ONTD Original: The bumper guide to the F1 Las Vegas shitstorm
Click to viewIn an attempt to capitalise on the new surge of popularity in F1 the new Las Vegas street circuit, which is planned to have its first Grand Prix in decades next week, has been surrounded by controversies.
The wonderful Amanda Golka (Swell Entertainment) recently made a video showing the latest state of the track (linked above. Spoiler alert, in the words of Kelly Rowland looking into her fridge on MTV Cribs, it ain't neat), but there isn't much detail in the video of how the track got to that point and why it's still not ready even though race week starts in THREE days.
I’ve done a ton of research and compiled a timeline of events to provide context to Amanda's video, and also because, even though F1 is not exactly the most organised sport, this event has been taking the piss so much I’ve lost track of how many shitstorms have made the news and no media outlet's keeping track either, so...
the track's first draft, kinda looking like spiderpig
March 2022 - Planning begins and it's called boring
The planned track for a Las Vegas GP is announced. It is predicted to favour the current leaders, Red Bull (1). Fans are quoted as being concerned it will be ‘another boring street circuit’. (2) This likely explains what happens a few months later.
June 2022 - F1 is an Independent Woman who doesn't need your help
Liberty Media (owns Formula One Group and Live Nation Entertainment) buys 39 acres of land on the Strip for the paddock building (garages, hospitality, etc), for $240m (3). For the first time, Liberty Media are doing the promotion and organisation in-house rather than depending on third parties.
the track's final draft, definitely looking like spiderpig
November 2022 - Boring circuit plan changed, driver says meh ok
The ‘boring’ circuit layout is changed to add more corners. Racing driver and part-time shop floor mannequin, George Russell, says ‘I don’t think this is going to be the most exciting one to drive’ (4).
23 January 2023 - F1 says they're gonna make bank
The GP is projected to attract 105,000 fans, with several F1-controlled grandstands and hospitality spaces to be constructed. The track partially covers more than four streets. F1 invested approx $500m; it is expected to earn $1.3bn, almost double the Super Bowl (5).
7 February - government says deal with it for 10 years
Officials in Las Vegas approve plans to shut the Strip for the Grand Prix for at least the next ten years (6).
11 April - locals are pissed, government says stfu and think of the money
Local news reports that the construction is ‘upsetting’ locals and causing heavier traffic. Clark County District Commissioner, Tick Segerblom, plays down concerns: ‘I’ve been told that every other F1 is actually a franchise where the local people actually run the race. This one, Formula 1, didn’t want to franchise it. They’re in charge of the whole thing because they realised what a great boom this was going to be’ (7).
this is how smug stuart looked when f1 called him for help
23 April - Silverstone throws shade
Stuart Pringle, the Silverstone GP (United Kingdom race track) managing director, reports that he had been contacted by Liberty Media ‘with a shopping list of questions […] I think F1 have had a massive eye-opener about what it means to put an event on’ (8).
25 July - F1 says pay up or go blind
Liberty Media threatens to physically block the views from venues if they don’t pay a licence fee. Example: a restaurant on the Strip that holds 1,000 customers could pay a licence fee of $1.5m during the race (9). One business owner claimed he heard F1 reps discussing using floodlights to blind potential onlookers (10).
4 August - F1 says time is money so speed it tf up
Liberty Media admits that the GP is costing more than expected, with most of the surprises coming from replacing tarmac and moving overhead wires. A F1 rep said, ‘[the track] is being built at lightning speed in an inflationary environment’ (11).
20 August - F1 again: I SAID, time is money, so SPEED IT TF UP!!
Terry Miller, project manager, calls the GP ‘one of the most aggressive programs of construction and design I’ve seen, certainly in Vegas […] the level of inconvenience that’s been caused this year is not going to be repeated’ (12).
so kind of them to offer klarna for these tix
31 August - standing room ticket prices go viral
A post goes viral on Twitter showing a screenshot of standing-room only tickets next to the MSG Sphere for $519,035 each. ( 13).
trees got cut in the middle of the night - just in case this doesn't look dodgy enough already
7 September - the trees didn't pay for tix so they get removed
Many trees were cut down around the track. An F1 rep says that they were removed to improve the views around The Mirage and the Bellagio Fountains. Some trees will be replanted later, and the rest will be cut into wood chips for existing parks (14).
