F1 started its festivities around the inaugural Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix and became a neon extravaganza throughout the weekendGetty Images
The Las Vegas Grand Prix delivered "one of the most spirited events of the season" as it was "critical for F1 to deliver a good race Saturday," according to Jenn Fryer of the AP. F1's third stop in the U.S. had been “lambasted” for its "emphasis on becoming a neon extravaganza.” Tickets were "expensive, hotels along the famed Strip hiked their prices" and the sporting element was “overshadowed by everything from celebrities, musical acts and a myriad of Elvis impersonators roaming the paddock." Liberty expected to spend $500M on the first grand prix it self-promoted, but paddock speculation before Saturday night’s race was that Liberty had “gone well over budget.” The entire event “nearly imploded” nine minutes into the first practice session on Thursday night when Carlos Sainz Jr. ran over a water drain valve cover on the track that badly damaged his Ferrari and F1 had to close the 3.85-mile circuit for inspection (AP, 11/19). In D.C., Roman Stubbs wrote Saturday’s night race, provided a “captivating product for its European audience on television." On the ground, the race felt like it was "just another part of the backdrop to the glitz and glamour of the Strip.” But it was the "peak of a 72-hour period that brought turbulence to the sport yet supplied an international spectacle for the highest of high rollers -- a celebration of an excessive sport in the most excessive of cities" (WASHINGTON POST, 11/19).
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BIG & BRASH: RACER's Chris Medland wrote the inaugural Las Vegas race "was big, it was brash, it was brilliant at times and it was bewildering at others." The Las Vegas GP weekend "was a contradiction at pretty much every turn." the problem for F1 and LVGP was that "if you tell everyone something’s going to be amazing and setting a new standard, and then you cause huge disruption to do that, a track safety failing within 10 minutes of the running starting is not acceptable." A bit of humility and an apology -- even in a city where a lawsuit "was coming within 36 hours regardless -- would have gone far further than doubling down with 'it happens' and a $200 voucher for the store rather than reimbursement." Earlier starts "wouldn’t just be better for those working in the paddock," though, with the U.S. audience "benefiting on the East Coast, and fans in attendance likely to face more comfortable temperatures" (RACER.com, 11/19). MOTORSPORT.com's Fillip Cleeren wrote while there were "undoubtedly" many visitors that were more interested in the party scene than in the sporting competition, F1's blockbuster race on Saturday "gave it the best possible platform to turn some of those first-time visitors from diverse backgrounds into ardent racing fans" (MOTORSPORT.com, 11/20).
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PARTY ATMOSPHERE: BBC’s Andrew Benson wrote there was a "party atmosphere" in Las Vegas and the fact the casinos were partners in the race was "very clear." What had "initially been perceived to be one-sided was not that at all," as the "relationship was very much mutual." F1 sees the Las Vegas GP as a "potentially key differentiator as it seeks to grow its presence in the world's largest market." Vegas, meanwhile, sees F1 as part of its "strategy to become an international sporting centre.” For both F1 and Las Vegas the race “exists to make money” and the numbers involved are “eye watering.” But as a "'wow' moment -- whether for ardent F1 fans, wider sports fans, or even those unversed in either" -- the view "rivals even the Monaco harbour on the grand prix calendar." Before the weekend started, and before the race itself, there "were shows on the pit straight." There were concerts by music stars in the city "throughout the weekend." This is the "show" to which Red Bull driver Max Verstappen "so vehemently objected." His criticisms contained an "essential truth" -- the Las Vegas GP "very much is largely about the show, and few events bring the importance of money to sport more sharply into focus than this one." But "very few in F1 shared Verstappen's objections," as most "could see the trade-off would bring benefits" (BBC, 11/19).
SETTING NEW STANDARDS: Representatives of the city’s largest resorts said that because of the visitor profile of the average F1 guest, the city’s luxury resorts -- MGM Resorts International’s Bellagio, Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and Aria properties, Caesars Entertainment Inc.’s Caesars Palace and Paris-Las Vegas and both Wynn Resorts Ltd.’s properties -- "did the best." In Las Vegas, Richard Velotta noted Wynn Resorts indicated in its 3Q earnings call with investors that it "was able to maintain occupancy and room rates when other companies said they had to reduce rates as the race date grew closer." Las Vegas-based Strategy Organization founding partner Josh Swissman said that he thinks F1 "will have better results than the Super Bowl," scheduled at Allegiant Stadium in February (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 11/19).
