The 2023 F1 season has mostly been a one-man show, with Max Verstappen shattering one record after another. With 17 wins so far, few have been able to cause the Dutchman any discomfort in winning a race. Having won his third driver’s world championship, the 26-year-old shows no signs of stopping and will head to the Las Vegas GP in hopes of emerging as the race’s inaugural winner.
However, the Dutchman has not been a fan of the race weekend so far, as he mentioned in his comments. After an unimpressive opening ceremony, an annoyed Verstappen told the media that he felt like a clown while standing in front of the crowd and that the racing event was “99% show and 1% racing.”
Max Verstappen on Las Vegas GP:
“Not very interesting”#f1 #formula1 #maxverstappen #redbullracing pic.twitter.com/7zmH9E8ktt
— Oh My Formula 1 (@OhMyFormula1) November 16, 2023
Responding to the same, Steve Hill, the CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, tried to put a positive spin on the comments of Max Verstappen, as reported by Motorsport Magazine.
“Max has been a little chippy, frankly, about the race here. I don’t know if that’s because he’s just a little nervous or what but that will also bring a little edge to this [weekend].”
The words of Hill might as well have fueled a fire within Verstappen, who will now want to prove just how good he can be at his best. Aiming for win number 18, there is little doubt the Dutchman won’t be able to do so. Should it be the case, not only will Verstappen go down in the history books as the inaugural race winner in Las Vegas, but he will also equal Sebastian Vettel’s career race-win record of 53.
Max Verstappen not interested in the pageantry of the Las Vegas GP
Away from comments, Verstappen also chose to use his actions to signify his dissent around the spectacle of the Las Vegas GP. The Dutchman opted against going to a VIP meeting at Wynn’s hotel complex despite Stefano Domenicali making it mandatory for every driver to be present at the event. Verstappen made it clear that he was in Vegas to race and not attend events and that he would leave as soon as possible once racing was over.
🗣️”We are just standing up there, looking like a clown.”🤡
Max Verstappen’s reaction to Las Vegas GP opening ceremony goes viral, he hated every minute #LasVegasGP. . pic.twitter.com/5A3NSHHBak
— SPORTbible (@sportbible) November 16, 2023
Verstappen was visibly frustrated after the inauguration ceremony that barely shined any light on the drivers or racing in Las Vegas and was mostly just a music concert. As the driver popped out in front of the crowd with the artists continuing to perform, the Dutchman admitted to feeling like a clown that everybody had come to see. Speaking to the media after the event, Verstappen claimed he was in Vegas only to race and did not care for the entertainment aspect of the weekend. “I’m looking forward to try to do the best I can, but I’m not looking forward to this [the show].”
