to take the single-seaters to almost 350 km/h. A set of factors that do not allow those in front to rest, given the ease of those behind in recovering thanks to the frequent wakes they can benefit from.
What doesn't work
The first factor that casts doubt on the everlasting success of the GP hoped for by the organizers is that of temperatures. This year went well, but if Liberty wants to extend the event contract they will have to do something to avoid any scandals. Furthermore, the poor safety of the track did not help the weekend. On Friday (Italian) Sainz heard a manhole detonate a few centimeters from his seat, with the consequent interruption which forced the poor spectators to be deprived of a session anything but cheap.
Also worth mentioning is the oil on the track, unacceptable to say the least. Yes, because during the parade, the car carrying Oscar Piastri lost some oil on the main straight. The consequence is that those who started from the dirty side also found a nice splash of oil to deal with. According to Sainz, this was the reason for the carambola at the first corner.
Las Vegas: so what can I say?
The Las Vegas post brings with it a similar feeling to the 2021 Jeddah post. In Saudi Arabia, there were many doubts and criticisms about the new route. After the race, However, many have changed their minds about the quality of the track. Just like Jeddah, the track has very high average speeds to encourage overtaking; and again like Jeddah, the post-race period leaves us with a notebook of notes about the things to improve to protect the health of the riders. The "proven proof" of the fact that when F1 favors the show, it succeeds great, but then has to deal with safety measures. In Jeddah he tried to fix things by adopting countermeasures that certainly helped, so hopefully the same will happen in Nevada.
The opinion of the pilots only rightly influences these conclusions. Verstappen, Leclerc, and many others who were asked what they felt, said they enjoyed it, and not even a little. If professional drivers give a similar opinion, who are we to refute it? What is certain is that if this is the new line of a Formula 1 focused almost entirely on show business well, then there was bingo. We had fun at home, and that's the important thing. The only thing that leaves a bad taste in the mouth is the increasingly cumbersome opulence of sport. The top flight has always represented a world apart, but the recent turn - from the fake port of Miami to the Saudi glitz - all it does is leave a void in the hearts of fans lovers of tradition.
The answer to the question posed at the beginning is therefore this: it depends on the eyes of the beholder. If you prioritize entertainment, the Las Vegas race was an all-round success. However, if you are a lover of what this sport is no longer, the fact that such an event does not represent what made many fans of the premier class fall in love – with due exceptions – It's certainly a bitter pill to swallow.
