ROUND 22: United States 🇺🇸
FORMULA 1 HEINEKEN SILVER LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX 2023
Circuit stats
- First Grand Prix: 2023
- Number of laps: 50
- Circuit Length: 6.201 km
- Race Distance: 310.05 km
- Lap record: N/A
- **2022 winner:**N/A
Track Map
I don’t understand why everyone is saying the racing was great here. All overtakes were either slipstreaming behind another car or under breaking at the end of a straight. Sure it makes for a lot of overtakes, but not really that exciting after having seen the same move done a couple of times.
Also, why was the cool-down room a Rolls Royce and not an American car like a Cadillac? Seems like a missed opportunity to promote more Americana.
Because races are more than just the strategy or technical skill of racing. Half the entertainment in most sports are the storylines and this race was full of stories. When Max got a 5 second penalty it opened up the storyline of Leclerc possibly ending his unfortunate streak of starting on pole and not winning. Then there was Perez having a really unlucky turn 1 that he turned around and was even P1 for a stint, only to be robbed of P2 by Leclerc on the last lap. Then there was Sainz first being screwed over by the FIA but then also having a poor turn 1 only to turn it all around and finish in points. Oh and of course Max actually having to race for the win. And those are just some stories off the top of my head. So much more happened in the race that was beyond just strategy or skill.
If you watch F1 just for the actual racing then I agree it wasn’t all that great, but I think if you’re watching it just for that reason then you’re missing a lot of what makes F1 entertaining.
The circuit created chaos, which required skill to manage on and off track since you need to be ready to adapt. So it was exciting to watch.
I think I like this track more for racing than for qualifying though. A little bit like Baku, but with uglier scenery.
I think Baku is more exciting as there are lots of narrow spots on the track where it requires a lot of skill to thread the needle. Here it is 3 or 4 wide most of the track.
Rolls Royce probably considered to be more of a luxury vehicle as it’s foreign and known for the build quality and finish
Agreed the racing was poor, just slipstream and DRS, which I noticed Karun called “drafting” today…
@Photographer @formula1 I enjoyed the racing, and it seems the drivers did too. Everyone wants to shit on this race and I’m fucking tired of hearing the negativity. It was a great race, lots of action, super high speeds, what’s not to love?
Half the race was a DRS train, I don’t think there was “lots of action” or any great racing. I’d rather see high speed corners and corners with multiple lines than the high speed straights and DRS overtakes. Also the deliberate attempts to force spectacle detract from the race, the over crowded grid walk with virtually no interesting celebrities despite being in Vegas, driving to a hotel for an interview delaying the podium, celebrity flag waver who looked like he didn’t want to be there. All this on a backdrop of losing Hockenheim and risking the loss of Spa and Silverstone. Sorry if you feel that’s negative, but F1 is going in the wrong direction with this, Miama and Saudi Arabia.
