Max Verstappen takes swipe at Las Vegas Grand Prix after INSULTING F1 decision

Las Vegas Grand Prix

Verstappen takes swipe at Las Vegas GP after INSULTING F1 decision

The world champion pulled no punches with his opinion on one controversial move

Anna Malyon

Sunday 19 November 2023 20:42

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Max Verstappen has voiced strong criticism against Formula 1 and the Las Vegas Grand Prix, stating that he would 'tear the whole place down' if offered a $200 voucher instead of a refund.

The weekend endured a rocky start after FP1 was cancelled following Carlos Sainz's run-in with a loose drain cover, prompting the need for extensive work on the track.

Following a two and a half-hour delay, FP2 eventually commenced at 2:30am local time. However, no fans were able to witness the session as they had been removed from the fan zones and grandstands due to 'logistical issues'.

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This meant that individuals with only Friday tickets, which cost over $200, experienced a mere nine minutes of track action.

Instead of providing a refund, the Las Vegas Grand Prix announced that fans with single-day tickets would receive a $200 (£160) voucher to spend in the official shop.

This sparked outrage, with even three-time world champion Verstappen criticising the decision, claiming that he would not tolerate such a situation.

"Then they make money from it too," said Verstappen to De Telegraaf. "Awesome!

"If I were a fan, I would tear the whole place down. This can't be true, can it?"

Carlos Sainz ran over a loose drain cover in Las Vegas, resulting in FP1 being cancelled

F1 fans were removed from grandstands and fan zones for FP2

Max Verstappen insisted he would 'tear the whole place down' if he was offered a voucher

Fierce backlash

Both the CEOs of the Las Vegas Grand Prix and F1 issued an official statement regarding the removal, but failed to offer an apology for the action.

Spectators waited for five hours before being told to leave from the circuit at 1:30 am, with fans speaking to Sky Sports F1 journalist Craig Slater, saying it was "disappointing."

"Ridiculous," said one fan. "We waited for four hours, and they gave us hope, they said yeah, we're going to have the race. Then nothing happened and now they're telling us to leave."

"We came from Los Angeles, we flew only for today," another fan added. "We spent the money for the airplane, the tickets for this [the race] and nothing."

As of now, individuals with full weekend tickets will receive no compensation for the disrupted Friday, despite having paid hundreds or even thousands.