F1 Las Vegas GP brought cruel twist for Lando Norris but was exactly what I expected

Mirror Sport F1 correspondent Daniel Moxon provided insights into the Las Vegas Grand Prix while covering the Formula 1 race on-site in Sin City, and he wasn’t surprised by what he observed.

Lando Norris had a challenging time in Las Vegas, but many F1 fans thoroughly enjoyed it.
(Image: AP)

This week, I had the opportunity to cover the Las Vegas Grand Prix in person for the first time. I went in with certain expectations, but as I write this from the departures lounge at Harry Reid International Airport, I find that nothing about this event caught me off guard.

I anticipated the event would be more polished compared to its previous two iterations while also revealing some glaring flaws that made it far from flawless. That expectation was spot on.

The most notable incident occurred on Thursday night local time when a loose manhole cover prematurely ended the second practice session – the second disruption caused by the metal discs on the Strip Circuit in three years. Fortunately, this time there were no disastrous effects like in 2023 when Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari was damaged by one.

Kudos to the FIA and F1 for their prompt and effective response. The next morning, the issue with the moving manhole cover was identified and resolved, with additional welding applied to one of 15 such covers on the racing line just as a precaution. There were no further manhole problems for the rest of the weekend.

Nonetheless, this incident exemplified the ongoing teething troubles present at an event that has seen significant investment from F1, including the construction of a permanent pit building in the city. Incidentally, this building lacks space for a media center, forcing reporters to work from the Tuscany Suites and Casino, a 10-15 minute walk from the paddock’s main area, making event coverage quite inefficient.

I recognize that this criticism may not resonate with those outside F1 media, but it represents just one of several aspects that seem to have been neglected or require more attention from organizers. Another issue is the inadequate bathroom facilities in the paddock, where one restroom block situated amongst the team’s hospitality units is far too small during peak times and lacks hot water.

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The F1 Hub for fans was located at the Venetian Resort, specifically a pop-up store within the Grand Canal Shoppes which, when I visited on race day, had a queue lasting four hours just to enter. I can only imagine the revenue lost as people saw that line and opted to leave instead. A larger or additional location seems necessary for the next year.

Inside, much of the merchandise was priced at $100 or more – not unexpected for such a large-scale event. However, I was disappointed to find that the merchandise for the all-female F1 Academy series, which held its season finale as a support event over the weekend, was similarly priced to F1 items. I’m no expert in marketing or sales, but wouldn’t it make more sense to offer cheaper options to attract customers who may be hesitant to spend on lavish F1 merchandise?

Despite this, the overall fan experience appeared to be positive. However, it’s telling that official attendance figures hadn’t been disclosed by the time I was writing this. The grandstands seemed filled during the Saturday night main event, but on Thursday, particularly, there were far fewer spectators for practice, despite lower ticket prices this year.

While race attendees may have enjoyed the experience, many locals I spoke with during my time in Las Vegas had a differing opinion. The fact that the track runs through some of the city’s main roads makes mobility challenging at times, and taxi drivers, in particular, express disdain towards it. The driver who took me from my hotel to the airport on Sunday afternoon described F1 as “f***ing terrible” for the city’s residents.

The on-track action didn’t quite match the excitement of the 2023 race. There was plenty of drama in the opening lap, but not much else beyond that. Overall, the event received considerable praise from drivers at the end of the Grand Prix, although many acknowledged that efforts are still needed to make the cold street circuit less slippery, a challenge considering the commitment to a night race in mid-November.

Indeed, the major drama unfolded post-race when championship leader Lando Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri were both disqualified for failing post-race checks. McLaren stated that the error was unintentional and expressed regret to their drivers for the setup mistakes, leading to penalties that have brought race winner Max Verstappen back into the title chase.

Ultimately, the Las Vegas GP is emblematic of the city itself – initially dazzling and appealing, but the underlying flaws are clear upon closer inspection. As long as the commercial success of the event continues, it is likely to remain a fixture, warts and all.

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