I was there. Such a shitshow. My family and I had tickets in the stands at T5. We did leave the fan areas around 12:30a because music was stopping, food was stopping, and it was getting cold just sitting/standing around doing nothing, having heard FP2 was tentatively scheduled for 2:00a. We went into a casino to get coffee and warm up, expecting to go back. But then around 1:45a we noticed everyone was walking away from the Sphere, instead of walking towards it.
Like I get FP1 getting cancelled. I can look past that. Sometimes unexpected things happen. But running a delayed FP2, while kicking everyone out or not allowing them back in isn't as easily forgiven. We spent $1000 for 7min of racing. I flew into town for this (luckily my family lives here, so had a place to stay). I think total, with drinks, ubers, tickets, airplane tickets, it was like $1500. For 7min of FP1.
As FP2 was starting, we were on the public sidewalks after T12, so we did hear the cars -- could barely see since the fences were covered -- going by flat-out, which was incredible to hear. But that's not the experience we paid for.
I also understand the labor laws or contracts or whatever, to help protect the service workers. But FOM should've planned for that. Maybe if they didn't run the sessions so late, this wouldn't have turned out this way. They could've started FP1 at 6pm, when the sun was already below the horizon. Woulda looked just as good for TV imo.
I also felt bad for the drivers, teams, marshals, broadcasters...anyone who was out there. That was a long ass day. Colossal fuckup, to say the least.
This is appalling. Some of these people might have come to F1 for the first time and this experience will drive them away.
Firstly, this race and all the practices etc should be DURING THE DAYTIME in the local country. Is ridiculous to expect fans to come at 1am. Are the FIA f*ing mad???
So what if we here in the EU will be sleeping had it been during the Day? We can either choose to stay up or catch the replay.
Interestingly they couldn't run it during the daytime. Because the roads are open during the day to normal traffic. You can actually see this right now on this streetcam site. If you move the map to Las Vegas, then focus on the Strip (Las Vegas Blvd), and then look at cams around Las Vegas Blvd and Sands/Spring Mountain or LV Blvd and Flamingo, you'll see that normal cars are driving all over.
The streets closed at about 5pm yesterday, and then opened up again at like 5am this morning, which is why there was a rush to get FP2 done, even if during the middle of the night. There would literally be no other time to do it.
Which is interesting. Do other city street races do this? I always assumed the streets were completely closed to normal traffic for the duration of the event. Seems strange that they'd allow regular vehicles on the asphalt. You don't know what random vehicles are doing to the surface. I guess the drivers might like it since they get additional rubbering in? But Idk. Maybe this is normal, and I just didn't know it was happening in Baku, Singapore, Monaco, and anywhere else in other series like Indy. I was in Chicago during the city NASCAR race and I swear the streets were closed the entire race weekend.
I always assumed that they just closed the road for the weekend and diverted traffic. At least I think that’s what they do in Monaco but I’ve never been, so now not 100% sure.
At least they should have done FP1 at 7pm and FP2 at 8 or 9pm. This “after midnight” racing is nuts
FIA is quick on fines against teams and drivers if rules/contracts are broken. Is there any possibility of fines against the Las Vegas track management or so?
The reason for kicking out people was obligations the employer holds for personnel (securities and support staff). They needed to send the employees home because it was getting too late in the night and their shifts were ending.
How tf FOM did not see this coming is unbelievable. It’s literally advertised as a night race, they should have known that there is a possibility for delays. I have never seen anything like this in Europe, where most countries arguably have stronger wodker protection laws. How did they not have another team on hold that could take on those responsibilities?
The reason for kicking out people was obligations the employer holds for personnel (securities and support staff). They needed to send the employees home because it was getting too late in the night and their shifts were ending.
Unions basically. In America Unions have the power. If they had gone home late last night, there would be a labour war going on in relation to Sunday
"everybody go home. we're too greedy to pay overtime... and too cheap to have enough workers vetted and on the payroll, ready-to-work if and when needed."
They didn’t plan on the ground force from the cars sucking up the water valve covers in the street of the race track which requires asphalt repairs so I don’t think we can expect them to plan on delays for staffing either. I have to think they were already maxed here as it was.
I’m surprised to read they are running cars at 230 am to 4am. I understand the time constraints but that racket at the middle of the night. Good thing it’s in Vegas I guess.
As for why they water pipes under roads a part of me doesn’t get for disruptions to traffic. I would have thought these would be better run under sidewalks and the edges of roads but I’m a layman in these areas. I suspect there’s good reasons for this?
I understand that they didnt expect this particular incident. But sessions being delayed isnt some magical new thing. It happens all the time. They shouldn’t have organized the personnel in a way that they were already maxed out by default.
In case you are blind and the images have no alt text, the linked article prominently features images of people being "removed" from the grandstands by men in police uniform.
From a post on Reddit I read, some hardcore F1 fans from Las Vegas paid $200+fees for a Thursday-only ticket just to see the cars running in their city, only to be kicked out after only 8 minutes of actual running and a long wait in the cold, leaving the area as the cars resumed FP2, and being told that there would be no refunds. Honestly, infuriating.
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