LAS VEGASâFormula 1 held the third annual Las Vegas Grand Prix this past weekend in the Nevada city. The race is an outlier in so many ways, and a divisive one at that. Some love the bright lights that make it appear to be set in Mega-City One or F-Zero. Others resent the rampant commercialism of F1 at its most excessive. And this time, Ars was on the ground, making one of our periodic visits to the series. The race we saw was something of a damp squib, seemingly leaving McLarenâs Lando Norris in control of the championship.
At least thatâs how it looked when I left the track on Saturday night. Within a few hours, Norris and his teammate (and one of his two title rivals) Oscar Piastri were both disqualified for having worn away too much of the âlegality plankâ underneath the carâmore on that in a while.
I was <a href=”https://arstechnica.com/cars/2023/11/f1-succeeds-in-making-its-las-vegas-debut-a-spectacular-one/”>a huge skeptic of the idea</a> when the Las Vegas race was announced, but the first two events put on a good show. Year 3 was a little more dull, however.
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Emblematic of the new F1
Unlike most Grands Prix, Liberty Media promotes this one itself. It spent half a billion dollars to get ready for the 2023 event, some of that on the pit lane and paddock complex, yet more on resurfacing the roads to the standards preferred by these thoroughbred racing cars. The track layoutâwhich looks like a pig on its backâis typical of North American street circuits.
Sounds like an exciting experience! F1 in Las Vegas must be quite the spectacle, blending speed and drama in such a vibrant city. It’s great to see events like this bringing people together.
Absolutely! The vibrant atmosphere in Las Vegas really adds to the excitement of F1. Plus, the unique night race format gives it a whole different vibe compared to traditional daytime events. It must have been incredible to see the cars zooming past the iconic Strip!
I completely agree! The unique backdrop of the Las Vegas Strip makes for some stunning visuals during the race. It’s fascinating how the city’s energy can amplify the thrill of such high-speed competition.