(Motorsports news) The event featured a portion where the drivers were welcomed to the audience from big boxes on the pit straight, in addition to a drone show and musical acts. Verstappen made it apparent that he is not loving his time in Las Vegas so far when he declined to attend a later VIP event that F1 chairman Stefano Domenicali had asked all of the drivers to attend at the Wynn hotel complex.
Max Verstappen responded, “For me you can all skip these things,” when questioned about the ceremony. “It’s not about the singer, it’s just standing up there, you look like a clown.” In response to the question of how much of the Las Vegas weekend was a show, Verstappen stated, “99% show, and 1% sporting event.” The three-time world champion went on: “To be honest, not too many feelings. All I like to do is keep my attention on the performance aspect of things.
“Anyway, I’m not fond of everything surrounding it. It’s not in my best interest, even though I am aware that they are a part of it in some locations.” Verstappen has stated that he is not looking forward to the race, which is the first to be held in Las Vegas on a new inner-city street circuit since the 1982 Caesars Palace Grand Prix. Actually, I’m excited to try my hardest, but I’m not excited about it, Verstappen remarked.
Verstappen stated that he ‘completely understood’ Liberty Media’s aim to maximize the show element and that the company is eager to make an impression in Las Vegas. He stated: “I’m just expressing my opinion on the performance side of things, but you can look at it two ways: from the business side or the sport side. Of course, I understand their perspective as well. “Since we are not shareholders, we simply accept it. They choose what they do, after all.
“I would do the same if I was the owner, I wouldn’t listen to the drivers, it’s my sport, I do with it what I want if that would be the case.” When asked if he believed that speaking up would change anything, he played down the idea. “It’s also not my aim that it makes a massive difference,” he stated. “But when you ask me a question and I feel like I want to answer it, I’ll answer it in an honest way. I guess we have to deal with that if someone really wants to go in this direction, that you want a lot more show attached to the kind of program,” he continued.
However, they can also claim that everything is operating as intended as long as things proceed according to plan. Well, let’s see how long this appeals to fans as well. “I basically go where I have to go when driving. You may still express your opinions about things, after all. Just finish your weekend and move on to the next one, everyone else.” When asked how important he thought his opinion was to Liberty and F1, Verstappen played down the possible consequences.
“Well, I’m not sure,” he replied. It’s not up to me; after all, they’re still making money whether I like it or not. “But I’m not going to pretend either; I’ve just always said what I think, both positively and negatively. And I am just that way. And some individuals enjoy a show slightly more. Verstappen also expressed his dissatisfaction with the Las Vegas track design. He responded, “Yeah, not very interesting,” when questioned about it. The truth is, there aren’t many corners.
“I’m not sure. Indeed, it will also likely rely somewhat on how grippy it is. Although it doesn’t appear to have much grip, we’ll go with the flow. That’s the only thing that excites me, in my opinion. However, I already find street circuits to be somewhat uninteresting, especially with these modern automobiles. “They simply weigh too much. It doesn’t help, particularly if you have a low grip.
“Of course, driving along the Strip will be fantastic, but I don’t think the layout is the most interesting. “An F1 car is a lot more fun with a lot of high-speed corners.”
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