14 September - hotel rooms aren't selling
Hotel room rates for the GP drastically fall by up to 60% since last November when rates were first announced. An example: A room at Planet Hollywood during race week cost $4,336.61 in 2022. In 2023, you can book the same room and date for $1,781.18 (59% decrease). A hotel operations professor explained that prices automatically lower on these systems when people aren’t booking as many rooms as expected (15).
excessive traffic with pedestrians, what could go wrong
17 September - people are literally walking into traffic
A video goes viral showing access to the Bellagio Fountains, The Mirage and other landmarks has been heavily limited while construction is ongoing. Residents and tourists again raise complaints of excessive traffic. People are filmed going around fences and walking on busy roads while they wait for sidewalks to be reopened and/or rebuilt (16).
21 September - pedestrians get free sidewalks
Barriers are finally put up on the boulevard to stop people walking into traffic (17).
24 September - one worker death; F1 goes silent after bragging about 'lightning speed' last month
A construction worker, Tizco Antonio, suffered a ‘major accidental laceration to the neck’ near the Bellagio Fountains and was taken to hospital, where he then died. Some F1 fans believe safety is being compromised as workers are being rushed to finish the track on time. Police have said OSHA is investigating. As of today (8 November), F1 has not released any statements acknowledging Antonio’s death or the investigation (18).
October 2023 - permits are kinda there, kinda not
Liberty Media planned on getting their occupancy permits for the paddock building, but the permits don’t include barrier construction. I can’t find another source that confirms the details of these permits, but I am assuming that they’ve since been mostly approved (19).
the reddit post that restarted the ticket price debate
8 October - trick-or-treat tickets on sale but they're all tricks
F1’s discounted ticket promotion for local Nevada residents (silently slipped in as an apology for the disruption) is called ‘misleading’. The so-called ‘race tickets’ for $200 were actually for the Thursday free practice session, not the Sunday race, and did not include hidden service fees and order processing fees (20).
1 November - cab drivers prepare by charging more
Las Vegas TikToker Jen G (@vegasstarfish) says that Vegas cab drivers will be applying a $15 surcharge. This is later confirmed on Jalopnik. Jen claims it is to ‘offset Europeans who don’t tip’ but it’s more likely that they are planning for it to be very busy (21).
more power to this king
3 November - locals say 'fuck the police' and start breaking stuff
Locals film themselves tearing down the privacy film that’s blocking the views of the race track. Las Vegas police say the barriers are there at every track to protect drivers from falling debris or thrown objects. [OP note: we know it's safety measure since it’d be dangerous to stay on the bridge; however this doesn’t negate the fact that the race hasn't started yet, there will be a lot of crowding during race week, and the new passages are very narrow] (22).
Also 3 November - union threatens to strike
35,000 members of the Culinary Workers Union employed on the Strip have said they are prepared to go on strike if pay negotiations aren’t settled by 10 November (three days before race week). If the strike goes ahead, any race attendees who are staying nearby would be affected (23).
4 November - F1 says this shit is expensive, who knew
The estimated cost of the track is reported to be approx $435m, $35m above what they originally estimated (24). I'm not an accountant but that seems a little bit off.
HG2 you're cancelled
Also 4 November - ticket holders told to move bitch get out the way
F1 cancel the construction of part of a grandstand, the HG2 structure just before Turn 17 on Harmon Ave, due to ‘sightline issues’ despite already selling tickets for it. Ticket holders have been told they will be moved to an alternative position (25).
8 November - partial union deal reached, others still in talks
Caesars Entertainment reached a tentative deal with the Culinary Workers Union, while talks with MGM and Wynn are still ongoing (26).
Also 8 November - humidity is rising, barometer's getting low
F1 decided to host the race at 10pm in the Nevada desert. Like any desert, it gets cold at night. Latest reports predict it'll be under 10 degrees C (50 degrees F) which would make this the coldest race in F1 history. This may not seem like a big issue, but it is: tyres need be warm to get grip, so if they are cold, those long straight parts of the track will be giant slip 'n slides. When asked about the dangerous conditions, Pirelli Tyres' rep called it a 'big unknown' (27). Ross Brawn (no longer in the project) admitted they 'hadn't considered' that deserts get cold at night (28).
13 November: Race week begins, and it'll end with the grand prix on 19 November
That's three days away.
Any Las Vegas/Nevada ONTDers? What are your experiences with the construction over there? because from over here it looks like a hot mess
YouTube video source
Other sources:
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