Despite all the excitement and overtaking, Fernando Alonso believes that the Las Vegas GP circuit is not suitable to run modern F1 cars at high speed. The Aston Martin driver talked about this as the much sought-after race in Nevada concluded on Saturday.
Speaking about this to Motorsport Total, Alonso said as per Junaid Samodien, “I know the show may look good from the outside. But these cars are not made to go through corners at 80 km/h. These cars are built for Suzuka, Barcelona, and Silverstone.”
Spinning out in the first corner was not fun, but we fought back until we made it into the points. Mega race from @lance_stroll to the top 5, with lots of points for the team ! Thanks, Vegas! See you next year 🥳👏🏻. @AstonMartinF1 #f1 #vegas #astonmartin pic.twitter.com/UvLBhMI8s0
— Fernando Alonso (@alo_oficial) November 19, 2023
The Las Vegas GP circuit is a street circuit. Therefore, it allows very limited overtaking throughout the entire track. The only place the drivers could overtake each other was the two long DRS zones. Even they were drastically different from those at the traditional F1 tracks.
The tracks as mentioned by Fernando Alonso such as Silverstone, Barcelona, or Suzuka allow the drivers to move freely without any risk of slamming against the wall. Vegas’ street circuit, due to its different characteristics also altered the grid by quite a margin due to the presence of high-speed straight. Nevertheless, this wasn’t the only criticism the third US race of this year faced.
How did Max Verstappen slam the Las Vegas GP from the get-go?
The Las Vegas GP began with a huge pomp and show as it promised a huge event to the fans. This is why they had an opening ceremony, a unique cooldown room in a Rolls Royce, and a stunning podium celebration.
However, they were not enough to keep Max Verstappen happy as the Dutchman had constant issues with the race. As Verstappen and other drivers had to go through their introductory process, the three-time world champion said he felt like a clown.
A well-fought for podium finish for @Charles_Leclerc! 👊
That last-lap overtake truly was class 👌#LasVegasGP #F1 @ScuderiaFerrari pic.twitter.com/3thvswxkPf
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 19, 2023
Following this, Verstappen added that the Las Vegas GP is 1% sport and 99% show. He even shared his disapproval after Formula One Management decided to offer a $200 voucher to the fans who were not allowed to attend the FP2 late in the night.
Nevertheless, Lewis Hamilton’s opinion was in stark contrast with that of Verstappen. After the conclusion of the race, the seven-time world champion said that the Las Vegas GP race gave a befitting reply to those who earlier talked about it being only a show.
All in all, the inaugural Las Vegas GP gave the fans one of the best races of this season. From countless overtakes to lead changes, from three potential winners to multiple teams in points haul, it had everything to make it a blockbuster.
