Max Verstappen wins third consecutive Formula One world championship
The F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix is facing criticism for its efforts to prevent the public from seeing the track before the race weekend. Sin City will host a race in motorsports’ elite competition for the first time on November 19.
This will mark the third F1 race to take place in the US this season after Miami hosted a Grand Prix in May before the US GP in Austin, Texas was held in October. With less than a month remaining before the sport heads the famous strip, organisers are putting the finishing touches to the Las Vegas Street Circuit.
But as they do so, they do not want anyone to catch a glimpse of the track, according to @vegasnavigator on TikTok. A clip was uploaded to the account showing that on nearby overhead glass bridges overlooking the circuit, onlookers were prevented from seeing the track.
Privacy films had been applied to the glass to make sure fans could not see anything before the race weekend. This included blocking off views of the roads used as part of the track layout, as well as the new iconic Las Vegas Sphere, the biggest spherical structure in the world.
This has angered the people of Las Vegas as the voiceover in the TikTok clip said: “The people of Las Vegas have spoken! [They] voiced their protest against the organisers of the Formula One race. The organizers had put privacy screen wraps over all the glass bridges to stop locals and tourists from watching the race.
“However, the passers-by were clearly unhappy with this move as it blocked their view of the Sphere. Especially when tourists are here for just a few days, they want to get that perfect shot. While some people don’t care to watch the Formula One race, they do want to see the Sphere!”
The extra steps taken to ensure privacy may be to guarantee nobody can get a free view of the track, especially when $500 million was spent for Las Vegas to stage an F1 race. But those against the idea think the exclusivity initiatives are harsh and prevented people from not only seeing the race track but also the Sphere, which is one of Las Vegas’s biggest tourist attractions.
Don’t miss…
Furious Alonso hits back at Red Bull rumours with ‘consequences’ threatened[LATEST]
Jos Verstappen’s former F1 foe makes bold claim about Max ahead of Brazilian GP[LATEST]
Max Verstappen doubles down after Red Bull star’s retirement threat[LATEST]
- Advert-free experience without interruptions.
- Rocket-fast speedy loading pages.
- Exclusive & Unlimited access to all our content.
According to PlanetF1.com, more visibility film will be added to the bridges after some of it was vandalised by protestors, with more being added to the outside to prevent further damage. Furthermore, safety scrims, otherwise known as heavy coarse material, will be added to bridges to prevent anything from being thrown onto the track.
Responding to the backlash, a spokesperson for the Las Vegas Grand Prix told PlanetF1.com: “Safety both on and off the track is always the No.1 priority at every Formula 1 race. We worked with the local emergency response officials to develop a safety plan for the pedestrian bridges that cross the race circuit.
“That plan is intended to allow a constant flow of foot traffic and ensure the drivers are safe from objects from above and pedestrians are safe on all bridges from any errant track debris. We are confident the safety scrims and barriers, once completely installed and secured, will play an important role in ensuring a safe event for drivers and pedestrians alike.”
Source: Read Full Article
